Susan McPherson

I have been struck by the recent shifts of major philanthropies who were/are anchors of the #humanrights funding ecosystem. From Open Society Foundations new strategic direction to the news of the sunsetting of Wellspring Philanthropic Fund - both allies, peer funders and past funders of various organizations I have helped lead - I grow increasingly concerned about the consequences of what I perceive to be happening: a gradual dissolution, depriortization and shift away from #humanrights language and framing. To be clear: I fully believe foundations, just like any organizations, should pursue the mission and strategies that they feel compelled to win. But still, on the issue of #humanrights, this all feels part of a worrying trend. I believe this is a critical time for deep reflection and new strategy building for all those concerned. My hope is that what emerges is a deeper recogniton and commitment to #dignity, #equity and #rights as core to all the issues we hope to win, from #climatechange to #development. But I also worry we aren’t awake enough to the changing tides around us. What’s your take? #philanthropy #bizhumanrights #civilsociety

407

117 Comments

👇 Check out these jobs. #jobs #CSR #ESG #socialimpactjobs

4

Huge congratulations to The Rockefeller Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation on reaching this remarkable milestone with the Zero Gap Fund! We are thrilled that IIX played a pivotal role in this initiative. Since its launch nine years ago, the Zero Gap Fund has been instrumental in driving private investment towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are incredibly proud to have been part of its success, and we thank the Rockefeller Foundation and MacArthur Foundation for providing catalytic capital for our Women’s Livelihood Bond Series 2 (WLB 2), which also matured earlier this year. The $12 million WLB2 empowered women-led and women-benefiting enterprises in Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. We surpassed our impact goal by positively impacting 114,300 women and girls across critical sectors like financial inclusion and agriculture and also recorded no defaults and no calls on the guarantee or first-loss credit protection. The catalytic investment capital is critical in pushing the envelope in the growth of impact investing. I hope the Foundations and the DFIs continue to expand their role in contributing to catalytic capital to allow for us to reach our gender equality and climate action goals. #OrangeMovement #OrangeforGenderEquality #impactinvesting #sustainablefinance #innovativefinance https://lnkd.in/gUgRwF9N

28

Climate change is the story of our time. This is why our team of journalists has, with great intentionality, amplified coverage of sustainable solutions which benefit humanity. This November, 20 Israeli climate-tech companies are headed to the COP29 Azerbaijan Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. Handpicked by the Israel Innovation Authority רשות החדשנות and key government ministries, these companies span a broad range of sectors, each bringing innovative solutions to tackle the pressing climate crisis. With the COP29 conference rapidly approaching, these are the Israeli companies you should follow. Airovation Technologies CarbonBlue Rewind CI Sensing NGV MARINE EDGE Momentick BlueGreen Water Technologies EZPack Water Ltd. H2OLL Treetoscope SaliCrop Ltd Senecio Robotics Terra CQM TextRe Envomed Reep Technologies SolCold ANINA Culinary Art #startupnation #climatecrisis #tuesdaythoughts

16

2 Comments

Linked-In Community, Take a look at this article I wrote in February for the A&T Register! It discusses the way society views Black Women and the impact of Reality TV in these perceptions. https://lnkd.in/dptaFqVs

3

Recently, the Business & Democracy Initiative, in partnership with the Black Economic Alliance the Leadership Now Project, and Public Private Strategies, hosted “Leading for Democracy: A Dialogue with Business Innovators.” This event brought together business and civic leaders to address the urgent need for leadership in safeguarding our democracy. In our discussions, we highlighted business leaders’ pivotal role in preserving democratic values, institutions, and participatory governance, especially as we approach the presidential election. See below for opportunities to sign letters showing your support: ✒ BUSINESS OWNER: Sign an open letter from small business organizations and owners on election integrity and American democracy: https://lnkd.in/egS6uqYq 🎯 BUSINESS ORGANIZATION: Sing an open letter from business/organizations on support for a safe and secure election: Processhttps://lnkd.in/e3fD7u2Z #Democracy #BusinessLeaders #Leadership

47

The Power of Collaboration: Together, We Can Rewrite the Narrative At Black Women Network, we believe that real change happens when we come together. It’s through collaboration—sharing ideas, expertise, and resources—that we can challenge systemic inequities and create new opportunities. Our initiative, Rewrite the Narrative: Addressing the Funding Divide for Black Women Entrepreneurs, embodies this spirit. By partnering with researchers, nonprofit leaders, health advocates, real estate professionals, and entrepreneurs, we aim to address the root causes of funding disparities and build solutions that foster growth and equity for all. This isn’t just about Black women—it’s about reshaping the entrepreneurial landscape and creating a thriving, inclusive economy. When we work together, we amplify our impact and pave the way for a brighter future. 💡 Join the movement. Whether you’re a researcher, advocate, or community partner, there’s a role for you in rewriting the narrative. Let us know how you want to collaborate in the comments! Let’s make an impact together. Donation link in the comments. #GivingTuesday #CollaborateForChange #ReWriteTheNarrative #SupportBlackWomen #Nonprofit #Research #EquityForAll

2

2 Comments

Key Takeaways from Navigating Career Transitions with NBWL Mentor Rebecca Bird 🌟 https://lnkd.in/ekdCN6YJ Our recent Network for Black Women Leaders Bitesize Session was an inspiring deep-dive into career transitions, led by NBWL mentor Rebecca Bird, CEO of BixBe Tech. From HR to IT to founding her own tech company, Rebecca’s journey is a testament to resilience, courage, and adaptability. Here are some of her key insights: 1️⃣ Embrace Change: Dive into new fields with a learning mindset. 2️⃣ Preparation + Opportunity = Success: Be proactive with skills development and mentorship. 3️⃣ Build Resilience: Setbacks are steps forward—stay focused on long-term goals. Ready to take your next career step? Applications for our mentoring programme are open! Join us and connect with inspiring mentors like Rebecca. #CareerTransitions #Mentorship #NBWL #WomenInLeadership

3

Join us on Oct. 15 for an insightful webinar on economic mobility, highlighting the life experiences that impact lifetime income the most. This is a great session for advocates, funders, economic mobility program leads, policymakers, researchers, and others! One key aspect of the discussion is how valuing the voices of people with lived experiences can help make your efforts more impactful. See below for registration details, and see you there!

3

Inclusive strategic communication, centered on advancing sustainability, highlights the importance of diverse and inclusive approaches in fostering organizational growth and social impact. At the core of this communication strategy are the principles of: 📌 Diversity, 📌 Equity, and 📌 Inclusion (DEI), which are essential in ensuring that all voices are represented and valued.

32

5 Comments

We continue to make awareness on equitable inclusion of Black Entrepreneurs in the Economy through the following: a. Credit Amnesty b. Tax Amnesty c. Access to sustainable markets d. Capacity development and mentorship

3

The learning is hot at #ImpactPS24 The Impact Partners Network gathers folks that work in the social sector ecosystem to innovate new approaches and use the power of community to drive solutions for us / by us. #nonprofits #nonprofit #philanthropy #impact #collaborativeLearning Aimee Cubbage and Mandy Kutschied, SHRM-SCP shared knowledge about #eq and #emotionalIntelligence (in the Multiverse) Self awareness Self regulation Intrinsic motivation Empathy Social skills Leaders who have empathy outperform those without by 40% ☀️ Rubin Singh of OneTenth Consulting explored the unique technology challenges facing nonprofits today … and why tech implementations fail and how we can do better. NTEN and Institute for the Future Great technology requires great people. Sam Adiv and Sam Dorman remind us in their session: “Collaborative Greatness”: Building Thriving Client-Partner Alliances This summit brings together an incredible collection of humans. We don’t need dreamy data or cutting edge tech stacks. We need collaboration and strategic alignment. First. (#downwithRFPs) Institute for Nonprofit Practice Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP Global) Garvin Maffett, Ed.D. Julie Michelle Morris Technology Association of Grantmakers Salesforce Microsoft Nonprofit Leadership Alliance LinkedIn for Nonprofits BPOZ Brand Leadership Three Little Birds Agency

9

3 Comments

Check out these #marketingjobs

14

Check out these #socialimpactjobs #sustainabilityjobs

12

I'm still thinking about the talk Dr. Ashley Ward gave to science writers on heat and its myriad (negative) effects on health, agriculture (and agricultural workers), our economy, vulnerable populations (including prisoners), school children...it was a shining example of a broad overview and then a deeper dive into the research, stats, research findings/conclusions, recommendations, practical tips and resources. She covered a lot of material! #SciWri24 #ExtremeHeat #SciComm #ScienceDay (Readability tip for hashtags, use "camel" case and uppercase the first letter of each word.)

5

2 Comments

The best case study I taught last term was by Dorothee Baumann-Pauly and is about Veja’s efforts to responsibly source natural rubber from Brazil. Dorothee’s human rights work is amazing in general, and inspires me greatly. I will share the case study in the first comment. Here, she wrote for NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights about the gap between academic and practitioner research, and how much, much more work is needed to close that gap. https://lnkd.in/gwG3_zcF

75

7 Comments

In addition to community foundations, we are considering a small number of United Ways. Spread the word! We think the SDGs will be particularly useful as a vehicle for place-based racial equity work in the new environment we are heading into...

3