[NPFX Ep. 73] Rethinking How We Do Good: What We Can Learn from This Funding Crisis (with Melissa Cowley Wolf, Patton Hindle, and George Suttles)
What does it mean to be a nonprofit today, and how did we reach a point where so many organizations feel underfunded, under attack, and uncertain about their future? The challenges the nonprofit sector is facing didn't come out of nowhere; they're rooted in deeper systemic issues, and they raise fundamental questions about the role of nonprofits in society. In today's episode, we discuss how we got here, what's changing, and where the sector can and should go next. Listen here:
Episode highlights include:
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Is the nonprofit sector experiencing an existential crisis or overdue reckoning?
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Lessons we should have learned from Covid and the first Trump administration
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How the role of nonprofits in society has changed over time
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The importance of exploring strategic partnerships, mergers, and closures from a position of strength
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Inviting next-gen donors to be partners in transformational change, not just funders
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Why transparency is crucial for rebuilding trust in the nonprofit sector
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How next gen nonprofit leaders are addressing pay inequities and other challenges
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The importance of listening to communities and taking calculated risks
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Ways to future-proof your nonprofit
Special Offer: Free 30-minute consultation for NPFX listeners
Additional Resources
- IPM's free Nonprofit Resource Library
- [NPFX] Federal Funding Uncertainty: How to Assess the Risks and Respond Strategically
- [NPFX] Building Resilience in the Face of Funding Cuts
- [NPFX] Advocacy Matters: Defending Federal Funding for Nonprofits
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Guests
Melissa Cowley Wolf has over 20 years of experience in philanthropy, strategic planning, and programming for art museums and higher education institutions across the United States. A philanthropy consultant for nonprofit organizations, an advisor to next generation philanthropists, and arts advocate working across industries, she was named to the Artnet 2020 Innovators List as one of 51 global innovators transforming the art industry. Melissa founded advising firm MCW Projects LLC in 2017 to expand the next generation of cultural philanthropists, advocates, and audiences. She is also the founding director of the Arts Funders Forum (AFF) an advocacy, media, convening, and research platform designed to develop new models of impact-driven financial support for the cultural sector.
Patton Hindle is the Executive Director of Artadia, a nonprofit grantmaker that centers artists in their vital role in society through providing funding and professional development in 7 US cities. Most recently, Patton was the Head of Forward Funds, Kickstarter’s first social impact. She also served as the Head of Arts at Kickstarter for 5 years, working closely with artists, collectives, arts organizations, and cultural institutions around the world to help them realize creative and ambitious ideas. Patton is a co-author of How to Start and Run a Commercial Art Gallery and was a 2019 Catherine Hannah Behrend Fellow at 92Y Women inPower in New York. Patton served as an advisor to Mellon Foundation and is currently on the Board of Directors of The Laundromat Project, serves as the secretary of the Board of Directors of Socrates Sculpture Park, and she is a mentor for New Inc.
https://www.pattonhindle.com/
George Suttles is a recognized expert on the intersection of philanthropy, racial equity, and nonprofit finance. He’s passionate about helping the sector confront its toughest challenges. Prior to his current role, George was a Program Officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation, an independent, national private foundation focused on improving care for older adults. Before joining the foundation, he was a Vice President, Senior Philanthropic Relationship Manager at U.S. Trust/Bank of America. In this role he worked with private and institutional clients on issues related to best practices in strategic grantmaking. He is a member of numerous nonprofit boards including the New York Foundation, where he serves as chair. George received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (IUPUI), and an M.P.A. from Baruch CUNY School of Public Affairs.
Hosts
Russ Phaneuf, a co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.
Rich Frazier has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 35 years. In his roles as senior consultant with IPM Advancement and founder of VisionConnect LLC, Rich offers extensive understanding and knowledge in capital campaigns, fund development, strategic planning, and board of directors development.