By Jessica Bynoe, Executive Director
To me, the end of summer and the beginning of school has always seemed to be more like the beginning of the year than January. Seasons change, schedules change, work and academic pursuits shift back into high gear, and at Variety New York, it is the time we welcome a new cohort of grantees. This year, I am pleased to report that we will be partnering with 20 outstanding, innovative, grassroots organizations who are effectively transforming the lives of over 12,000 children through the arts.
Just this week, we had the opportunity to meet with representatives from all of our grantees at the inaugural Variety Value-Added Retreat. This daylong meeting presented an opportunity for grantees to become oriented to Variety’s model and community including: our philosophy that philanthropy is an equal partnership, our training and technical assistance offerings, our process for collective evaluation, and the incredible expertise represented by all of the partnering organizations.
As with any meeting, we set goals for participants including things like: discover assets and best practices from peer organizations, discern high priority topics to ensure successful organizational development, and build a foundation for organizational advancement and growth. However, the remarkable outcomes of the day went far beyond the projected goals.
In one day, we developed a culture and a community with and among our partners that cannot be taught through workshops or forced through activities. Our grantee partners were able to learn and teach together in an effort to improve not only their own practice and organizations, but the work of each other as well. Everyone in the room became an expert and everyone in the room became a student. People felt cared for and supported and challenged all at the same time. We created an experience together that transcends what I can explain in a newsletter, and as such I can only hope transcends what happened during our sessions.
I share this, not because I want you to know that Variety and its partners had a good meeting, but rather as a testament as to why it is so important to take the time for reflection on practice and why it is critical that funders understand themselves as one in the work with their grantees, not above their grantees. Whether within your organizations, or coalitions, or among your grantee partners, we encourage you to take the time to build a culture of reflection, equity and support. To create a space that manifests a culture where all people can express their power and expertise is a critical step for collective action to have widespread impact in a community, or a field or the broader society.