416. The Funder’s Mindset: Building Authentic Relationships + Investing in Wellness - Liz Aybar Conti

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Overview

It’s time to reimagine the funder/nonprofit relationship. We’re putting a flag in the ground to talk about how to evolve relationships and processes and make the grantee/funder relationship as symbiotic, empowering (and simple!) for all. This third conversation is examining authentic relationships and the role funders play in supporting wellness. Today’s guest Liz Aybar Conti is the CEO of Margulf Foundation and gets the most joy and energy from engaging with grantees and learning more about the communities they serve.

The Margulf Foundation is committed to expanding and improving learning opportunities for all youth in Colorado and beyond by partnering with leaders who are reimagining education with youth, families, and communities to move toward a more just and equitable future. Tune in to hear from a funder's perspective on creating collaborative spaces of belonging, where all people feel cared for and accepted🙌

💡Learn

The importance of wellness and collaboration
How to build authentic partnerships
New mindsets funders can utilize

Today’s Guest

Liz Aybar Conti, CEO, Margulf Foundation

“What do we need to be doing differently so that we do see opportunities for nonprofits and philanthropic organizations to be breaking down those power differentials and working together more in partnership?”

— Liz Aybar Conti, CEO, Margulf Foundation

Episode Transcript

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Episode Highlights

History and mission of Margulf Foundation (4:35)
Creating values as a foundation (11:00)
How Margulf gets to know the organzation it funds (13:40)
The origin of Margulf’s Talent, Health and Wellness Sustainability Grants (16:15)
Margulf’s learning from grantees (23:00)
Shifts needed in the philanthropic landscape (27:30)
Funders have to be in community (31:30)
Liz’s One Good Thing: It’s all about really loving your people. Life is short. Love your people hard and show up for them. (38:05)

Powerful Quotes

“Our whole role is really to show up in service of our grantees.” -Liz

“What do we need to be doing differently so that we do see opportunities for nonprofits and philanthropic organizations to be breaking down those power differentials and working together more in partnership?” -Liz

“I encourage nonprofit leaders to be their authentic selves and to bring all of themselves to those conversations in the work that they know that needs to be done, and not to be swayed or influenced by money that might be on the table.” -Liz

“Being in community has changed me as an individual. Since we launched We Are For Good I'm a fundamentally different human being because of being shaped by people.” -Jon

“We think the collective genius of our grantees has the potential for even greater impact than the individual genius of them.” -Liz

“We say to our grantees, that we see failure as a learning opportunity. We hope that they do the same. We hope to create a culture within the community, where people really feel like they can have those struggles and acknowledge them collectively and learn and grow together.” -Liz

“I think we need to love our people hard. Life is short. We need to let them know we care about them and we need to show up for them.” -Liz