TPI 2006 Highlights

Dear Friends,

As 2007 begins, we want to share some of the highlights of TPI’s work from last year, which continues to focus on communities and regions throughout the United States, as well as needs and opportunities around the globe.

In 2006, TPI assisted a diverse array of clients in advancing their philanthropic objectives – more than 60 individual donors, families, foundations, and corporations. This work included strategic planning and facilitation; research and analysis on a variety of social issues; design and implementation of new philanthropic strategies; as well as continued operation, expansion and evaluation of ongoing initiatives. We’re pleased to report that our clients collectively contributed over $200 million in philanthropic giving last year.

TPI clients made a difference on a wide array of critical issues in 2006:

• Education, including K-12 school improvement, professional development of teachers, merit pay for teachers, raising student aspirations, literacy, math and science education, arts education, early childhood development, college preparation and scholarship support, and adult literacy
• Youth development, youth mentoring and out-of-school time activities, engaging youth through the arts, youth employment and career awareness, adolescent girls’ development, college scholarships and other issues facing children and youth
• Affordable housing, community and economic development, homelessness, workforce development and other efforts to alleviate poverty, strengthen families, and transform neighborhoods
• Health issues, including racial and ethnic health disparities, childhood obesity, child mental health and behavioral issues, community health, diabetes and other medical research
• Other issues including inter-religious understanding, helping senior citizens stay active and independent, environmental issues, and the arts

A comprehensive program report will be published in the spring, featuring some of this work.

Organizational news of note includes the election of Carla Javits, CEO of the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund and Henry Izumizaki, Learning Director for the Russell Family Foundation, to the TPI board. Stanley Goldstein, co-founder of CVS and a founding director of TPI, retired from the board and has become an emeritus director. Finally, we have settled into our new offices at 160 Federal Street, in Boston’s financial district. Please pay us a visit.

In 2007, TPI will continue to develop new initiatives and materials and foster collaboratives focused on how donors and funders can increase their philanthropic impact. Here are a few things to look for in the next few months:

The World We Want: New Dimensions in Philanthropy and Social Change
By Peter Karoff with Jane Maddox  
January 2007
The book weaves together multi-sector, multidisciplinary strategies, but is in large part about the power of human connection, reinforced by personal stories of motivation and the human capacity for caring. Without ignoring the institutional and cultural obstacles, and the courage needed to face down the dark side of human behavior, Peter shows how citizen engagement and open-source solutions could tip the scale toward a better world.

Boston Neighborhood Fellows Awards
March 2007
TPI designed the Boston Neighborhood Fellows Program for an anonymous donor as one strategy to achieve the donor's goal of recognizing individuals of unusual creativity, vision, and initiative. This year marks the 17th year of the Fellows program, which has awarded more than $2 million to 111 outstanding community builders. Mayor Thomas M. Menino will present awardees with $30,000 at a ceremony held on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at six o’clock at the Old South Meeting House. Please join us.

Diaspora Research Initiative
April 2007
TPI is engaged in a research initiative exploring the growing significance of diaspora philanthropy, philanthropic giving from citizens and residents of the United States to their countries of origin. An overview study will map and analyze the practical experience of organized diaspora philanthropy, and four case studies will explore giving from the United States to the Philippines, Vietnam, Kenya, and Colombia. The project is a joint venture of TPI and the Global Equity Initiative at Harvard University, with support from Germany’s Bertelsmann Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Excellence in Family Philanthropy Convening
June 2007
TPI is working with a cohort of 20 community foundations committed to helping their family donors become more strategic and satisfied, and to creating resources and tools for the community foundation field at large. The third convening of this first-ever initiative, launched by TPI in 2006, will offer participating community foundations an opportunity for professional development and peer learning.

TPI remains an exciting philanthropic marketplace, with creative energy, high-impact initiatives and great people. We look forward to continuing to work with our extraordinary clients in 2007 as you seek out and implement effective ways to encourage productive change in the world. 

One final note: in moving to larger and more flexible office space at the end of 2006, we deliberately sought space that could be easily used by clients for colleague and community gatherings.  We encourage you to visit us and to see how you might take advantage of the multiple meeting spaces we now have. 

Thanks for making 2006 such a great year and on to 2007!

Sincerely,

Joe Breiteneicher
President