NetSquared recently received a $600,000 grant over three years from the Surdna Foundation, a long-time supporter of TechSoup. While at NTEN's 2008 Nonprofit Technology Conference in March, I sat down with Vince Stehle, the Program Officer for the Nonprofit Sector Initiative at the Surdna Foundation. We talked about philanthropy, nonprofit technology trends, and Surdna's support of NetSquared.

Amy Luckey's recent GEO article, "Grantmaking 2.0: Using New Technology to Enhance Grantmaker Practices," covers four ways foundations can use the social web:

1. Facilitate communication among grantees through tagging and facilitating connections before and after in-person gatherings. (She highlights the nptech tag here!)

2. Connect grantees with external experts.

“What community do you serve?” This is one of the first questions I’m asked by foundations when I make a call and ask for a meeting. I stifle a sigh and say, “Washingtonians--anyone who wants to be involved in the legislative process. In particular, though, we’re building services for citizens who are currently disengaged from the legislative process.” I know this isn’t the answer people entrusted with millions of dollars want to hear.

They want, “We serve a very specific community of ‘X-type’ people, and each year, ‘X-number’ of them walk through our doors, and with your contribution, we’ll serve ‘X-number’ of people.” They want me to say that Knowledge As Power will only help women, or young people, or Latinos, or the elderly, or Seattle residents. That just isn’t true, and it isn’t a mission worth pursuing. I wouldn’t waste foundation’s money repeating the same work of other worthy organizations.

But I understand where they’re coming from---it’s a place where finite resources meet infinite problems. Books, HIV medication, after school facilities, volunteer hours, bus passes, trees --- there is only so many that can be bought, built, or provided. And after entire careers engrossed in the cost-benefit ratio of real world non-profit services, I understand why dismayed foundation officers say, “Knowledge As Power sounds really unique, and interesting, but I just don’t think it fits what we look for.” Because, really, they look for project’s who’s capacity for change can be measured or appreciated easily; you can see where your money is going. Online, that’s not so easy.

Hello! Our last economic sustainability session will be more conversational thanks to our panelist, we will be mixing it up for a bit. This is Evonne Heyning and I will do my best to liveblog this session as it flows.

Panelists:

Anita Figer, Nonprofit Finance Fund, hired by foundations to look at economic sustainaiblity of nonprofits

Susan Walters, California Emerging Technology Fund, broadband technologies in low income communities Panel leader: Ask tough questions! Don't be afraid to share what you think.

TAKING IT GLOBAL