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The Power of Small Gifts
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Letter from TPI President Ellen Remmer
"When the minimum gift of a Slate 60 member is $30 million and the Gates Foundation's required annual payout is $3-4 billion, it isn't hard for your run of the mill philanthropist, foundation and corporate donor to scratch their collective heads and say, "will my gifts make any difference?" Well, TPI's resounding answer is yes, and in fact we believe that small can be quite beautiful!"
The Power of Small Gifts
TPI firmly believes that there are many situations where small is better. What are the advantages of small gifts and what makes a small gift effective? Here are some ideas: Focus, Appropriate scale, Efficiency, Connection, Investment in People, Leverage...
Focusing on Poverty: Lewis Hines Fellows
When Lewis Hine traveled to early twentieth century sweatshops with a camera, his photographs became a major tool in the fight to pass child labor laws. Today, at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies, young people called Lewis Hine Fellows are trained to make documentary studies in his spirit. Thanks to the ongoing support of an anonymous TPI client, this international program is now bringing Lewis Hine Fellows and their commitment to social justice to Boston-area community organizations.
Small Grants Can Spur Innovation: The AOL Interactive Education Initiative
Educators often find themselves thinking "If only I had..." They know that a modest investment of flexible resources can make a critical difference in their classrooms. Beginning in 1998, TPI worked with the newly formed AOL Foundation to design and implement the Interactive Education Initiative (IEI), a small grants program aimed at developing new interactive technology models to improve student learning.
Money, Mentorship and More: The Scholarship Program for College Students
Very low income students face formidable challenges in attending college, including a lack of "pocket money" to pay for everyday expenses and the often overwhelming experience of being the first in their family to attend college. Thanks to donors in Boston and New York City, college students are getting extra help through a model TPI developed to provide financial support and mentoring.
Promoting Contemporary Music, Supporting Musicians: Argosy Contemporary Music Fund
TPI helped the Argosy Foundation to develop and implement the Argosy Contemporary Music Fund 5 years ago, and it continues to promote the proliferation and awareness of contemporary classical music today. Organizations and schools are invited to apply for a grant of between $1,000 and $25,000 to support the commissioning of new works, performances or recordings, and training of musicians. According to one grant recipient, this initiative is really helping to advance the contemporary music field: "By now all the groups/record labels/foundations I work with know about (CMF) - they are making a real impact."
Inspiring Corporate Volunteerism: CVS/Caremark Volunteer Challenge Grants
The CVS/Caremark Volunteer Challenge Grant Program recognizes employees who go the extra mile to better their communities. This program was designed and implemented by TPI as part of a strategic planning process with CVS/pharmacy in the 1990s to support and strengthen the volunteer efforts of their associates. While individual employees can apply for a small grant ($500) for the nonprofit where they volunteer, the program encourages employees to collaborate on larger endeavors by offering $2,500 grants for team projects.
Building Great (Small) Organizations: The Sills Family Foundation
The Sills Family Foundation likes to invest in small organizations led by passionate people working on the front lines. But even small organizations need to invest in themselves or they risk burnout and breakdown. In 2007 the trustees invited a small group of grantees to apply for capacity building grants of up to $25,000 "to be used in whatever way you think would best contribute to the strength of your organization." Among those chosen were a NYC criminal justice group and a battered women's shelter in Vermont.
Boston Neighborhood Fellows
For the last eighteen years, TPI has worked with an anonymous donor to run a program that celebrates the builders of the Boston community; the social entrepreneurs who often go unrecognized but who make a vital contribution to our quality of life. The Boston Neighborhood Fellows Program is an awards program that provides recognition and direct financial support to individuals of exceptional creativity, vision and leadership who work in community service in Greater Boston.
What About Really Small Gifts (and Loans)?
Interest in "mini" or "micro" grants has grown a great deal in recent years, often fueled by donor interest in supporting individuals, microenterprise development, and global efforts to alleviate poverty. Combined with the power of technology to connect individual donors with projects and people, these efforts have produced highly innovative and successful online vehicles to make this type of giving easy and efficient.
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