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Laura Tomasko
@lauratomasko
Washington, DCJoined May 2009
Laura Tomasko’s Tweets
New Giving Dashboard - so interesting to see how we are changing how we give thru pandemic, reckoning, and new technology ... provokes new thinking about raising money too. More here:
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Wondering how #TrustBasedPhilanthropy and #Participatorygrantmaking intersect? For the first time ever, we are introducing these slides codeveloped by and :
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Outstanding Giving Dashboard on charitable giving from and of the
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90+ agencies release equity action plans. 300+ concrete strategies to advance equity. The privilege of a lifetime to be part of the amazing teams at DPC and OMB implementing the President's equity executive order.
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I’m pretty excited about our new White House equity site. Check it out! whitehouse.gov/equity
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Nonprofit people are not infrastructure. We use infrastructure. We need infrastructure. We make infrastructure work. But people are more important than computers, AI, chairs, phones, databases, websites, and email accounts. None of that works if we don’t work. #FundThePeople
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~1/3 of children younger than 6 have parents who work nontraditional-hour schedules: before 7 in the morning, after 6 in the evening, overnight, & during weekends. How could policymakers better support these families’ child care needs?
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Yes, health and wellbeing are essential to our sector's #infrastructure. This needs to be acknowledged, prioritized, and resourced.
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When funders try to help grantees care for staff health and wellbeing, why do they offer “small grants” or “mini-grants”? This is the most existential issue facing orgs today! It deserves & needs BIG investments! We don’t need yoga mats, we need nest eggs. #FundThePeople
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"76% of younger respondents (18-34) agreed with the statement “I prefer to give directly to individuals-in-need, and not via nonprofit organizations, platforms, or websites,” while 46% of those 50+ agreed with the same statement."
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Thrilled to release our new report on mutual aid & community care around the world. Monetary giving is one expression of generosity but there are a world of others, and we are only beginning to map them.
#GivingTuesday #DataCommons
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Dig into the new donor-advised fund data just released from the #DAF Research Collaborative, helpfully summarized in 's tweet thread.
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I am excited to share a new research report on donor-advised funds (#DAF), co-authored with Dan Heist of @BYUMariott. We are sharing the report (along with an exec summary and technical appendix) on our website: dafresearchcollaborative.org
I will share a few highlights here... 1/n
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Funding alert: will award up to 35 grants to local nonprofits for using data to improve community conditions shaped by structural racism. Spread the word and register to apply by April 20.
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Love this. Rest and care are critical parts of the social sector infrastructure not adequately acknowledged, funded, or celebrated.
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The irony of being a philanthropy mobilizing organization is that I believe the responsibility of rest should have a outsized burden on funders. Philanthropy in particular should be asking grantee partners first about rest & care, before outcomes & impact.
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It is rare but exciting to see account-level data on donor-advised funds. Congratulations to and Dan Heist on releasing their #DAF study. Check out the data and learn more about the DAF Research Collaborative here: dafresearchcollaborative.org
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New research from @DVanceMcMullen (@DePaul_SPS) & @BYU's Dan Heist looks at donor-advised funds (DAFs) & finds evidence that DAFs exhibit a wide range of giving strategies. The research clarifies public debate around DAFs & informs nonprofit leaders.
depaulne.ws/donor-advised_
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Essential reading for the impact investing community. In , describes the importance of narrative and approach when considering the role #philanthropy and #impinv play in transforming systems and solving homelessness.
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Replying to @MissionInvest @dheimpel and 3 others
Respectfully here is a different take rooted in housing justice & listening to people with lived expertise philanthropy.com/blogs/letters-
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"Relationships are not just a means to an end. They are ends in themselves, and they are vital to enhancing most every aspect of our lives and society."
Yes! An important an often overlooked (or discounted as transactional) part of our infrastructure.
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So, we @einhorncollab just launched a little (actually, sorta big) thing into the world this week…that seeks to ignite a national conversation about *social connection*…because…(1/10)
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The New Venture Fund partnered with Provoc, a strategic communications agency that roots its work in racial equity, to explore how #fiscalsponsors can support the efforts of grassroots groups advancing #racialequity. Read their report: bit.ly/3FTndNF
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Often we think about the role that orgs play in infrastructure ecosystems and don't give enough attention to the role of individuals, especially in movement building. Appreciate these reflections on the importance of recognizing and resourcing individual infrastructure providers.
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I wonder if @mackenziescott has considered providing fellowships to individuals who are playing a critical role in cultivating and maintaining movement infrastructure — something like the @macfound's Genius Awards that would enable people to deepen their work as network weavers. twitter.com/mackenziescott…
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Have big ideas for economic justice? is looking for grounded, data-driven economic policy solutions that build power and amplify the voices of those most affected by systemic failures. Learn about the Common Future Policy Incubator & apply:
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Know a detail-oriented person who loves project management, tracking trends, analyzing nonprofit and philanthropic policy and practice, writing, and event planning? Apply to be a Policy Analyst @urbaninstitute Center on #Nonprofits and #Philanthropy! bit.ly/3IF7ceE
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Yes! Yes! Come work with Laura and me!
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Know a detail-oriented person who loves project management, tracking trends, analyzing nonprofit and philanthropic policy and practice, writing, and event planning? Apply to be a Policy Analyst @urbaninstitute Center on #Nonprofits and #Philanthropy! bit.ly/3IF7ceE
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Know a detail-oriented person who loves project management, tracking trends, analyzing nonprofit and philanthropic policy and practice, writing, and event planning? Apply to be a Policy Analyst Center on #Nonprofits and #Philanthropy! bit.ly/3IF7ceE
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Excellent #impinv opportunity => is seeking candidates to serve as Impact Investing Fellow for a one year term. This is an incredible opportunity to work with a pioneering team including Roy Swan, and Christine Looney! #ESG
fordfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/FordFoun
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Thrilled to be part of this group and excited to dig into the topic of charitable endowments, impact investing, and fiduciary duty to advance impact transparency and accountability! #impinv
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Congrats to our 6 newest grantees — @BCorporation, @OpportunityALA, @PCVtweets, @prosperitynow, @PubPrivStrat and @urbaninstitute — who are each working on different public policy initiatives with the potential to catalyze the flow of capital to impact. tpfii.org/announcements/
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The nonprofit sector has a leadership problem. Read more for the latest findings and my recommendations.
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All-white boards govern 16% of nonprofits that primarily focus on serving people of color and 38% of organizations that do not primarily focus on people of color, writes .
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Express a philanthropic vision in poetry; accept scrutiny in prose. Good for to make clear her commitment to disclosing information on her giving & recognizing (as has reminded us) that info itself can be a form of giving.
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Sixteen percent of #nonprofits that primarily serve people of color have all-white boards.
reflects on this and similar findings and offers ways that nonprofits can increase leadership diversity.
Thanks (and others). I wonder if answer is in encouraging all to share about their giving, emphasizing that all forms play an important role from which everyone can learn and take inspiration. For my own part, I have appreciated seeing interest in understanding ...
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Some quick thoughts to put @mackenziescott’s latest remarkable post into broader context. It touches on a q that many in the sector are grappling w/: how to direct to mega-philanthropists the scrutiny their outsized power demands w/o granting them disproportionate honor/respect.
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So honored to be confirmed by the Senate as CEO of , the federal agency for national service & volunteerism. I'm excited to tackle some of our nation’s most pressing challenges w/ the Biden-Harris administration and our AmeriCorps family! Let's get to work together!
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#Breaking: The U.S. Senate confirms Michael Smith as our new CEO. We are thrilled to officially welcome Michael and look forward to #GettingThingsDone together.
#RT to celebrate with us & read more 
bit.ly/AmeriCorpsCEOC
bit.ly/AmeriCorpsCEOC
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By supporting Black-founded nonprofits, you can help build infrastructure for long-term, systemic change for communities that need it most.
Find Black-founded orgs to support at giveblck.org
#CloseTheGivingGap @GiveBlck
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Kudos to brilliant writers thinkers & activists who contributed to new covering on centering #DisabilityRights #disabilityinclusion esp. stanford.ebookhost.net/ssir/digital/7
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Crying as I listen to on new strategic plan. No longer a philanthropy serving organization. Now a philanthropy mobilizing organization. As it should be. Congrats and the rest of the board.
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Impact investing is also left out of the charitable reform convo, which I wrote about in . Grants to nonprofits and endowment payout to nonprofits are critically important. I don't want to diminish those. But #impinv can also provide value
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This article raises important points about historic discrepancies in white v. POC-led nonprofit endowments and benefits of endowment payout. But what about how endowments are invested? Endowment impact investing can also advance the mission of social change nonprofits. #impinv
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"...on average, the endowments of organizations led by people of color were nearly four times smaller than those of white-led organizations, and their average percentage of revenue was less than half." on endowing Black-led nonprofits
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It was a true privilege to co-write this article with . We share some of our personal stories, and talk about the prevalence of ableism in philanthropy--and what to do about it.
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