We’re collaborating with partners on a range of projects.
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We’re collaborating with partners on a range of projects.
Click the sidebar at left to explore each.
How can foundations establish better understanding, relationships and partnerships with state government officials (appointed and elected)? What role should regional associations play in supporting this work?
Over the last year, PAI has worked with Katie Ensign and David Biemesderfer of the Florida Philanthropic Network to support and learn from their efforts to engage Florida government decision makers, especially on the executive side.
The Florida Philanthropic Network’s board and staff exemplify the growing movement that PAI exists to support—philanthropy leaders intensifying their communications and direct outreach with decisionmakers. Their Statewide Summit on Philanthropy in January 2009 brought in three top state officials to participate—Bill McCollum (attorney general), Alex Sink (chief financial officer), George Sheldon (head of the state's department of children and families)—and engaged them in frank and productive conversations about how philanthropy and government could work better together as well as the most realistic and appropriate roles for foundations. Each official expressed interest in efforts to better connect foundations with Florida state government, helping build momentum for grantmaker sessions on engagement with government that FPN and PAI subsequently conducted in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and the Miami area. One example of an important outcome of FPN’s work—especially the Summit—is a new partnership with the Attorney General’s Office to engage foundation leaders with government, nonprofit and community representatives to shape cross-sector partnerships on gang prevention and intervention strategies in the Tampa Bay area.
PAI hopes to continue learning from FPN’s work and sharing lessons with others in philanthropy.