Impact Austin's first Discovery Day was held in 2007 to share grant focus-related issues with our membership. Since 2017, topics have grown beyond grant categories to also include best practices in philanthropy and grantmaking, DEIB and anti-racist practices, funding and nonprofit partnerships, and more. Discovery Day 2024 was a joyful return to in-person learning after three years of virtual philanthropy education events. The event featured 11 powerhouse speakers among three sessions, whose bios were introduced in an earlier blog. Generous Discovery Day sponsors included C2C Media, FVF Law, and Polaris Executive Talent Advisors. Sara Walker Events provided event support. This blog unveils the highlights shared with our Discovery Day audience.
Welcome and Introduction to Impact Austin
Executive Director Demetria George Caston and Board President Deanna DeHaven welcomed the audience and provided background information about Impact Austin. "We know the community is counting on us. The community is counting on you."
Keynote Conversation
Meme Styles, MEASURE and
Regan Gruber Moffitt, St. David's Foundation
MEASURE and St. David's Foundation came together to explore the health impacts of the criminal justice system. "It only takes one spark to light another's fire."
Founded in 1996, St. David's Foundation had asked why health disparities are widening despite a growing community and more robust grantmaking.
MEASURE applies its CARE model (Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Evidence) to help create a community mobilization guide and community impact metrics.
Regan spoke about Trust-Based Philanthropy and building relationships with grantees. "When we know people, we don't need a 10-page application, or an 8-page report." Meme added that Trust-Based Philanthropy means having a relationship with your community; knowing the names of the people doing the work; moving "outside the numbers"; and recognizing lived experiences as data.
As grantmakers, Regan's team at St. David's Foundation is learning to "not be the experts," and to be more open to listening. Who is on the ground doing the work? Build relationships with them.
Question: As grantmakers, how can we address entire systems? Regan suggests to start as a group, unite with others having the same conversations, and do the work in solidarity. Include those having the most disparate outcomes in the system. Include a strength-based lens.
Question: If trust-based philanthropy is founded on knowing an organization, what about new organizations applying for funding? Regan: There may be organizations deeply rooted in the community that simply aren't seen until we're out of our silo. You have to meet the organizations where they are. Meme added: MEASURE holds Community and Data gatherings monthly at Huston-Tillotson University. These are opportunities to create relationships with organizations doing work in our community. Regan added: Sometimes we need to go beyond the circle we live in.
Question: What about funding organizations that use data? The private sector puts money into data/evaluation/technology/AI. The social sector puts money into direct service. Meme cautioned that those communities most affected by the outputs of AI should be able to inform the AI; otherwise harm might be the result. Get in front of the ways that technology can harm communities.
Question: What do you think are the top two issues or systems to address in the ATX community? Regan answered: (1) Greater Austin is growing, but the prosperity inequity is apparent across all issue areas. (2) Make sure people's voices are heard; those being pushed out of the communities are people who'd been there a long time. Build voice in our community.
Panel: Navigating the DEI Landscape
Moderator - Dr. Choquette Hamilton, The RISE Center for Liberation in Early Childhood Education
Panelists - Daisy Han, Embracing Equity; Denisha Jenkins, Kardia Advisory; Ricki Wax, Google
A new pendulum is swinging with regard to DEI. What's happening on the