COMMON GROUND CONSULTING LLC

Happy New Year!

I hope that 2010 fills your life with love, your heart with hope & our world with peace.

Happy New Year!

Refresh Everything! Millions in Funding for Cool Ideas

Pepsi is giving out Refresh Grants for great ideas from people like you. Do you have an idea that needs support? Learn how Pepsi can help.

Hurry up though - idea submissions will be accepted from January 13th to 24th - and you don't want to be late.

http://refresheverything.com/

If you need some inspiration and great tips, check out our submission tool kit.

Pepsi is giving away millions each month to fund refreshing ideas that change the world. The ideas with the most votes will receive grants, so vote for your favorites. Do you have an idea that needs support? Learn how Pepsi can help.

Click here to download the Toolkit: idea-toolkit.pdf

Pre-Submission

• There's plenty to do before you even get started.
• They've created a toolkit to help. It contains tips & tricks to make your idea a reality.
• If you don't have an idea yet, but want to be a project leader, you can download an idea starter book.
• You also don't have to fly solo. Coming up with a good idea for your community might be even better if you get the community itself involved.
• If you already have an idea for a project, great! Now it's time to do some research on your idea.
• Think about what level of funding you'll need, and what specific results you want to achieve.
• Consider how you might describe the idea in a single, short sentence, to someone who knows nothing about the issue you care about.
• All of this will come in handy once you take that exciting step of submitting your idea.

President Obama Commits Largest Contribution Ever to the Global Fund

At Common Ground, we often work on Global Fund projects and one of our favorite relationships is with the Global Fund Board's Developing Countries Delegation. So, you can imagine our positive reaction in seeing the Obama Administration really step-up to expand U.S. support of the Fund's critical, life-changning work.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS $1.05 BILLION CONTRIBUTION TO THE GLOBAL FUND FOR 2010

U.S. support ensures prevention, treatment and care for people around the world affected by AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Geneva – United States President Barack Obama has signed a spending bill for the 2010 fiscal year which includes a US$1.05 billion appropriation for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It is the largest sum of money ever committed by one country to the Global Fund in a single year.

The Global Fund's Executive Director, Michel Kazatchkine, warmly welcomed the United States' increased commitment to the Global Fund.

“The United States has taken its support to the fight against the three epidemics to a higher level with this contribution”, said Kazatchkine. “In these uncertain economic times, it is very encouraging to see the US remains committed rise to extending prevention and treatment to people in need.”

The U.S. government's 2010 fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 the following year. The bill was passed last week by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

"Global Fund financing fights three of the deadliest diseases around the world, work that can continue thanks to the dedicated support of members of Congress", said Friends of the Global Fight President, Natasha Bilimoria. "Their leadership will benefit millions of people across the globe."

Through its investments in health programs in 140 countries, the Global Fund is supporting lifesaving antiretroviral treatment for 2.5 million people living with HIV, and has supported effective tuberculosis drugs treatment for 6 million people, and the distribution of 104 million bed nets to prevent malaria.

As a result, more than 4.9 million lives have been saved. These are people who would have been dead, had it not been for interventions supported by the Global Fund. Every day, 3,600 deaths are averted. With US$ 9.3 billion disbursed to more than 500 grants so far, the Global Fund currently provides nearly a quarter of all international financing for AIDS globally, as well as three-fifths for TB and malaria.

At its most recent meeting in Ethiopia, the Global Fund Board of Directors approved the second-largest round of financing in the history of the organization, with 85 new grants worth $2.4 billion over two years. With $1.05 billion appropriated, the Global Fund is much closer to meeting the demand for financing.

“Support to fight the three epidemics must be sustained if we want to reach the goals we have set for ourselves”, added Professor Kazatchkine. “We need a similar level of commitment from leaders in other countries.”

Young Kosovars Reach for the Future

As the year draws to a close, our friends at the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) have mailed their end-of-the-year newsletter which includes a wonderful profile on our 2009 Kosovo Summer Youth Leadership Academy (KSYLA). Check it out!

  

"On a warm summer day in Prizren, Kosovo, a group of teenagers crowds into the town’s central square. One by one, they stand up and speak loudly and passionately about issues that affect them: barriers to education, unemployment, simmering ethnic tension, the desire to emigrate for greater economic opportunity. Children and their mothers stop and listen. Fellow teenagers ask questions, and seniors engage the speakers in conversation. The voice of Kosovo’s youth is being heard.

By any measure, Kosovo is one of the youngest countries in the world. Barely 20 months old (and still unrecognized by some of its neighbors), it boasts the youngest population in Europe—over half of Kosovars are less than 25 years old. This generation is coming of age in a society that has been ethnically divided, both socially and legally, for decades, and that provides poor economic prospects for people from all backgrounds. If the fledgling democracy is to survive and thrive, young people will need to stand up and lead the way.

Enter the Kosovo Summer Youth Leadership Academy. Run by Common Ground Consulting in partnership with ISC’s Kosovo office, it is a unique residential program for high schoolers who are dedicated to improving the lives of their peers in Kosovo. Through experiential learning (such as the “Street Speak” heard in the Prizen town square), open dialogue sessions, workshops, and the development of micro-lending programs, the academy prepares young people to be effective leaders and agents of change ..."

Click here to read the full story: ISC_Newletter_Fall09 1.pdf

Nonprofit Self-Esteem Crisis

Jonathan Spack is mad. He's mad about fallacies that he sees the nonprofit sector as having internalized—fallacies that contribute both to poor management and to poor self-esteem. Here is his first person nonprofit rant:

Our sector suffers from a chronic self-esteem deficiency. For most Americans, personal wealth is the primary measure of social status. If you've had financial success it must be because you're smart. This social Darwinism carries over to nonprofit organizations, too, morphing into a kind of sectoral Darwinism. As a result, many people-- both inside and outside the nonprofit world -- see our sector as being of secondary value and importance compared to the (for-profit) business sector.

The pervasiveness of this sectoral inferiority complex leads to some widely-held beliefs and practices that I consider harmful to our work, and self-destructive when they are inwardly focused. Here are a few that really get me going:

1. "It's a lot easier to run a nonprofit than a regular business."

The reality is that nonprofit leaders must articulate the organization's values and advance its charitable purposes while managing its finances prudently. Balancing these obligations in an environment where access to capital is severely limited, revenue models are highly complex and infrastructure supports are sparse makes nonprofit management much more challenging than most on the outside realize.

Furthermore, nonprofits operate in a "muted market" which requires accountability to both those who pay for programs and services and the consumers of those services. In a for-profit business these two groups are the same, but not for us. The often differing and conflicting needs and expectations of funders and constituents add an extra layer of complexity to nonprofit work.

2. "Nonprofits are inefficient and wasteful."

3. "Nonprofits would be more effective if they/we operated more like commercial businesses."

4. "Nonprofits are warm and fuzzy places . . . no one gets fired."

5. "A nonprofit isn't a career; it's a job for housewives and young people."

[Click Here to Read The Full Post Nonprofit Self-Esteem Crisis | Blue Avocado]

The Future of Independent Media

The Big Thaw: A Guide to the Evolution of Independent Media

What are the next game-changers in media? The Big Thaw is a major new study about how media makers will succeed in the new media landscape.

The study was released by The Media Consortium, a group of 40 leading independent media organization such as Mother Jones, The Nation, Salon.com, AlterNet and Talking Points Memo.

It was written by a friend and colleague of mine, Tony Deifell (of WDYDWYD fame!). Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/deifell

thebigthaw.pdf

What people are saying about The Big Thaw:

"If you care about the future of media, read every page."
– Jason Barnett, The Uptake, a cutting edge citizen journalism organization

"… refreshingly different from every other report published this year (including our own) ... the report’s strength rests on the authors’ ability to bring remarkable clarity to the complex transitions taking place in our media, and to outline clear and achievable next steps for independent media to survive, thrive and recreate themselves for the future."
– Josh Stearns, Free Press, full review http://bit.ly/63aydE

"… a must-read for anyone trying 'save journalism' ... a rich repository of observations, anecdotes and predictions"
– The Center for Social Media, American University, full review http://bit.ly/3qYGnq

Celebrate Human Rights Day 2009

The United Nations is marking Human Rights Day today, the 61st anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by stressing the still enduring need to eliminate all forms of discrimination.

Many things can be said about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It is the foundation of international human rights law, the first universal statement on the basic principles of inalienable human rights, and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. As the UDHR celebrates its 61st birthday, it is timely to emphasize the living document’s enduring relevance, its universality, and that it has everything to do with all of us. Today, the UDHR is more relevant than ever.

"Discrimination targets individuals and groups that are vulnerable to attack: the disabled, women and girls, the poor, migrants, minorities, and all those who are perceived as different.  

... But these victims of discrimination are not alone. The United Nations is standing with them, committed to defending the rights of all, and particularly the most vulnerable. That is our identity and our mission."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

[Click Here to Read More Human Rights Day 2009]

Mentor Michigan Conference Presentations

A few weeks ago I spoke at the annual statewide conference for Mentor Michigan. They've posted my presentations on their website and I've re-posted them here.

Fourth Annual Michigan's Premier Mentoring Conference Materials

The Fourth Annual Michigan's Premier Mentoring Conference was held on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 on the campus of Michigan State University.  With more than 250 mentoring professionals in attendance, lots of information was shared and lots of networking was accomplished. The day's keynote speaker, Craig Bowman of Common Ground Consulting, LLC, joined attendees to share his inspired and enthusiastic message about how to create a sustainable social profit future.  For more information on Craig and his work efforts, visit his website at  www.commongroundconsulting.org . He also presented two workshops on telling your story and asking for money.  Below you will find the PDFs of his keynote and workshop presentations. Craig Bowman Keynote Presentation (PDF) Craig Bowman Workshop - Telling Our Story (PDF) Craig Bowman Workshop - The Sacred Art of Asking for Money(PDF) Also on hand was First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern to thank mentoring programs for their accomplishments over the years. He too presented a workshop to participants about leading in a troubled environment.  Below you will find the PDF of his workshop presentation. First Gentleman Daniel G. Mulhern Workshop - When the Ground is Shaking Under Your Feet (PDF)

When Being Positive Is Positively Meaningless

As I guy who has a (probably deserved) reputation for "making people cry and quit their jobs", as one of my clients put it, I found this article by Steven DeMaio for HarvardBusiness.org quite refreshing.

"As a teacher, I know how vital positive feedback is for keeping students motivated, productive, and satisfied. And I have seen, both in the classroom and in offices where I've worked, that particular ways of being positive tend to yield the best results (see my post "The Art of Giving Praise").

But I have to be frank: When the air is too thick with positive talk, I feel like I'm suffocating. In certain spheres, the premium on being positive is so high that people use hyperbole in the most routine of interactions. This kind of excess takes a variety of forms, but what they have in common, in my view, is a tendency to create barriers rather than promote genuine discourse. Here are a few examples:

Politeness on steroids. I'm not sure exactly when "so much" became a standard addendum to "thanks." But "thanks so much" now seems to be the thank-you phrase of choice, even when you've done little to deserve it. Responding to the social pressure, I sometimes mindlessly use the phrase myself. And I tend to feel like a miser when, instead, I just say "thanks."

Extreme affirmation. People can dole this out in lots of ways, but the one I find most jarring is the constant use of "absolutely": "May I sit here?" "Absolutely!" . . . "Can you send me a copy of that file?" "Absolutely!" . . . "Do you have a moment?" "Absolutely!" It's like being in a monarchy where everyone is king.

Overuse of the most-positive adjectives. As someone who believes strongly in the value of precise, nuanced praise, I wince when I hear — or hear myself use — throwaway compliments like "amazing," "fantastic," or "fabulous" without any context. There's much more value in telling someone specifically what made her work effective than in flinging a dazzling word in her direction so that, for a fleeting moment, everyone within a five-person radius feels sparkly.

Omission of the negative. Imagine grading an exam and saying nothing to the test takers about their incorrect answers just because the correct ones are more numerous. The (well-intended) omission can, unfortunately, make people become preoccupied with the unacknowledged errors and thus overvalue their importance. Not to mention that folks won't learn from their mistakes. Frank, properly weighted recognition of what doesn't work makes the emphasis on what does work much more meaningful.

But, you may think, if being super-positive gets everyone to feel good, what's the big deal? To my ear, the main drawback is the creation of so much white noise that when clear, authentic positive feedback is given, it gets muted and loses its punch. Indeed, people may stop believing that others really mean what they say. And a culture can develop in which those who don't gush praise are misperceived as being insensitive or having a bad attitude.

Can all this distortion eventually foster a climate of apprehension and distrust that feels not the least bit positive? Absolutely."

[From When Being Positive Is Positively Meaningless - Steven DeMaio - HarvardBusiness.org]

Barron’s Names Its Top 25 Philanthropists

Yesterday, we showed you Forbe's take on the world's top philanthropists. And today we've got what Barron's has to say on who the best givers are, and interestingly they focused on bang for the buck, showcasing 25 philanthropists who give effectively – that is, who turn a $1 donation into $3 or $4 for the organization. (From ServiceNation)

How can you judge effectiveness? Here’s what Barron’s said in its article:

By its nature, this exercise involves a lot of subjective calls. Facts and figures about philanthropy are much harder to come by than data on corporations. One giver's definition of success can differ sharply from another giver's -- or from ours. But even if you disagree with some of our judgments, you are bound to learn some useful lessons from each of the 25 philanthropists on the list.

So, who made the Barron's cut and what do they do? Here’s the folks who madeBarron's top 10, which unsurprisingly has some overlap with the Forbes list but also has some very interesting philanthropists you might not have heard of (and be sure to check out the rest of Barron's best, because they're all doing really inspiring work):

1. Pierre and Pam Omidyar, Omidyar Network
   The Omidyar Network doesn't act like a regular foundation. Instead, the Ebay founder invests in organizations that aim for social change and their investments usually pan out nicely -- and then multiply. It's a great way to help nonprofits help other.
   
   
2. Jeff Skoll, Skoll Foundation
   Skoll has a goal (hey, that rhymes!) of making sure that "the positive social returns vastly exceed the amount of time and money involved" when he's giving. The Skoll Foundation as awarded grants to 50 entrepreneurial groups who promote a more peaceful world.
   
   
3. Chris and Jamie Cooper-Hohn, The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
   The manager of a hedge fund, Cooper-Hahn sends a huge chunk of the fund's profits over to the foundation, which uses them to help do good in the world.
   
   
4. Eli and Edythe Broad, The Broad Foundations
   The Broads like to fund things that other people just aren't doing yet -- and they have been since 1999. The leaders behind thousands of art galleries and museums, more efficient schools and even medical research, the Broads work to support organizations that are doing good that others won't take a chance on.
   
   
5. Thomas Siebel, The Meth Project
   This homemade drug has devastated rural America for the past decade and more. He started a program that raised awareness, education and prevention in Montana that dropped the state from No. 5 for meth abuse to No. 39. Several other states implemented programs based on his ideas.
   
   
6. Donna and Philip Berber, A Glimmer of Hope Foundation
   They focus their funds on just one country: Ethiopia. So far, they have financed 3,600 water wells, 400 schools and 6,500 microloans, reaching an estimated two million Ethiopians.
   
   
7. Bill & Melinda Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
   We think Barron's said it best:
   With $34 billion in assets and more on the way from Warren Buffett, this is by far the world's largest foundation. It's also hugely ambitious, aiming for such goals as an AIDS vaccine. That could take a decade or more to realize, but Bill Gates doesn't mind. "I am pretty optimistic," he says. "That's why I keep signing the checks." If the foundation's long-term initiatives do pay off, it would set an entirely new standard for high-impact philanthropy.
   
   
8. Paul Tudor Jones II, Robin Hood Foundation
   It's exactly what it sounds like: Robin Hood's board, including GE's Jeffrey Immelt, hedge-fund giant Steven Cohen and actress Gwyneth Paltrow, funds all expenses, meaning every penny raised goes directly to programs that help the poor survive or move out of poverty altogether. The model is being moved to other cities as well.
   
   
9. Helen and Swanee Hunt, Women Moving Millions
   The daughters of oil giant H.L. Hunt, these two women are reaching out to their network and ask successful women across the country to write checks to help benefit women's causes, from job training to basic health.
   
   
10. Richard Branson, Virgin Unite
    The British renegade is taking on social and environmental problems by offering rewards to scientists who can come up with innovative solutions. He has also pledged the profits from his transportation businesses to developing green energy.

So, were you surprised? Who do you think are the most effective philanthropists in the world? Let us know in the comments.