Maximising the Philanthropic Dollar

							  Maximising the
Philanthropic Dollar
 Lessons from research into
  innovative country towns
 People   have mobility choices: to move
  towards something that is relatively
  attractive; to stay somewhere that is
  relatively attractive; or to move away from
  somewhere relatively unattractive.
 The question is: Who moves, who doesn’t,
  and why?
 Mobility choices are not random. It is the
  more creative and innovative who move.
 Almost  no towns existed in Australia 200
  years ago.
 Towns were created in response to a
  particular social and economic need,
  populated by people who made a mobility
  choice.
 Nobody cried when those towns were
  created (except perhaps the indigenous
  people).
 The reason for the establishment of most
  towns no longer exists.
 Towns that thrive reinvent themselves.
      Language differences
 People in non-innovative towns say ‘Why
 don’t they ….?’ or ‘When are they going to
 ….?’

       in innovative towns say ‘How can
 People
 we ….?’
      Beware of the Leaders
 Research   respondents were asked to
  describe themselves as (a) a community
  leader, (b) somebody with knowledge and
  expertise that could be called upon, or (c)
  a support person.
 The least innovative towns reported the
  highest numbers of leaders.
 The most innovative town reported almost
  none.
Leadership is a two-edged sword. It is an
 act of civic responsibility. It is also an act
  of denying someone the opportunity to
   gain civic experience. The more that
      leadership responsibility can be
     experienced and shared, the more
            innovative is the town.
       Where should we invest the
         philanthropic dollar?
   Do not invest in the towns that ask for it.
   Invest in fostering mobility choices.
   Invest in newcomers to a town.
   Invest in young people.
   Invest in continuing education for all.
   Invest in diversity.
   Invest in capacity building.
   Invest in the arts and creative endeavour.
   Invest in celebration.
    Invest in the arts and creative
               endeavour

 The most innovative towns nurtured their
  creative spirit and publicly celebrated it.

 Creativity   is the well-spring of innovation.
Do not invest in the towns that ask
               for it.
 Theleast innovative towns pursued
 funding but did not have the passion or
 capacity to use it.

 The most innovative towns pursued
 projects with vision and passion. Money
 was not the object. Project achievement
 was.
Invest in fostering mobility choices.
 Creative   people are the most mobile.

 Mobility   puts the best talent where it can
  thrive.

 Inhibiting   mobility benefits no-one.
Invest in newcomers to a town.
 Creatinga welcoming atmosphere, an
 atmosphere of acceptance, encourages
 people to come and to stay.

 New  people into a town are the biggest
 investors into its social and economic
 fabric.
          Invest in young people.

 Youth   represents renewal and vitality.

 The voices of youth are seldom honoured
 in rural settings.

 Young families are often the crucible
 through which civic responsibility
 develops.
 Invest in continuing education for
                 all.

 Innovation   thrives on life-long learning.

 Immigrants expect a level of service
 comparable to that received in the larger
 centre they came from.
            Invest in diversity
A   catalyst for creativity of diversity.

          requires the prerequisite of
 Diversity
 tolerance.

 Thecreative talent that many towns crave,
 they already have. The town just chases it
 away through lack of tolerance of diversity.
       Invest in capacity building

 Inthe most innovative towns, people will
  say: ‘We did it ourselves’.

 The  critical skills needed to grow an
  inclusive, diverse and tolerant society are
  not taught in mainstream education.
          Invest in creativity
 Creativity   is the well spring of innovation.

 The creative talent that rural towns crave,
  they already have. They just chase it
  away.

 Worship   the weirdoes.
        Invest in celebration

 Peoplewant to live in happy, positive, and
 accepting places.

 Create  opportunities for public celebration
 of affirmation: ‘We like living here’; ‘We
 like each other’, ‘We have a sense of unity
 and identity’.