Social Innovation Forum
The SIF Communications team had a lovely time interviewing one of Social Innovation Forum’s (SIF) longtime supporters, Kathleen Wallace, about her $25,000 contribution to the Social Innovator Fund this past spring. Kathleen Wallace, now a retiree, has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry and philanthropic sector. Through her many years of working on the administrative side of foundations and with trusts, she has been able to see how people give their money. Kathleen came across the SIF community about 10 years ago when she met Carolyn Shaughnessy (formerly SIF’s Director of Network Engagement). Kathleen describes how she “…loved the uniqueness of SIF,” and how she likes “…to give to groups knowing that the funds will make a real difference in the community.”
SIF Funder Involvement
With help from Carolyn, Kathleen became involved in the Social Innovator Accelerator selection process as an evaluation committee member. Kathleen described her first-hand experience as an important way to “…learn about an issue and see what groups were doing and how they did it.” SIF’s process for engaging donors is unique, because donors become proximate to the nonprofits and can learn about their missions in an authentic way. Kathleen also shared that she worked alongside Susan Musinsky, SIF’s Executive Director, in the selection processes. Over the years, Kathleen has been a consistent donor supporting SIF’s programmatic work. In describing her longtime partnership with SIF, Kathleen highlights the success of SIF’s role as a convener and the benefits of the Accelerator program for the nonprofit sector.
Donation to the Social Innovator Fund
Fast forward to 2023, at the height of the Social Innovator Fund launch, Susan called Kathleen to share the news about the Fund and she found it intriguing. In fact, Kathleen was actually the first donor to give to the Social Innovator Fund. Kathleen said she has “...always found all the issue areas so interesting, which made it a challenge to know who to give your money to.'' However, Kathleen saw that the new Fund makes it easier to give to a broad range of issues, and she “... loves being able to give to all groups equally.” For Kathleen, giving to the Social Innovator Fund truly means enhanced equity across all the nonprofits. A donation to the Social Innovator Fund provides a convenient avenue for donors to make an equitable gift for nonprofits in SIF’s Accelerator program.
How to make a Gift to the Social Innovator Fund
SIF will accept gifts to the 2023 Social Innovator Fund, which will be distributed equally among the eight 2023 Social Innovators, through December 31, 2023. The minimum gift is $500.
Gifts can be made online here or by check, electronic transfer, via your donor advised fund (DAF), or stock transfer. SIF’s mailing address is 2 Oliver Street, Suite 802, Boston, MA 02109.
Resource:
To learn more about becoming a donor to the Fund, please check out our online resources and/or join us on a Zoom info session, Thursday, November 9th from 10 - 11 AM. You can register here.