Global Intermediaries POD

Introduction

The Global Intermediaries POD aims to build on discussions from the October 2023 EDGE Annual Conference, where some participants highlighted the need for a space to organize and build community among intermediary organizations. Building on that and the creation of the POD (Philanthropy to Deliver), the EDGE staff had the objective to move beyond just conversations and political alignment to create a community of practice that can take concrete actions together. The new initiative, called PODs, is intended to be a space for delivering on the ideas and objectives identified by our membership. The community should be one of trust, where members can rely on each other and work collectively towards shared goals.

The group originally formed somewhat serendipitously at the EDGE Conference, when participants discuss their needs and goals independently, realizing they shared similar challenges and objectives, such as best practices, approaches to funders, and participatory grant-making. These discussions revealed a shared interest in learning from each other and building on existing knowledge.

The purpose of the PODs is to move from an approach of learning and sharing to taking concrete action and it is  designed to be a catalytic space focused on delivery. Over a series of sessions, participants will work together to create tangible outcomes that go beyond discussions, and truly attempting to join force towards actionable steps, and a shift in strategy is needed to achieve systemic change.

 

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Meetings Minutes and Key decisions

Discovery Meeting - 16 May

Summary of the Meeting :  (full minutes available here) During the meeting,  the POD discussed on several key ambitions and actions for this space . One of the potential aim is to build a referral system among intermediaries to connect resources directly to grassroots partners and enhance movement sustainability. The group also plans to secure and share funds non-competitively, exploring collaborative fundraising strategies and collective approaches to funders. Additionally, they propose to develop educational and advocacy materials to articulate the importance of intermediaries in philanthropy.

Challenges identified include fundraising, resource allocation, and time constraints due to existing workloads. To address these, Martina and Amanda will cluster the ideas shared during the meeting to help participants focus on specific topics in future sessions. Participants are encouraged to suggest additional topics or conversations, explore collaborative actions, and create shared resources to represent intermediaries’ importance collectively (reach out to Martina).

Video Recording 

 

Next Meeting - Getting to Work, Clustering and Focus

NB: This is a members – only space. If you’d like to join the network, reach out to Martina at martina@edgefunders.org

Date and Zoom link: 3pm UTC on July 3rd // https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82096689484

Focus of next meeting : During the Discovery meeting, we identified three potential main areas of work. In the next meeting, we will understand if anything else is also a priority and how this group can achieve these objectives :

  • Building a Referral System: Begin detailed discussions on how to create and implement a network to connect resources directly to grassroots partners and enhance movement sustainability.
  • Collaborative Fundraising Strategies:  This involves identifying potential funders, creating a joint fundraising proposal, and discussing ways to distribute funds non-competitively.
  • Collective Advocacy Planning: . This includes defining goals, strategies, and actions for advocating better funding practices and recognition from funders.

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