I’m Failing Quite Well, Thank You.
In January 2020, I wrote to friends and colleagues providing an wrap-up on my professional activities over the past year. What a year!
In 2018, upon my departure from Philanthropy New York, I told my friends and colleagues that it was my intention to work for a decidedly progressive organization that centers public policy communications at the heart of its mission. I failed to get that permanent job, but I am very happy to report that I spent all of 2019 doing deeply meaningful work advancing issues that are extraordinarily important to me.
I re-established my consulting practice, Hamill Remaley, and – thanks to generous friends and colleagues like you who recommended me to others – I spent the year working with amazing people on these great projects:
New York State Censes Equity Fund at the New York Community Trust
For this project I get to be the right hand to the spectacular Patricia Swann in advancing all aspects of this 34-donor (and growing) collaborative fund, with work ranging from creating a master tracking spreadsheet calculating three years of revenue restrictions and geographic designations to supporting four subcommittees on evaluation, external relations, grantmaking and funder learning. We’re now helping funders learn about how they can support redistricting in 2021, which is very exciting to me. Here are a few of the writing products I produced:
“What Funders Need to Know About the Next Big Democracy Challenge” – Blog Post on redistricting
“New York State Census Equity Fund Awards $1.4 Million to Community Organizations for 2020 Census Outreach” – Press Release
J.M.K. Innovation Prize of the J.M. Kaplan Fund
In the first half of the year, I conducted research and outreach to organizations and independent social innovators in the 12 states that had previously seen the lowest number of applications to the Prize with the aim of increasing the number and quality of applications, and getting applications from all 50 states, which we accomplished for the first time this year. In the second half of the year, I developed and executed an ambitious awards announcement strategy that focused on the learnings from 1,300+ submitted innovative ideas, as well as local and topic-specific media most likely to be interested in the awardees, which netted the largest amount of media attention the Prize has achieved in its three cycles. Here are some of the writing products I produced:
[tentative headline]“These 1,300 Social Innovators Have Something to Say About America Today” – Chronicle of Philanthropy Opinion Piece to be published next week.
“Every Corner of the Nation: A Foundation Looks Off the Beaten Path for Innovative Ideas”
– Inside Philanthropy news story
“J.M.K. Innovation Prizes Go to 10 Transformative Early-Stage Initiatives” – Press Release
“Philanthropy Amplified: Four Lessons from One Foundation’s Innovation Prize” – National Center for Family Philanthropy post
Inside Philanthropy
IP’s editor David Callahan has been a fun collaborator who has been open to my many ideas. The one I’m particularly excited about is my planned series looking at whether or not philanthropic professionals have the practical tools they need to apply a DEI lens to their daily work – whether they are a CEO, communications professional, program director, grants manager or evaluator. The first in-depth piece laying out the basic framework for the series was published this summer and I’m currently interviewing folks to examine the ways communications professionals are reconsidering racial equity in their work. Here are some of my articles:
“A Long Way to Go: What Kind of Change is Needed Within Foundations to Advance Racial Equity?”
“These Six Big Ideas Could Shape Foundation Communications in 2020”
“Nothing Is Standard About What We’re Doing: A New Fund Aims to Boost Racial Equity Training”
“Listening and Evolving: How a Community Foundation Put Racial Equity at the Center of Its Work”
“‘Get to Know Barbara.’ Inside the JPB Foundation”
Support Center
Support Center builds nonprofit capacity around organizational development and executive transition across the NY/NJ/CT region. Over the year, I have been helping them with a variety of writing and marketing projects highlighting its wide array of programs and services. The first project produced the report below, and I am currently completing a white paper on Board Build, a five-month intensive cohort-based peer learning program that helps CEOs and board chairs develop better board practices, engagement and recruitment strategies. This is a report I researched and wrote (and designed on the cheap!) for them last spring:
“Stronger Together: A Discussion of Nonprofit Capacity & Our Collective Needs” – Support Center report on capacity building needs among New Jersey nonprofits
Public Agenda
Having led Public Agenda’s communications from 2003-2008, it is always like a family reunion when I get to do projects with this important national public engagement organization. In the spring and summer I developed a communications strategy and executed the announcement of a major new initiative for the organization: The Yankelovich Democracy Monitor, a tracking survey of Americans that will, over time, document and analyze people’s evolving attitudes and beliefs about the major factors influencing how people and communities engage in civic life.
“Vast Majority of Americans Say Democracy is in Crisis or Serious Trouble” – Press Release
Restaurant Workers Community Foundation
This is my labor of love with my husband, the organization’s founder and board chair. RWCF got its 501(c)(3) in September 2018 and a few weeks later made our first grants of $1,000 each to three effective organizations that we now partner with on our programmatic work. We are the first nonprofit we know of using the community foundation model to advance the cause of a specific labor segment. We set modest 2019 goals for this all-volunteer start-up: (1) to grow our board to 20 fully engaged leaders (accomplished); (2) to raise $30K to make $10 in grants (we raised $40K and distributed $13,000 in grants); and (3) to work with restaurant workers and partner organizations to draft a set of practical guidelines for restaurant owners and managers delving into our four program areas (we have a very long draft that we will be annotating with resources online in 2020). I never organized a big fundraising event before, so that was an interesting challenge!
“My Favorite 2019 Food-Focused Charities” – The editor-in-chief of Eater really, really likes us!
“Fighting Violent Power Structures in the Restaurant Industry” – Eater profile on RWCF’s launch
“Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation Announces 2019 Grants” – press release
“On the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, 11 Movement-Building Lessons for Restaurant Workers” – Feature piece for RWCF Newsletter“We Have More Questions Than Answers – And That’s a Good Thing” – Feature piece for RWCF newsletter
Getting personal, probably my most important job this year has been as #1 cheerleader for my husband, John deBary, as he simultaneously finished edits on his book “Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails” coming from Random House/Clarkson Potter in June 2020; launched the non-alcoholic beverage line Proteau now being sold in restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, Momofuku Ko, PDT, and Dirt Candy, and has been lauded by The New York Times T Magazine, Food & Wine, Eater, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Goop; and served as board chair of Restaurant Workers Community Foundation. I am so proud of what he is doing and thrilled to be the “Louise” to his “Thelma.”
It’s been an exhilarating year!
What’s on Your Horizon in 2020?
Now that my work with J.M. Kaplan Fund is winding down, I am in the process of identifying new projects for 2020. Do you have an initiative that could use an experienced hand developing strategy or project management related to grantmaking, communications or public policy?
I hope that the challenges of the past year have provided you with inspiration. And most importantly, it is my wish that the love and warmth of the holiday season stick with you throughout 2020.
Peace & Joy,
Michael