Comments on: Knowledge Sharing in the Field http://www.tristaharris.org/knowledge-sharing-in-the-field Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:35:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Donald http://www.tristaharris.org/knowledge-sharing-in-the-field/comment-page-1#comment-207 Donald Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:50:00 +0000 http://www.tristaharris.org/knowledge-sharing-in-the-field#comment-207 Everything you've said here is absolutely true. One of the most striking things about the program officer position is that it's got remarkably little to with "hard skills."<br/><br/>Sure, it's helpful to have a strong finance background, upper-level administrative experience in not-for-profit work, strong analytical and writing skills, and lots of project management experience. At the end of the day, there's a lot of intuition, diplomacy, and knowledge of your foundation's culture that go into doing the job.<br/><br/>Some things can be put into writing: do we fund general operating expenses; do we fund capital projects; do we fund in education/mental health/environment/the arts/research.... <br/><br/>Other things, not so much. Why is it okay to fund staffing for this project, but not in that one? Is it okay for the sustainability plan to read, "our plan is to ask other funders for money when yours runs out"?<br/><br/>Those are the sorts of things that one gains only through experience and the tutelage of good mentors.<br/><br/>Don Everything you’ve said here is absolutely true. One of the most striking things about the program officer position is that it’s got remarkably little to with “hard skills.”

Sure, it’s helpful to have a strong finance background, upper-level administrative experience in not-for-profit work, strong analytical and writing skills, and lots of project management experience. At the end of the day, there’s a lot of intuition, diplomacy, and knowledge of your foundation’s culture that go into doing the job.

Some things can be put into writing: do we fund general operating expenses; do we fund capital projects; do we fund in education/mental health/environment/the arts/research….

Other things, not so much. Why is it okay to fund staffing for this project, but not in that one? Is it okay for the sustainability plan to read, “our plan is to ask other funders for money when yours runs out”?

Those are the sorts of things that one gains only through experience and the tutelage of good mentors.

Don

]]> By: Bruce Trachtenberg http://www.tristaharris.org/knowledge-sharing-in-the-field/comment-page-1#comment-206 Bruce Trachtenberg Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:01:00 +0000 http://www.tristaharris.org/knowledge-sharing-in-the-field#comment-206 In response to your comment about foundations needing to share more, an interesting example is a recent report from the Hewlett Foundation about an initiative that failed. According to a release from the foundation, the report "explores various missteps as the Foundation attempted an ambitious plan to reduce poverty and develop new community leaders in East Palo Alto, San Jose, and west Oakland neighborhoods. While the effort did score some successes, it fell far short of the Foundation’s goal of broad, deep, and sustained change in the three communities." <br/><br/>The full report is available at http://www.hewlett.org/AboutUs/<br/>News/Foundation+Newsletter/<br/>NII+Report.htm In response to your comment about foundations needing to share more, an interesting example is a recent report from the Hewlett Foundation about an initiative that failed. According to a release from the foundation, the report “explores various missteps as the Foundation attempted an ambitious plan to reduce poverty and develop new community leaders in East Palo Alto, San Jose, and west Oakland neighborhoods. While the effort did score some successes, it fell far short of the Foundation’s goal of broad, deep, and sustained change in the three communities.”

The full report is available at http://www.hewlett.org/AboutUs/
News/Foundation+Newsletter/
NII+Report.htm

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