Strategic Philanthropy

The McIntosh Foundation Experience

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Network for Social Change

• Thank you for inviting me• Your Profile

– Progressive– Leverage– Risk taking– Funders of variable size– Entrepreneurial– Radical– Creative

• The importance of support networks– Isolation eliminated from giving activities

• Connections to more non-profits• Shared experiences and concerns• Inspiration

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From your group profile, I would describe your work as catalytic philanthropy

• Catalytic philanthropy is for donors who have the desire and opportunity to achieve social change and the time and resources to become personally involved.

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Talk Outline

• Who are we?

• What we do and why

• Why – To make a difference

• How– Entrepreneurial approach– Multiple strategies– Long term systemic change

objectives

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• The McIntosh Foundation has approached philanthropy with an entrepreneurial spirit rooted in the source of the Foundation’s endowment: a successful, worldwide family business. We believe there is a distinct difference between charity and philanthropy. The greater need is always for short-term solutions to a problem; these are the needs that charity addresses. Philanthropy uses the funds available to take long-term approaches to solving the cause of those short-term needs for charity.

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The McIntosh Foundation

• Short family history– A&P– Second generation development

• Start from scratch• No donor intent direction of parents• Flexibility with small board• Learning from mistakes

– Family philosophy in business and philanthropy• Strategic, focused, leveraged, long-term systemic change,

largest swath of parties affected, take risks, learn from failure– Third generation preparation

• Dinner Table education growing up• Put sons on board when graduated from college• Discretionary funding for involvement• Introduce networks at early age for education• Regular family meetings• Regular communications• Family office for their use as well

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Examples

• Civil Rights• Environmental Public Policy

– Advocacy• Lobby capacity building• Constituency building

– Law• Public interest bar development• Judicial integrity

– Education• Law school clinics

– Political• Capacity building LCV country wide/state wide• Constituency building• Voter education campaigns• Accountability projects

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Examples

• Strengthening the Giving Sector– Community Foundation in WPB– Association of Small Foundations– Environmental Grantmakers Association– Rachel’s Network

• Alaska Lands Act Advocacy for 30+ years– Built Coalitions– Published book– Lobbied– Media rescue– Built an eco-touring business

• Using the Law– Nixon on Impoundment– IRS private ruling– Founding of public interest law firms for

environment

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Nixon and Empoundment

• Budget fight with Congress. Congress appropriates, Administration spends

• Empoundment hurting states/education• Constitutional issue• University of Florida law school

– Law students have opportunity for clinical experience

– Research and case law developed– Outreach to 12 state’s attorney’s general– Class action law suit brought to Supreme Court– Nixon’s actions found

unconstitutional/Congressional budget upheld, states gain education funding that had been withheld by Nixon.

• Attention to Foundation from Administration/IRS• Eventual outcome ended this particular form of

political manuvering for all parties

ClientEarth..a case study of public interest law

Our funds recently are being spent to establish and build the capacity of the

first public interest law firm in the UK and Europe. ClientEarth is a non-profit law

firm dedicated to addressing the sources of environmental problems, enforcing the laws already in place, and advising the governments of 27 nations to govern

responsibly on the issue. We consider this a wise investment in our future and a

strategic use of philanthropic dollars/pounds. Make no mistake, this is

a long-term investment for us and our fellow funding partners which we expect

to take a large portion of our time, expertise, and treasure for the next 10

years at least.

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In two short years….

• Advising Ireland draft the new Climate Change Act for Ireland• Submitted to the European Commission on Fisheries a plan

for reform at their request• Actively engaged with the UK government on coal fired power

plants, part of an ongoing campaign to stop new plants.• Submitted letter to the European Council, Commission, and

Parliament calling for action on tougher energy efficiency standards at the European Summit this month.

• Researched and presented a major paper on the practical impacts of the Lisbon Treaty on EU environmental law and distributed to governmental and ngo leaders.

• Participate in Forums on the inadequacy of Mayor of London plans to clean up London’s air before the Olympics.

• Conducting a major study in Poland on the new coal plants planned there, and developing legal strategies to insure those plants, if built, capture their carbon.

• Awaiting two legal actions challenging the legality of denying access to the courts in both the UK and EU under the Aarhus Treaty that all 27 countries have signed on environmental law enforcements.

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I want to leave you with this thought about your

work…• The social sector’s most

important asset may be its independence, not only from governments but from the snap judgments of markets or electoral politics, influenced by the 24-hour news cycle. In a world of complex problems, the social sector – philanthropy and those it supports – may be the only sector able to take risks, withstand criticism and make long-term investments in the public interest

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Passion in Giving

• Passion is the lifeblood of good philanthropy because it sustains ones giving over the course of a lifetime.

• Effective philanthropy, like anything in life, requires experimentation and long term commitment. Some things work. Some don’t. But without passion as an underlying motivator, no one will have the gumption, stamina, and drive to weather failure and truly make a difference.