Forbes Funds selected

Pittsburgh nonprofit leader selected for
national Independent Sector Program to develop organizational innovation

PITTSBURGH, Pa., June 1, 2015 A Pittsburgh organization dedicated to increasing the impact of regional nonprofits is itself getting support to increase its impact after being selected for a prestigious fellowship project of Independent Sector, the national leadership network for organizations committed to advancing the common good.

The Forbes Funds, a supporting organization of The Pittsburgh Foundation, will be the point organization in a project to help advance it as a national model for building a culture of innovation in nonprofit organizations.

The project is a key component of the American Express NGen Fellows Program, built each year around a diverse group of age-40-and-under leaders from Independent Sector member organizations. The Fellows participate in a comprehensive, year-long program to develop their capacity to lead in turbulent times, strengthen their professional networks and elevate their accomplishments to a national level.

Each year’s class of 12 professionals selects from an application process one nonprofit organization for in-depth collaboration in an area of operations that concentrates on instilling best practices and strengthening capacity in pursuing a mission. One of the goals is to be able to capture the learning for replication by other nonprofits.

Diana Aviv of Independent Sector said the current class of American Express NGen Fellows, selected in 2014, is excited to take on the issue of innovation and move beyond clichéd notions of the term to explore factors that lead to the truly creative thinking necessary for nonprofits to thrive into the future.

“Independent Sector is delighted that our fellows want to work with the Forbes Funds this year,” Aviv said. “The Forbes Funds have a truly impressive record in the Pittsburgh region assisting nonprofits to manage disruption and prepare for the future, helping them to develop a crucial competency in non-traditional or collective approaches, emerging technologies, and cross-disciplinary partnerships, as they work to solve the complex problems in their communities. We and our partners are all too aware of the need for nonprofits to look out a decade or more into the future to solve the problems of today and adapt to the communities they will serve tomorrow. We look forward to the forthcoming report from the American Express NGen Fellows, not only to see how the can help Forbes Funds build a culture of innovation for nonprofits in Pittsburgh communities, but also to see how Forbes Funds’ great model can apply to funders and grantees across the country and around the world.”

Forbes Funds President and CEO Kate Dewey said her organization intends to make the most of the pro bono consulting and idea sharing in the project with nonprofit managers, social innovators and foundation leaders. “Our staff and board are thrilled that we have been selected and we expect that the range of perspectives and work experiences these visionary, emerging leaders bring to this project will give us extra power and reach in encouraging a culture of innovation among nonprofits in our region,” said Dewey.

Fellows working on various aspects of the Forbes Funds project come from nationally-directed nonprofits, including Amnesty International USA, The California Wellness Foundation, Americans for the Arts, and the Case Foundation.

The team is beginning an intensive research and information-gathering phase that includes interviews with Forbes Funds staff and client organizations. A second phase will involve producing a set of recommendations that can be shared with charitable sector organizations interested in adopting a culture of innovation and experimentation.

The team will assist the Forbes Funds in surmounting several challenges, said Dewey. “Right now, we are searching for ways to be more efficient in preparing the organizational infrastructure needed for innovation to take root. This fellowship is one of the many ways we are working to build our own capacity to not only support more nonprofits directly, but also to meaningfully help create a mission-driven ecosystem in southwestern Pennsylvania in which people can find accessible ways to help improve our communities.” 

One of the highlights of the American Express NGen project will be a joint presentation by the Fellows and Forbes Funds at the Independent Sector’s national conference in Miami, Oct. 27-29.

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