• I think having an executive director, in particular Lydia, who challenges GGA to think differently and engage in a process like this one and to put at the forefront priorities like the non-profits perspective, racial equity, and equity in general. • What I found valuable is that Lydia is a good intermediary between voices outside of philanthropy and voices inside philanthropy. She helped us learn how to communicate with each other, understand each other’s incentives, understand each other barriers and then find a way for us to meet and talk mutually. • I would probably say GGA has been smart about attracting talent like Lydia to shepherd this effort. I think it couldn’t have come at a more critical time. It would have been great anyway, but it certainly, GGA was so needed in the last 18 to 24 months. • I feel like GGA excels in its current state with communication to philanthropic leaders across Georgia. I think that with obviously support from SECF. We help push out that communication, but they have to create the communication. And I think they’re really good about figuring out content and getting material to us in ways that we can push it out and so that they can get the maximum benefit from that. • And so they leaned in on that and worked with Quaker on how to bridge together some of the programming around equity that was emerging as also was happening relative to the racial and social injustice that was happening and coming to a head. And so that was a good program set. “ • I think having a finger on the pulse of what’s happening and besides the obvious, because we all would say all the programming for the last two years should have been COVID or racial, equity-related. But the fact that it hasn’t been. Well, it is always related to racial, equity but there have been topics across the spectrum. I think that’s been a balance that’s been really challenging but I think done well. • I think also, trying to interconnect the many efforts like with the education funders, mental health. There were the Atlanta Foundation’s forum, the Corporate Foundation’s forum. There were a lot of groups meeting regularly. I think the success of Lydia’s leadership and GGA is to pull that under one umbrella, to leverage that expertise at the table. To not kind of hoard it in one group of learning but to share that learning across the state. I think that’s been a great success. • I would say to you, GGA is singularly the only organization focused on philanthropy across the state. You have the Southeastern Council of Foundations, but they are focused on the Southeast. They’re not necessarily just Georgia focus. • Often within Georgia, it’s just Atlanta versus everybody else or even some more significant cities like Savannah, Columbus, and Athens, so I appreciate GGA paying attention to all voices. • I’m proud that GGA has been intentional about including people outside of the Metro Atlanta area. I think the organization is a lot richer and healthier because of that. To have the ability for someone from Thomasville or Columbus or Macon or Athens or Gwinnett County or Dalton to be at the table, all of those folks are engaged as well.
Attracting Effective and Compelling Leadership – 7
Thought Leadership
State-Wide Approach – 12
Georgia Grantmakers Alliance // SOAR Analysis & Net Promoter Score
7
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