Dispatches from the Variety International Convention: What it really means to be “the children’s charity.”
By Jessica Bynoe, Executive Director
Earlier this month, members of the Variety New York team traveled to the Variety International Convention to connect with leaders from dozens of other Variety chapters around the world. We had the opportunity to connect with our colleagues, learn from one another and develop strategies to continue the success of Variety the Children’s Charity in communities around the world.
A prominent theme that emerged during the convention’s proceedings was a desire to enhance the outcomes and impact of our work. We discussed ways that we can increase our collective impact by focusing on the real changes that happen for young people as a result of the work spearheaded by Variety chapters. Variety staff and Board members from around the world wanted to learn about how the money we raise, the programs we run, and the grants we distribute truly work to change young people’s lives.
At a time when many non-profits focus their conversation on dollars raised and limited resources, it is refreshing to have conversations with colleagues who want to learn about and strategize around deeper impact. While we certainly need resources to achieve the impact to which we aspire, if organizations doing this work do not take time to reflect on their ultimate impact, they can ultimately spin their wheels in a vicious cycle of merely counting dollars in and dollars out.
At Variety the Children’s Charity, we recognize that we must start from having a deep and comprehensive understanding of the end results of our efforts to understand the most effective strategies to increase support and resources for our work. We understand that our organization is “the children’s” charity and at the end of the day it is with the children that our success and accountability lives.