PFund Folio March 2014

exceptional philanthropyBy Kate Eubank

Founded by exceptional individuals as a response to the AIDS crisis in

1987, PFund Foundation has remained committed to being a responsive

community foundation. For 26 years, PFund has been employing

strategies that the larger philanthropic sector now recognizes as highly

effective and leading-edge, like community-driven grant review.

PFund is now in a unique position. We’re grounded enough in our community

to be accountable to community issues and needs as they emerge and change.

And, simultaneously, we have a steady, long-term vision for change.

From a cursory glance, it may look as though our organization’s community

responsiveness commitments have wavered. Early on, PFund established the

Bisexual Fund. In 2005, we issued an appeal for the Communities of Color

Endowment. And 2009 saw the release of a report about women’s leadership

in the LGBT community. In 2012, we partnered with United Way to organize

an LGBT aging symposium. And now, we’re using QReach to engage in

conversations about region.

more on page 3 >>>

insp

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f o l i o 2014 issue one

page 4 page 6 page 8

Meet the hosts of

PFund Cabaret 2014!

What does it mean to

be committed social

justice philanthropy?

See what our grantee

partners are doing!

©{re}bekah photography

QReach kick-off convening participants in Des Moines, Iowa on March 7, 2014.

1Turning dollars into social change.

from the executive directorBy Kate Eubank and Susan Raffo

This has been the kind of winter that both relies upon and builds the hearty Upper Midwestern strength of spirit. In the midst of subzero temperatures and many feet of snow, we keep on showing up for our friends and family, our jobs, and school (when the schools stay open). In spite of the weather, we put on more layers and turn snow shoveling into an Olympic sport.

As people of the Upper Midwest, we live with the firm belief that spring will arrive again, even in the coldest times. It’s this resiliency that informs our most thoughtful change.

This is as true at PFund as anywhere else. Over the last six months, our work has focused on getting the job done as efficiently as possible, while keeping the faith that our future can be warmer than today.

For PFund, 2013 brought many exciting and new organizational changes. Here are some of the highlights:

>> Implementing a new grant structure that includes site visits and multi-year commitments for reviewers. These changes support community reviewers to strengthen their understanding of the organizations they review.

>> Merging the board’s Development committee and Communications committee into a single Advancement committee focused on advancing PFund’s mission.

>> Shifting QReach from planning to implementation by selecting 16 organizational partners and 48 LGBT and allied leaders — including the organizing of the QReach kick-off convening in Des Moines for the beginning of March 2014.

>> Strengthening our philanthropic advocacy by encouraging bigger foundations to invest their dollars in LGBT communities. With only .26% of all philanthropic dollars invested in the US going to LGBT work, we know we have a lot to do. A good example of this effort is QReach, in which we’ve partnered with the Bush Foundation, the Bremer Foundation, and the Blandin Foundation. PFund is committed to continuing to reach out to funders across our region.

We continue to be humbled and awed by the many stories of change that we learn from PFund scholars and our grantee partners. Their work is the true measure of our community’s growth and over the last six months, we are warmed by their leadership.

We hope you enjoy the articles in this issue of the newsletter — and we hope that you like the new look! It may seem fancier, but in addition to refreshing our look for more modern times, it is also a cost-saving measure. Let us know if you enjoy the brighter, fresh dimension!

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PFund staff at the QReach kick-off convening

©{re}bekah photography

Turning dollars into social change.2

exceptional philanthropy (cont’d)<<< from page 1

Understandably, questions sometimes arise: What happened to the

concern about women and LGBT elders after the report and needs

assessment were completed? Is PFund still committed to a racial equity

lens? Why are we focused on region all of the sudden? The answer lies in

our unique position as a responsive community foundation.

Unlike private foundations, PFund raises our money from the community each

year, and we rely on the community to decide where and how to give it out.

So PFund has to be accountable to all of the communities that are a part of our

organization, whether as a grantee partner, inspired giver, or volunteer. This

means that part of our job is to recognize emerging issues and opportunities,

and then help bring visibility and resources to them. Often, we accomplish this

through a focused campaign or initiative. But that doesn’t mean that our work

in that area ends when a report is published or a national funding match ends.

Rather, these efforts become

more integrated into the long-

term work of our organization.

So, our focus may seem fluid,

but it isn’t. Instead, we keep

strengthening our ability to

really see and respond to our

community’s needs. Every time

we lift up an issue, expand

our circle of community, and

increase our understanding

of our communities, we are

part of building a better way

of doing philanthropy. The

more exceptional social justice

philanthropy work we do,

the closer we get to excellence

as a community-building

foundation.

So, the work continues. For

example, our convening and

reporting on women’s leadership began a process that recently led

Rev. Rebecca Voelkel and Maggie George to establish and endow the

MacKenzie-Shannon Fund for Authentic Leadership. The focus on building the

Communities of Color Endowment led to PFund’s participation in the national

Racial Equity Initiative. But those are just some of the tangibles. The intangibles

are the ways in which exploring these issues strengthens PFund and expands

our circle of change ever wider. We’ve made great progress in the last 26 years,

but there is still tremendous work to be done. PFund is deeply committed

to building an Upper Midwest where all of us are celebrated and free from

discrimination, violence, invisibility, and isolation — and doing it well by staying

connected to our communities and building community in everything we do.

insp

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• Build local grassroots leaders and orgs, especially in South and Midwest

• Connect local efforts with national and regional resources

• Strengthen LGBT orgs working intersectionally in underserved communities

• Support coalitions & broad progressive efforts

• Transform mainstream institutions to be more responsive to LGBT communities

SMART STRATEGIES

“TWO AMERICAS”FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE

NEW MAJORITYOPPORTUNITY

TRANSFORMING CULTURES & SYSTEMS

THE PHYSICS OF LGBTQ FUNDING: MOMENTUM, RESISTANCE, & IMPACT by Funders for LGBTQ Issues, August 2013

2014 issue one 3

pfund cabaret

K.M. DavisI first became involved with PFund

while I was the sole queer working

at a large law firm. I had heard

of PFund quite often since I first

arrived in Minnesota. But it wasn’t

until former PFund staffer Alfonso

Wenker asked me to brainstorm

about young professional giving that

I began to be actively involved in

the PFund community. I was happy

to learn more about PFund and,

when I opened my own firm, I kept

in touch with Alfonso, as well as the

rest of the staff. Starting my own

firm allowed me a great deal more

flexibility in giving (both time and

financially) so when I was asked to

serve on a PFund committee and as

a scholarship application reviewer,

I was happy to accept. I had a

great deal of fun serving as both a

committee member and scholarship

reviewer for a year. However, an

adjunct teaching position at William

Mitchell forced me to term off of

both positions. Thankfully, once

PFund has a hold of you, they don’t

forget: I was honored this year when

Kate and Susan asked me to co-chair

the Cabaret.

I first attended the Cabaret four

to five years ago, and have always

been impressed by the scope of

the event, the number of people it

brings out, and the funds it raises

for the important work PFund does.

And, quite simply, it’s always a great

time and a chance to dress up, mix,

and mingle after a long winter. With

the season we’ve had (and continue

to have), I can’t wait to see what an

amazing evening we’re in for! Also, I

have been told that all of the snow

will melt after 300 tickets are sold

to this year’s PFund’s Cabaret. I don’t

know if this is true, but you don’t

want to take the chance that you’re

the reason winter lingers, do you?

(Take the safer bet and make sure

that doesn’t happen by purchasing

your Cabaret ticket!)

K.M. Davis served on several boards prior to her work with PFund, including serving as Quorum’s board president and serving as legal counsel for RECLAIM and other local LGBTQ organizations. Davis’ work as a business attorney affords her a chance to work with many LGBTQ owned businesses, during startup and growth. She and her partner, Sarah Senseman, live in Minneapolis with their two children, Gabe and Tommy, two ridiculous bulldogs, and an exasperated cat.

from your PFund Cabaret 2014 hosts

“I was honored this year when Kate and Susan asked

me to co-chair the Cabaret.”


pfund cabaret

Jason HowardIn 2010, I returned to my small

Wisconsin hometown for my high

school reunion, which happened

to coincide with the Homecoming

parade. In the parade was a float

labeled “GSA,” with a bunch of girls

riding on the float. I asked around

to my friends, “What is ‘GSA’?” No

one knew. So, I went over to the

girls and asked. “It’s the ‘Gay

Straight Alliance’ club,” they replied.

WOW! I was stunned. During my

high school years, there was no

such organization.

I noticed there had been no boys on

the float. I asked the girls, “Where

are the boys?” They told me the

boys still didn’t feel safe to join the

GSA, much less ride the float. That

experience helped prompt me to

increase my contributions to PFund.

I realized, very concretely, what a

difference an organization like a GSA

could have made in my life, helping

me feel less isolated and invisible,

and more safe and celebrated.

In 2000, I volunteered and served on

PFund’s grants review committee.

Later, I was asked to join the board.

I am excited about the direction

PFund is headed. Each year, Cabaret

plays a critical role in raising funds

so PFund can continue supporting

organizations helping LGBTQ youth,

and all of our communities. But,

more than that, Cabaret is about

connecting and having fun –

being seen, seeing each other,

and celebrating our common goals

together. This will be my seventh

Cabaret, and what keeps me coming

back is that it is a genuinely fun

way to give. It is not your average

or typical fundraising event. We are

excited to build on the huge success

of the 25th Anniversary Cabaret! And

we hope to see you there!

Jason Howard served on PFund’s Community Grant Review Committee and as a volunteer for several years before joining PFund’s board in 2008. Jason brings many kinds of expertise to the board, including experience leading another nonprofit, the Soo Visual Art Center in Minneapolis. Jason says he loves that PFund constantly educates and challenges him in his thinking about the vastness of our LGBTA community. He and his partner live in Minneapolis, where they enjoy their pets and a shared love of art.

“This will be my seventh Cabaret, and what keeps me

coming back is that it is a genuinely fun way to give.”

2014 issue one 5

from the board

fix the roofBy Luciano Patiño

I first heard of PFund when I was

looking for money. I was helping plan a

conference for LGBT college students

and we applied for a PFund grant.

When we didn’t get funded, we wanted

to know why. The answer we got made

a lot of sense. The grant reviewers knew

we had many funding opportunities

outside of PFund, while some of the

other groups did not. They were

members of the community, they knew

us, and they could look beyond just our

grant application.

PFund is not a traditional philanthropic organization. In more traditional

institutions, such as private or family foundations, one person or a small handful

of individuals — usually family members — directs the vision and allocation of

funds. However, as a community foundation, PFund has many stakeholders and

funders with a wide array of interests, needs, and goals.

At our recent retreat, the PFund Board of Directors had a chance to talk about

what it means to be a community foundation that is also committed to doing

social justice philanthropy. Trista Harris, president of the Minnesota Council on

Foundations, led the conversation.

Our purpose is to build community. But what does that really mean? How do

we go about it? How is that different than charity or providing services? What

are some of the common pitfalls and how do we avoid them? Trista helped us

answer many of these questions and, in the process, made us as a board better

able to guide the work that PFund does.

PFund’s grant review process focuses on our three pillars of social justice:

>> Achieving equal rights

>> Ensuring access, safety, and security

>> Creating power through community

These pillars help PFund address the very issues that cause injustice in the

first place. This is very different from charity work. As Trista described to us: If

someone has a hole in their roof, charity puts a bucket under the leak. What

PFund strives to do is to fix the roof. We want system change and long-lasting

social change, and we acknowledge that this path comes with difficulties.

Fixing the roof is, of course, much harder than putting a bucket under the leak.

It requires that we climb up on the roof. We have to find the hole first, which


from the board

may not be easy, and we may have to hire someone with the expertise to repair

it. And, chances are, it will probably still rain while we try to fix it.

System change and long-lasting social change can be harder to measure. It’s

easy to measure how many people walk into a drop-in center. It’s much harder

to estimate how many people felt safe enough that they didn’t need services.

We also talked with Trista about some of the ways PFund can reduce the

burden on our grantee partners. Many of the organizations PFund supports

are volunteer-driven. Many don’t have staff at all, and most lack a grant writer.

Putting together grant applications can hamper their ability to do their work.

It can also be unfair to compare submissions from all-volunteer groups with

submissions from groups with large budgets and development departments.

This is why I am particularly proud of our new grant review format, which

includes site visits. It evens the field, and connects us to the community.

Members of the review committee told us that they learned a lot during those

site visits, and the new format aligns better with our values.

We have also considered multi-year funding. Many grantee partners say that

the burden of having to submit a new application every year is onerous. If we

could offer them multi-year grants, we could ease that burden and give them

some much needed stability. That requires something on the other side of the

equation, though: multi-year commitments from our donors. Our staff is hard

at work trying to make this a reality.

Another concept Trista introduced us to, which was new to many of us, was

“venture philanthropy.” As a community foundation, we can afford to give

grants to smaller and newer groups. A more traditional institution is focused

mainly on outcomes. They ask questions like, “How many meals did we serve?”

or “How many people benefited from our program?” If certain thresholds aren’t

met, then the program is considered a failure.

PFund can offer assistance to a daring new group. In the past, the board has

been apprehensive about some of these grants. We equated failed outcomes

to wasted dollars. As Trista described it, though, these can be some of our

best innovators. Even if a particular program fails to meet expectations, those

leaders still learned some lessons. They will likely join other groups where they

can put those lessons to good use and they can continue to make change. By

creating opportunity and building leadership, PFund has still strengthened and

invested in the community.

more on page 8 >>>

“It’s easy to measure how many people walk into

a drop-in center. It’s much harder to estimate how

many people felt safe enough that they didn’t

need services.”

2014 issue one 7

In October 2013, PFund launched

QReach to learn, connect, and energize

the Upper Midwest LGBT movement.

In January, 48 leaders representing

16 organizations were selected as

QReach partners and we gathered at

a kick-off convening in early March to

begin the process. Through facilitated

dialogue and activities, the partners

and all participants (which included

members of the QReach Advisory

Group, PFund staff, and board

members) began learning more about

our region, connecting people and organizations that have felt isolated and

disconnected, and building and fostering relationships to help energize our

movement for equality. We are highlighting just three of the organizations that

were selected in the cohort of 16 organizations, but you can find the full listing

on our website at PFundOnline.org. We are honored and thankful to be able

to do this incredible work and are excited that QReach is underway!

Lutheran Social Services - Together for YouthThe goal of Together for Youth is to maintain a

safe space for youth to gather, provide support

and advocacy to youth and their families, and educate members as well as

the greater community about LGBTQ issues. Together for Youth encourages

school success and creates opportunities for youth leadership. Together for

Youth strives to facilitate personal growth, encouraging youth to take care

of themselves and each other. Finally, they educate around equity issues as

a first step in improving the community’s quality of life. Visit lssmn.org/lss/

together_for_youth.htm for more information.

grantee corner

fix the roof (cont’d)<<< from page 7

That first conference I helped plan taught me countless lessons about

organizing and collaboration. That group never did get funding from PFund,

but the members of the planning committee had gotten involved and they

stayed plugged in. Among those I worked with were several future PFund

employees, multiple volunteers and donors, and leaders of organizations

across the Twin Cities.

As for me, it was during those months that I met my closest friends and many,

many great local and national leaders. I connected to the community. Over

time, I became a PFund grant reviewer, a board member, and a part of the

board’s leadership team. I consider my service to PFund a privilege, because,

unlike at a traditional foundation, we are the products of our own work. We are

the communities that we serve.

©PFund


evening with music and friendsEvening with Music and Friends is a PFund tradition. A time to gather with

friends and community around inspired giving. On a chilly Fall evening

last November, our most dedicated donors were invited to a reception

for an enjoyable evening of relaxed celebration to honor their commitment to

turning dollars into social change.

even

tsEquality South Dakota The mission of Equality South Dakota is to secure and

protect the rights and well-being of LGBT South Dakotans

and their families through full engagement in the political process. They seek

dialogue with elected officials and invite them to see us as a resource in their

decision-making. In doing so, they give a voice to families that have been silent

and fearful. Visit eqsd.org for more information.

Iowa Pride NetworkIPN works directly with LGBTA youth to cultivate advocates and leaders

who fight homophobia and transphobia and strive for social justice.

Visit iowapridenetwork.org for more information.

From left to right: top: Bob Ruff, Curtis Brock, Ryan Kroening; Alfonso Wenker, Dawn LaDassor, Michele LeClaire; middle: Paul Blom; Jeff Hlavacek, Brian VanderWaal, Jaron Gil-Roering and Juan Gil-Roering; bottom: Kate Eubank, Roya Moltaji; Donald Whipple Fox, Kayva Yang

PHOTOS: ©{re}bekah photography

2014 issue one 9

why QReach?By By Victor Raymond, PhD. QReach Advisory Group Member

LGBTQ organizations in the

Upper Midwest face colossal

challenges every single

day. In many places across

Iowa, Minnesota, North

Dakota, South Dakota, and

Wisconsin, the need is great

and the resources so small

that LGBTQ organizations

struggle to keep from

being overwhelmed. Often, those

organizations are on the “front lines”

and there is very little back-up to

be found. That is a key element of

why PFund has started the QReach

assessment: to help LGBTQ leaders

and organizations learn together,

connect with each other, and

energize the Upper Midwest

LGBT movement.

Why QReach? It’s all too easy to

focus too much on our immediate

work – that daily set of issues,

crises, opportunities, discussions,

and everything else that is a part of

our efforts for social justice. If my

experience as a former nonprofit

executive director is any guide, the

chances to step back and see the

bigger picture do not occur very

often. Yet, it is vital to gain some

perspective, because it is one of the

few ways to better understand the

work that is already underway, learn

how it is getting done, and explore

the directions we, as Upper Midwest

LGBT communities, want to take it

in. We will be exploring together

things such as:

>> What challenges and

opportunities do organizations

face in helping build

strong communities?

>> What does the current ecology

of LGBT communities look like

state-by-state, community-by-

community?

>> What are the local and

regional assets, resources,

networks of organizations and

leaders in our Upper Midwest

LGBT communities?

The QReach assessment is intended

as an active effort to answer these

questions and others. QReach as

a regional assessment is focused

on bringing together 48 leaders

representing 16 organizations

from the five-state Upper Midwest

region. And, in selecting the cohort

of QReach partner organizations,

PFund and the advisory group were

thoughtful about including a strong

mix of different kinds and sizes of

organizations, working on different

issues, and representing many

different parts of our communities.

That diversity will help build greater

perspective and enhance strategic

vision, as leaders and activists share

their experiences with each other,

as well as their communities and

funders. In a very real way, QReach

is much more about providing

time and support for real, useful

communication and relationship-

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©PFund

QReach Regional Advisory Group member Victor Raymond, PhD, with PFund Executive Director Kate Eubank and Susan Raffo at the QReach kick-off convening


news

Changes for PFund FoundationBy the time you read this newsletter

you may have already seen the

announcement about the staffing

changes on the horizon for PFund.

It is with both excitement and

sorrow that we announce the

eventual departure of Kate and

Susan’s co-executive directorship

of PFund. Kate’s partner, Myrl, was

offered the professional opportunity

of a life time at Colby College in

Maine, starting this September.

While Kate and Susan’s roles at

PFund will be changing, they are

deeply committed to a smooth

transition that continues to support

the great work that is achieving

PFund’s strategic plan, including

the QReach project. In the coming

weeks and months, you can look

forward to more information about

the transition timeline and search

process as staff and the board

work to put together a plan that

helps the organization continue our

exciting momentum throughout

this transition. Kate and Susan feel

honored and fortunate to have been

part of the PFund team and vision

for the last three and a half years —

and they look forward to the

next stage in PFund’s growth as

the regional LGBT community

foundation for the Upper Midwest.

Kate Eubank Susan Raffo

building than about creating a

final report.

In the end, the value of QReach

will be measured by how much

partner organizations help each

other — and PFund – to grow and

develop. This is rooted in the idea

that the people and organizations

participating in QReach already

have a store of wisdom, knowledge,

and experience to share with one

another and funders. Why rely on

costly “outside experts” when you

are already well-versed in your own

circumstances? The regional impact

generated by QReach will happen

through sharing knowledge, building

new connections, and exploring

future opportunities. When leaders,

organizations, and funders come

together to focus their attention on

higher goals, and not on immediate

struggles, we can transform our

communities into safer spaces

that are free from discrimination,

violence, invisibility, and isolation.

PFund is uniquely positioned as a

regional funder for LGBTQ issues

and organizations to facilitate

this process. By connecting

organizations with each other,

with their communities, as well as

PFund and other funding partners,

QReach will strengthen ties between

organizations and create new ones

where such connections did not

previously exist. It isn’t intended to

be yet another initiative imposed

from outside. It is a process to make

it easier for organizations, leaders,

and activists and funders to learn

from one another and from the

larger community of which we are

all a part.

PHO

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PFund Folio March 2014

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Transcript of PFund Folio March 2014