A recap by Robin Mockenhaput, VFN’s Director, Policy & Advocacy.
At the end of August, I was pleased to participate in the Greater Washington Community Foundation (GWCF) Funder Learning Series on the different levels of systems change (advocacy, organizing, narrative change, data/research, etc.). This program is a 5-session series with a cohort of staff from funders and philanthropy serving organizations (PSOs) to explore why it is important to invest in organizations doing systems change, and how to be a better partner to these groups. Several VFN members are participating in the series, along with funders in DC and in Maryland.
The first session was held in person on August 22 at a beautiful space in Northwest Washington. The cohort group of about 20 participants got to know each other quickly through an interactive and educational game called Star Power. The game combines chance and skill at trading to establish a score. Players are assigned categories based upon their relative scores, with the highest scoring category being able to change the rules. The game is designed to illustrate the behavior of human beings in a system that naturally stratifies them economically or politically. It teaches lessons, mostly focused on the results of inequal distribution of power.
Playing the game with a group of people in philanthropy was a fascinating experience. After the game ended, we talked about power dynamics and inequality not only in society, but in our industry, as well. The game has been used as an educational experience in many industries and professions. Our large group discussion focused on how staff navigate contradictions in our philanthropic organizations and in our work. We also talked about how those tensions impact the recipients of our work.
Special thanks to GWCF and Chief Program Officer Dawnn Leary, for setting such an engaging table for our group learning. The session was co-facilitated by David Haiman from Movement Matters. Representatives from the Mid-Atlantic peers of Philanthropy DMV and Maryland Philanthropy Network also participated in the event.
It was a pleasure to get to know so many staff from funders and PSOs in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as the opportunity to learn from them over a five-session series. Our next online session will be at the end of September, and I can’t wait to see where our collective conversation leads next.
~Robin Mockenhaupt, Director, Policy & Advocacy
