What can community foundations do to alleviate poverty?
Bottom up approach is important (need to address the issue of hopelessness and/or apathy)
In communities of poverty, cultural and religious contexts must be understood and respected
Connect business and grassroots
Articulate poverty as the unifying theme
Make most of resources and community members (“big changes with small funds”)
Address pockets of poverty in more affluent areas – CFs can do this
CF’s play the key role of connecting assets to needs
Bring voices and participate in decision making esp. on resources distribution
Need mentors or advisors to marry the assets with the needs (connecting)
CFs can help by grassroots knowledge to determine where money should be spent.
Realize that more than just money is needed
CF needs to organize informal giving
Origin of community foundations related to participation → now more focused on poverty
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What can community foundations do to alleviate poverty?
Research is important to help bring evidence, influence policy level, and strengthen community
Don’t rely on official stats – they tell the story the government wants to tell.
CFs can have role in giving voice to poor, but need research to provide evidence
Adequate research and collection is essential in prioritizing a community’s needs
Research into the local context is critical in order for CFs to speak with authority (need data / repository of knowledge)
How to draw out the “invisible” communities (uncounted in official statistics) [Further issue of how to draw out statistics that may show problems where official statistics show otherwise.]
Context is hugely important to tactics/strategy
– political/legal environments
Poverty isn’t just about absolute assets but inequality which promotes sense of social injustice
Need to help the media so they can build understanding about the role of civil society and philanthropy (media does not always understand or convey it correctly)
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What can community foundations do to alleviate poverty?
People in positions of power need to be engaged
Partnerships are important (NGO’s, government, companies)
Young professionals are more open and active
Increase the media’s understanding of civil society and philanthropy
Need to tackle “blame culture” and the perception that poor are undeserving
People expect government to solve problems
It is key to have board members that have the ear of policymakers.
It is easier for people to take action to address poverty outside their own society than inside it
(which would affect own lives)
Anyone can help their community.
Just need to be empowered.
People do not trust civil society or institutions
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