I2I's Heart-2-Heart on Donor Collabs, Iconic Women Inventors, & Celeb Philanthropy March Madness
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 March 2024. Want to read the newsletter in real time? Click here to subscribe!
This month, we’re singing the praises of the backbone teams of donor collaboratives, celebrating the ingenuity of womxn, and tipping off a March Madness: Celeb Philanthropy Edition!
On Our Minds
PHILANTHROPY 🤝 HOLLYWOOD
It’s time to give flowers to undersung heroes in philanthropy: the backbone teams of donor collaboratives. 💐
One might imagine donor collaboratives as an “exclusive club” — a speakeasy where people with deep pockets go to chat about the “big bets” in which they are pooling money to invest.
As the MEL partner for several donor collaboratives… we can tell you that image is FAR from reality.
The backbone teams of donor collaboratives are the “glue” holding initiatives together; the “bridge” connecting resources with communities; the “loom” weaving a cohesive strategy from distinct threads; the “container” holding space for shared strategizing; the “megaphone” amplifying a shared vision; and so much more.
In our experience, learning & evaluation can be used to alleviate some of the inherent tensions felt by donor collabs working in the middle of donors and grantees. You know what they say… when there’s too many cooks in the kitchen, turn to the recipe (ahem, MEL framework). OK, no one says that, but they really should.
Recently, our partners at the Audacious Project wrote an article for the Gates Foundation’s Donor Collaborative blog series and featured takeaways from our latest evaluation report.
Check it out! And then meet us at that elusive speakeasy…
Image of people discussing what to do with funding produced by ChatGPT4.
In Our Hearts
To help celebrate Women’s History Month, we asked I2I core team members “what is your favorite invention by a woman?”
Answers not only remind us who run the world, they also make it a more accessible, delicious, and intelligent place for us all!
Kathleen: GPS navigation! Thanks to the mathematical modeling brilliance of Gladys Mae Wests, I am able to explore new places, both near and far, with less fear of getting totally and utterly lost!
Blake: Beer. Not only is it enjoyable to drink, but, having first been invented by Sumerian and Mesopotamian women 7,000 years ago, and predating written language (some of the first writings in human history depict several beer goddesses), it was the earliest way for humans to transport potable water. This allowed human civilizations to explore and spread to geographies that were further than a day’s travel to running water.
Nina: Computer algorithm & software. Ada Lovelace is known for penning the first computer algorithm in 1843, leveraging an approach she calls "poetical science." This made it possible for Grace Murray Hopper to co-develop COBOL, one of the earliest and most consequential computer languages, in 1959.
Sahiti: Trailblazing work that put India on the moon: Hailed as "Rocket Women of India", more than 50 women were at the center of the successful mission (Chandrayaan-3) that made India the fourth country to land a robotic probe on the moon and the first to land on its south pole!
Up Our Sleeves
🤩 MARCH MADNESS: Celebrity Philanthropy Edition! 🤩
For some, March signals one of the most frenzied sports tournaments of the year: NCAA March Madness. But here at I2I, we’re swapping out basketballs and alley-oops for celebs and social impact!
Join us each week on Instagram and Linkedin where we’ll announce the bracket-style match-ups between celebs with noteworthy philanthropic chops. You can vote on your faves each round.
The Sweet 16 round is live now and voting closes on Friday, March 22!
The Elite 8 will tip off on Monday 3/25.
In April, I2I will donate $300 to the winning organization. May the games begin!
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. 😉
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Until next time,
Intention 2 Impact
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