I2I’s Heart-2-Heart on Philanthropy Influencing Culture, Love Languages, & Provocative Theories of Change
Hey there,
Welcome to Intention 2 Impact (I2I’s) Heart 2 Heart (H2H) newsletter - where we share what’s on our minds, in our hearts, and up-our-sleeves. This is an archived newsletter from February 2024. Want to read the newsletter in real time? Click here to subscribe!
This month, we're rolling out the red carpet for Ava DuVernay's philanthropy-funded film, getting weird with off-beat love languages, and feeling at home with All Home (a nonprofit advancing regional solutions to disrupt poverty and homelessness).
On Our Minds
PHILANTHROPY 🤝 HOLLYWOOD
When was the last time you saw a movie that rattled your consciousness? Two-some hours and a vat of popcorn later, you emerge from a dark theater and the light from the outside world hits differently. That’s exactly how we felt after watching Ava DuVernay’s new movie, “Origin.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, this is your sign (and this is the trailer).
When DuVernay first dreamt of adapting Isabelle Wilkerson’s bestselling book “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents,” she was met with doubt. How could a book so intellectual and heavy be made into a box office movie?
DuVernay did not have time to convince the naysayers. She knew she wanted to release this movie in early 2024, well in advance of the presidential election.
So when traditional financing was not fast or bold enough, she turned to the philanthropic sector. The making of this movie is an illustration of urgent, trust-based philanthropy at its best.
Not only is “Origin” being acclaimed as the most important biopic of a book ever made, but its use of social-sector impact investments and unprecedented speed of funding has redefined philanthropy’s influence on culture.
If you are scratching your head, wondering why no one is talking about this movie and its use of impact investing for narrative change… you are not alone‼️
Check out our latest article that unpacks why this movie is a big freaking deal in more ways than one.
If you are as hyped as we are about “Origin” and its origins, join us on Friday, March 15th for a “movie club” discussion where we’ll dissect its potential impact — on individuals, culture, systems, and philanthropy.
Register here. BYOpopcorn. 🍿
In Our Hearts
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d take another new twist on Love Languages. Last year we shared I2I’s Five Love Languages; this year we asked the core team to share with us their unconventional or “odd-ball” love languages.
Read on to learn how you can win over the hearts of the I2I team and more importantly how you might expect our colleagues to show you affection. 🥰
Nina
Give: overly sharing mundane details to build familiarity and trust
Receive: reciprocal sharing of mundane details for shared meaning making
Sahiti
Give: Feeding people, especially traditional South Indian preparations, chai, filter coffee etc.
Receive: Genuine curiosity about my daughter. It's no surprise I LOVE talking about that marvelous tiny human.
Blake
Give: Deliberately making time to be with people in person. I have lots of hobbies, little free time, and am a HUGE introvert. If we arrange a time to be together, you are high on my list.
Receive: Laughing at my dad jokes and listening with the intent to genuinely understand me
Kathleen
Give: being over-prepared on Friendscations & forcing everyone to floss with me
Receive: warm blankets from the dryer
Up Our Sleeves
Over the past few months, I2I has had the privilege to support All Home as they reimagine the organization's theory of change (ToC). As an advocacy intermediary, All Home’s charge is to rally the Bay Area region together around solutions that result in homelessness becoming a rare, brief, and non-recurring experience. It’s an impressive and important organization.
The I2I team facilitated two hands-on ToC workshops in service of co-creating a visual model that the organization can use to better communicate their systems-change work and measure their successes.
All Home team members described the workshopping experiences as “provocative & productive” (2 words we rarely hear in the same breath)
Curious to learn how MEL might be a productive provocateur at your org? Slide into our DMs.
Onward and upward, y’all.
You know, heart-2-hearts are supposed to be a 2-way street…
So comment below, what’s on your mind, in your heart, and up your sleeve? Hopefully a lil’ bit of good trouble. 😉
Subscribe to the newsletter here!
Until next time,
Intention 2 Impact
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