Comments on: Are Foundations Inept, Boring and Afraid of Failure? Part II http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:18:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Holden http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii#comment-587 Holden Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:10:41 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/21/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii/#comment-587 I do not accept your retraction of the word "bully." What's wrong with a strong word when you have a strong feeling? I accept the "bully" label with pride, if you mean that I'm bullying foundation people in order to help the poor and disadvantaged. It's true, I'd go further than public embarrassment, I'd give em noogies and chocolate swirlies if I thought it would help. I do not accept your retraction of the word “bully.” What’s wrong with a strong word when you have a strong feeling? I accept the “bully” label with pride, if you mean that I’m bullying foundation people in order to help the poor and disadvantaged. It’s true, I’d go further than public embarrassment, I’d give em noogies and chocolate swirlies if I thought it would help.

]]> By: Holden http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii#comment-586 Holden Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:57:44 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/21/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii/#comment-586 OK, what's a better approach? Or do you disagree that there's a problem? There are people in need (clients) and people not in need (foundation staff). When discussing how to improve outcomes for the former, I hate hearing concerns about "bullying" the later. OK, what’s a better approach? Or do you disagree that there’s a problem?

There are people in need (clients) and people not in need (foundation staff). When discussing how to improve outcomes for the former, I hate hearing concerns about “bullying” the later.

]]> By: Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii#comment-585 Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:16:09 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/21/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii/#comment-585 I will retract the word bully-ish from my previous comment as it is a strong word. In response to Holden's comment "... to embarrass them into telling us what they do..." What I am sayig is, I just don't think using the media "to stick it to em'" is the way to get the information. I will retract the word bully-ish from my previous comment as it is a strong word. In response to Holden’s comment “… to embarrass them into telling us what they do…” What I am sayig is, I just don’t think using the media “to stick it to em’” is the way to get the information.

]]> By: Maggie http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii#comment-584 Maggie Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:44:01 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/21/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii/#comment-584 Yes, I followed what you meant. My thought was that I don't think that tactic is the best way. I find the approach a bit bully-ish. Yes, I followed what you meant. My thought was that I don’t think that tactic is the best way. I find the approach a bit bully-ish.

]]> By: Holden http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii#comment-583 Holden Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:33:24 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/21/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii/#comment-583 Maggie, I don't follow you. Sean and I are arguing for different kinds of press coverage, which may be behind the confusion. Foundations are more opaque than they should be. They're rewarded for this with the absence of controversy and accountability. I'd like to see the press make a scandal out of their opacity and embarrass them into telling us what they heck they do. The outcome of that, hopefully, is that we find out, and then we can have a real conversation about how good it is. Maggie, I don’t follow you. Sean and I are arguing for different kinds of press coverage, which may be behind the confusion.

Foundations are more opaque than they should be. They’re rewarded for this with the absence of controversy and accountability. I’d like to see the press make a scandal out of their opacity and embarrass them into telling us what they heck they do. The outcome of that, hopefully, is that we find out, and then we can have a real conversation about how good it is.

]]> By: Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii#comment-582 Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:24:22 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/21/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii/#comment-582 And so my question to both Sean and Holden, is then "So What?" More press coverage and the outcome of that is ...? To me it's like some famous world-ranked tennis players, some of which if they spent less time in front of the camera for sponsor promos, may have had a better year on the court. The point is to be great not big. Sorry, I don't think more press coverage is the answer to what you think they should try to be accomplishing. And so my question to both Sean and Holden, is then “So What?” More press coverage and the outcome of that is …? To me it’s like some famous world-ranked tennis players, some of which if they spent less time in front of the camera for sponsor promos, may have had a better year on the court.

The point is to be great not big. Sorry, I don’t think more press coverage is the answer to what you think they should try to be accomplishing.

]]> By: Holden http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii#comment-581 Holden Sat, 22 Sep 2007 01:29:10 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2007/09/21/are-foundations-inept-boring-and-afraid-of-failure-part-ii/#comment-581 OK, those are some cool things you point to foundations doing ... But none of them get me excited the way a business or sports story gets me excited, because all of them are about process, and none of them are about RESULTS. If a business experimented with Second Life or community-powered voting or the like ... boring. If that led to more profits or even just a better mousetrap, I'm interested. Show me a foundation that figured out the best way to fight malaria and eliminated it from some part of a country. Then I'll get excited. It's that kind of thing that could win a foundation fame forever, even if it goes out of business in the process. On the flip side, a foundation failing to dent malaria for some unforeseen reason is interesting too (maybe even more interesting). I do agree with you completely that press coverage is a potential key to the behavior we want. But rather than covering the things you point to, which even I find "sorta interesting," not "exciting," the press coverage I want to see would make a scandal out of the fact that foundations are so opaque. (Along the lines of your last paragraph.) OK, those are some cool things you point to foundations doing …

But none of them get me excited the way a business or sports story gets me excited, because all of them are about process, and none of them are about RESULTS.

If a business experimented with Second Life or community-powered voting or the like … boring. If that led to more profits or even just a better mousetrap, I’m interested.

Show me a foundation that figured out the best way to fight malaria and eliminated it from some part of a country. Then I’ll get excited. It’s that kind of thing that could win a foundation fame forever, even if it goes out of business in the process. On the flip side, a foundation failing to dent malaria for some unforeseen reason is interesting too (maybe even more interesting).

I do agree with you completely that press coverage is a potential key to the behavior we want. But rather than covering the things you point to, which even I find “sorta interesting,” not “exciting,” the press coverage I want to see would make a scandal out of the fact that foundations are so opaque. (Along the lines of your last paragraph.)

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