Grantee support

Should we help?

Every chapter makes their own choices
Balance between no strings and helping people out
- Don't want to build expectations
It builds more structures, how does it look and how do you execute on that is a concern
In the long view you can create a portal where people (media, for example) will know to go look to for information
Sometimes the bar for choosing an application is set very high
- The $1000 can act as a catalyst, take care of phase 1, but project might require more after that
- Grantees often seem to need access to more people, more resources, people turn to Kickstarter and Indiegogo
- Keep in mind that $1000 is a catalyst
It goes on a chapter by chapter basis
Erhardt: I keep thinking of this as a data problem, if we could expose the data about the projects other people could go through and look at the ideas, create a resource of awesome ideas
We already blog and talk about them, publish information on them - maybe we could set up aggregation of that to spread the good projects

If we signal that we are becoming an incubator, is that going to crowd out things that are one-time events
- Keep it optional
- Yes, but we have to walk that line gently
Keep it simple, "we're not the f*cking Ford Foundation"
- If people don't want or need to be incubated, don't do that

Using trustees and past winners as a resource for grantees
- Grantee-alumni relationships and mentoring
- People are always super excited to do that, past grantees have always opted-in
AF NY has had people opt-in to stay connected, but other people just disappear

A lot of grantees aren't as tech-savvy as trustees, just telling them about Kickstarter and such is useful

Is it a good idea to say up front what resources are available? Could it become an obligation?
- Not in SF, "they drive the show", "we're here to help" but they are under no obligation

Difference between local support and global support
- Adopting ideas from other chapters, if it's easy to re-create or share (so re-creating the results of a past project from another chapter)

Managing our involvement
- Toronto, for example, doesn't want to overburden themselves
- Seattle does it on an opt-in, one trustee does it for each grant, basis to provide support that is tailored to the project while keeping the burden on trustees low

Does anyone do a thing where they select a runner-up and work with them in some way?
- In Boston, there is a shortlist every month and often times there is a person who just needs a connection or a Kickstarter or something
- SF does the same
Give them feedback, advice, connections

Spreading ideas from other places, looking at other chapters
- SF finds inspiring projects from the general world and passes them around the list

Does anyone give advice or guidance/feedback to ideas?
- Is it right to tell them how to change their ideas?
- Difference between manipulating projects and trying to give useful feedback
- Does that make people feel obligated to do things?
Difference between doing this with grantees vs. people who don't get funded
The feedback can be really helpful to people
There is a big difference between sharing the opinions of an individual vs. sharing opinions as a chapter

Timing is an issue too - support/engagement during project vs. help afterwards
Coaching on ideas/communication
Connecting people to a network
Global network of recipients, could make it an even bigger opportunity than $1000
Initially in NY, just helped by throwing a big party and trying to get press for people with good ideas
- $1000 is great, but trustees' connections can be a much bigger contribution
Pittsburgh added a question asking if it would be ok to promote a project, even if not funded, or refer to other organizations
- So far everyone says yes

An aggregation of "projects we love" a la Kickstarter
- Boston has a tumblr of awesome projects, could become a collaborative project between chapters
- People like this
- Erhardt will own looking into this
What if trustees could "like" projects on the AF site and go through periodically and highlight the top choices?

Sending out a template to winner and runners up with information and resources and connections to network
- If we take it upon ourselves, we may lapse

Not everyone is tech-savvy, we should think more about how to support people especially with more chapters starting in developing areas
Awesome Hours might be a really good solution to this
- Boston has these, just gets together and helps people workshop ideas
- Past winners have come as well, which is nice
- Seattle wants to start doing these
- Important to keep a friendly, open environment
Overall people think Office Hours has the potential to grow into something really big
This is community and helps ideas grow and spread, then we just have to be catalysts