Ask the right questions
Learning isn’t hard to do, but it must be intentional and continuous. Whatever role you play in philanthropy—be it funder, donor, grantmaker or foundation board member—in order to make a real impact, you have to ask the right questions.
And there is one question that is guaranteed to save time and money and help achieve dramatic results, a question that can help you start out with a sound strategy. It’s a simple question, but the answers you receive could change your outcomes and the way you think about your initiatives.
That question is this: “If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?”
Yes, it’s really that simple.
If you ask others that question while or after they attempt the same thing you’re trying to do, I promise you will reap benefits. Listen to what they have to say, implement their suggestions and you will save time, financial resources and headaches. You will also have a much more successful grantmaking program, and it will happen much faster than if you hadn’t asked the question. Why make the same mistakes someone else already made, when we can learn from each other and collectively bring greater impact to the communities that we serve?
Asking this vital question can help you take several crucial steps in your philanthropic journey:
1. Make a communications plan. I was working with a community foundation implementing a human services initiative, so we visited other communities across the country that were doing the same thing. We asked each of them, “If you could develop your initiative all over again, what would you do differently?”
Each one of them said, “If I could do it all over again, I would develop a communications plan from the very beginning.” Bingo!
The organizations all agreed that without such a plan, they were hindered throughout their entire initiative by poor communication and coordination and lack of awareness among key stakeholders. Unfortunately, the foundation I worked with chose to ignore this advice and did not prioritize a communications plan. Years down the road, as a result, they too were held back in their efforts.
2. Be able to collect enough data. Another important discovery we made by asking this crucial question was that most foundations say they should have invested more in data collection. Months or years into a new initiative, their grantees are unable to collect the data they need to make an impact, because they don’t have the in-house capacity. That means they have to stop their efforts and set up that capacity at a time when they should be moving forward. Learn from those foundations, implement that suggestion from the start and save yourself time and money.
3. Get input from the community. When asked the crucial question, one organization responded that they should have gotten out of the office and into the community they served before landing on a specific initiative or strategy. Unfortunately, this is a common oversight. In this case, they were addressing issues facing the elderly. They had reams of data about illness, clinical services, nutrition and mobility. But they didn’t go talk to those who serve the elderly one-on-one, or to the elderly themselves. They missed the important moments of deep understanding that can come when one sees how local, state or national policies play out on the ground. Their impact was not what it could have been.
The conclusion is simple, right? Ask the question, listen to the answer, implement the suggestion, save yourself time and resources, get faster results and have greater impact. You have the resources and tools you need to make it happen. Don’t be afraid to reach out for advice to a fellow donor, consultant or foundation that has worked on similar issues. I guarantee it works!
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