As part of Mental Health Month, our features during May and June 2023 will focus on mental health. Visit our website to find a list of resources to support your mental health initiatives.

Stress. Anxiety. Tension. Overwhelm. We’ve let our mental health go unchecked for far too long. It’s a conversation sparked during Mental Health Awareness Month that must continue year-round with actions. Self-care behaviors that become positive mental health habits will never happen through one-off efforts if we don’t change organizational systems. 

We often hear or shout out our own rallying cries for leaders to enact courageous systemic change, forgetting too easily that systems are made up of people—and we can change long-standing practices that no longer meet the need. Isn’t this what nonprofits and philanthropy are all about – enacting change to meet community needs? We are the community, we need better mental health and we’re holding ourselves back from wellness.

The stigma around mental health is a longstanding one but in recent years, we’ve seen mental health highlighted more frequently across sectors and media campaigns, with a consistent conclusion: The commitment to focusing on mental health and well-being has to be a core aspect of all we do. 

Organizations have also been making some inroads to bring mental health into workplaces, opening windows to conversations connecting workplace wellness to employee mental health. Still, these conversations are often superficial; it’s time for leaders to step up and enact more meaningful actions that center employee mental health, deepen workplace wellness and provide greater access to it. 

Nonprofit staff are hurting, with wide-ranging surveys indicating that one-time grants or annual conversations are insufficient for the day-to-day challenges and inequitable access to resources that many experience. 

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI), part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, has conducted research about gender and giving for over a decade, and we now have over 150 unique data points illustrating that gender matters in philanthropy. 

We know that women give more than men, and they give differently than men. Women are drawn to an expanded definition of philanthropy, tapping into all their resources to support the causes they care about; and they often give collectively. Learning about these and other distinct features of women’s giving is key to growing women’s philanthropy.

But our research is just the beginning — it’s what you do with it that matters. At WPI, we know that reading research reports isn’t always a top priority for busy nonprofit professionals with ever-increasing fundraising goals. To meet this need, we launched Proven Practices, a free online resource to help fundraisers better connect with women donors. Proven Practices is a partnership with Kathleen Loehr, a trailblazer in the effort to grow women’s philanthropy. To honor her recent retirement and pass on the legacy of her decades of work, Proven Practices helps leaders develop targeted approaches to meaningfully engage women donors of all backgrounds and identities. 

Taking a short self-evaluation on the Proven Practices site will help you more closely examine how your organization engages with women donors. Based on your responses, the site provides resources to help you build your women’s philanthropy program, whether you’re experienced in this area or just starting on your journey. 

The self-evaluation focuses on four areas that are key to growing women’s philanthropy: building leadership commitment; gathering women’s input; recruiting volunteer champions; and engaging your staff. There’s so much more on the site, including resources, success stories, and ways to get in touch with experts if you need additional support in your women’s philanthropy efforts. 

The Indianapolis Foundation has awarded responsive grants that align with the foundation’s mission to mobilize people, ideas and investments to make this a community where all individuals have equitable opportunity to reach their full potential—no matter place, race or identity. The Indianapolis Foundation’s grants support either general operating costs or program support for organizations. For the full list of grants  

Dove House was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Indianapolis Rotary Club. This grant was used to purchase vehicles to transport women to and from community services, sobriety programs, access health care and attend court hearings.

The Multiplying Good ChangeMakers program provides a series of volunteer, networking, fundraising, and celebration events that take place over a 12 to 16 week period. This prestigious opportunity is open to young professionals across our state, recognizes a group of individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to servant leadership and the potential to truly move Indiana forward. Nominate

The Arc of Indiana has launched a new program, the Advocacy Leadership Network, which will work to build a network of at least 200 people across the state to advocate for the issues important to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and share their experience to make a positive difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Twelve advocacy fellows have been hired who are either a person with a disability or a family member of a person with a disability.

Nominations are open for the third annual Black Women Give Back List candidates who showcase the invaluable work and contributions of Black women philanthropists who embrace diverse expressions of generosity to make the world a better place. Submissions are due by June 30. Nominate

Social media 102 webinar on June 20 at 2 p.m. Learn a few advanced social media tips and tricks, elevate your social media presence through micro strategies, and activate your advocates. Presented by Nonprofit Hub. Register  

Giving USA data update on June 28 from 8-9:30 a.m. at 800 E. 96th St., Suite 150. Hear insights from Giving USA Foundation’s annual report on philanthropy. Cost: Free. Presented by Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI. Register

Analyze and visualize with charts webinar on July 18 at 9-11 a.m. Learn how to find meaning in the data used to address a focused question. Presented by SAVI. Cost: Free. Register 

Take your grant proposal writing to the next level webinar on July 20 at 2-3:15 p.m. Learn how to tell the story of your work and its impact, demonstrate need, and make a persuasive case for support. Presented by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Cost: $69. Register 

Craft & deliver powerful messages session on July 26 at 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Butler University, 625 Butler Way, Room 234. Gain insights on developing messaging that resonates with your audience and inspires action. Presented by Indiana Philanthropy Alliance. Cost: $75 members/$150 nonmembers. Register 

Carmel Clay Parks needs volunteers to weed wrangles this summer as part of a strategy to eliminate invasive plant species. Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Volunteer

Johnson Grossnickle & Associations How to maintain donor relationships during staff transitions e-book. Learn how to maximize the time major gift officers have to commit to cultivation and solicitation and pinpoint untapped potential in your donor database. Download the ebook 

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