JVA's Nonprofit Street

August 27, 2008

No one becomes poor by giving: Themes from the Philanthropy Roundtable at the DNC

Quick thoughts (will write more later when the DNC is over) about Monday’s Philanthropy Roundtable, part of the 2008 Rocky Mountain Roundtables of the DNC:

Some key thoughts and take-aways from the Roundtable participants, who included local philanthropists Tim Marquez and Rick Schaden, as well Ted Turner, Larry Brilliant and others:

  • We want you to measure what you are doing for us, we want outcomes—not just how much money has been spent, but how we’ve changed the world.
  • Government, education and business need to work together—everyone needs to be involved and no one can do it alone.
  • Sometimes an issue needs a “little shove—some entrepreneurial activism.” Business can provide that shove, and stimulate government to move on an issue.
  • “Climate change is an issue that young people should be really angry and urgent about.”
  • “Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the potential.”
  • “No one becomes poor by giving—and this is true both of individuals and corporations.”

There was lots more—lots to think about and act on.

LOVED:

  • The tagline for all the roundtables: Groundbreaking Thoughts at a Higher Elevation
  • The choice of roundtable participants—who had really interesting and diverse perspectives (there will be more about that next week—check back)
  • That our local funders like Rose Community Foundation, Community First, Western Union and Mile High United Way continue to invest in sponsoring interesting programs like this, making them available at really low cost.

DIDN’T LOVE:

It was unfortunate that the concert hall was about half full, and that many who had bought tickets, made their way downtown, paid for parking etc. had to sit in the upper sections at Boettcher Concert Hall while there were lots of empty seats in the sections closer to the stage.

Janine Vanderburg

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