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THE W. GLEN BOYD CHARITABLE FOUNDATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING UNSOLICITED APPLICATIONS FOR 2007 & 2008.
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Dear Friends and Colleagues, As many of you know (too, too well!), we have not had our usual open grant rounds since 2006. We know, we know… the waiting has been inconvenient and confusing, and we’ve been keeping you on the edge of your seats for too long. (We’ve been on the edge of our seats, too!) We have truly appreciated your patience during this time. Hopefully, you were able to turn this “challenge” into a “gift” and built valuable connections and accessed other available resources as a result. Your commitment and efforts to serve the community have provided important role-modeling, so we have continued to wish you the very best of success! And, we’ve truly enjoyed hearing about your highlights and updates during this time. If you are wondering what we’ve been up to….here it is in a nutshell: We’ve been reflecting on and rethinking our approaches to philanthropy… not just “grant-making” but philanthropy as a whole. We spent time reviewing and analyzing our past 5 years of grant-making, considering both the inspiring highlights and the programs or outcomes that left us wondering about effectiveness. The highlights were many and robust! And the “off” parts left us questioning some very important issues related to the ways in which we (as an organization and a field) sometimes engage in philanthropy, social services, and community development. At the same time, we were conscious of working effectively with “small” amounts of money, knowing that a little bit of money and a dose of creativity can go a long way – especially when working with grassroots groups and efforts. We realized that these resources might go even farther and be of great value to grassroots efforts in developing countries. So, we spent the next year and a half researching the possibility of engaging mindfully in international philanthropy. Mostly we just listened, observed, learned, and asked a LOT of questions of other foundations and local organizations doing international work, with advisors both in the U.S. and abroad, and then spent time on the ground with children, youth, women, and other community members and leaders themselves. And then we spent more time mulling it all over and looping back to go a little deeper and reconnect with community members. After researching a variety of possibilities, issues, and approaches, we’ve decided to include international grassroots efforts in our foundation programs, and to explore and shift some of our own paradigms about philanthropy -- and about social services, community development, and collaboration. We hope to do this mindfully and effectively. To start, we are piloting ways in which our philanthropic efforts and collaborative partnerships can contribute to improving the lives of children, youth and women in ways that positively ripple out to the wider community – both the communities abroad AND at home. Starting in Fall 2007, we will be focusing our priorities on empowering people and programs in Uganda, Africa and U.S. programs and opportunities related to those efforts (especially those linked to programs in Portland, OR). Our intention is to contribute to the capacity-building of grassroots efforts, the linking of valuable resources, and the connecting of communities at home and internationally in ways that are meaningful and empowering to both. Quite synchronistically and unexpectedly some amazing opportunities lined up to create our first international and domestic collaboration. The links include but aren’t limited to fabulous Portland-based non-profit and local businesses: Mercy Corps, Voices for Silent Disaster’s concert series, Global Sister Goods, Belladonna Beads, and Pro Photo Supply, FOTG Films; and the utterly humbling and awe-inspiring efforts of Ugandan and Ugandan-American colleagues, Locan Rebe (“the bead women”), and the Internally Displaced Peoples of Pader, Northern Uganda. The connections have been empowering and meaningful in ways we could have never imagined… and the linkages, inspiration, and possibilities for involvement and improving quality of life both at home and abroad continue! Stay tuned for the unveiling of our new website to learn more about what we’re doing, where we’re headed, and how you and/or others can participate. This is an inspiring, new, and ever-evolving learning process for us all! If it’s a great “fit”, we welcome you joining us on the journey! Afoyo matek, Yalama noi, and Webale nyo (“Thank you” in Acholi, Ateso, and Luganda). Wanen and Awanyunos! (“See you soon!”) Diana H. Dokos |
