Middle and Senior Management Meeting

Memo #2
September 26, 2007
Purpose of this Meeting:
1) To debrief the process
2) To share team insights and thoughts about the process so far.
Present: Fennis, Dale, Shalini, Lanell, Muadi, Zeina, anc!, Sarah ", #llen $facilitator),
Michelle $noteta%er)
MEETI! "TES
Strategi# Planning Pro#ess $ Timeline
The strategic planning process from Ma! 2&&' through September 2&&' has so far
been inclusi(e of both )oard and Staff participation. #llen has conducted one on one
inter(ie*s *ith )oard members and selected staff. There *ere also t*o all da! group
discussions *ith staff and se(eral )oard members, as *ell as acti(ities *ith the staff
*or%ing groups around e(aluation, grantee sur(e!s and strategic grantma%ing.
Further strategic planning acti(ities for +ctober 2&&' through December include,
scenario de(elopment, grantee and ad(isor sur(e!s, inter(ie*s *ith peer organi-ations
and %e! institutional donors, and a )oard.Staff meeting in o(ember to re(ie*
scenarios to discuss and /fine tune0 %e! strategic directions.
)! 1anuar! 2&&2, *e should be finished *ith the e3ternal scan and the anal!sis of the
sur(e! findings. 4e *ill then present the sur(e! findings and *rite the plan for 5lobal
Fund6s strategic directions for 2&&272&18. 4e *ill also de(elop the first !ear of the
operational plan. Then in 1une 2&&2 *e *ill present 5lobal Fund6s strategic plan for
2&&272&18 to the )oard for discussion and appro(al
Team %efle#tions
Aha! Moments
5lobal Fund6s 9ole in the Mo(ement. There seems to be an understanding that
changing our mission from grantma%er to an operating 5+ is not the direction *e *ant
to pursue. 4e also *ant to ensure that *hile *e are embracing a more proacti(e
approach to grantma%ing, *e are %eeping some of our /sacred co*s0, li%e pro(iding
general support grants and seed grants.
/"an6t :ut the "art )efore the ;orse0 . 4hile *e %no* that *e are heading in the
direction of gro*th, *e ha(e to do an internal assessment of our capacit! to gro* in
*a!s that are strategic and responsi(e to the needs of the mo(ement and the
organi-ation
.
<nstitutional ;istor! and =no*ledge Management. Some >uestions raised *ere, ;o*
do *e connect our organi-ational histor! *ith our long7term (ision? ;o* can *e further
impro(e our %no*ledge management practices and s!stems? ;o* can *e ensure that
*e do e3ternal scans consistentl! and in a *a! that is integrated *ith our da!7to7da!
operations? ;o* can *e document our *or% more s!stematicall! and help our
grantees do their *or% more s!stematicall!? "an *e ma%e our database clearer and
more integrated *ith other s!stems? These also spea% to a gro*ing understanding
*ithin the organi-ation of the significance of assessment and e(aluation.
e* 5rantma%ing <nitiati(es. ;o* can *e design grantma%ing initiati(es that are both
strategic and responsi(e to the needs of the mo(ement?
"ommunications Function. The strategic planning process is a significant opportunit! to
ma%e sure that the language *e use is current, rele(ant and appropriate for all
audiences. The language *e use needs to change because some of the current
language does not *or% *ith e* @or% indi(idual donors. 4ith man! of our institutional
donors, our language is too >ualitati(e and (ague. The! *ant to see ho* e3actl!,
through results7oriented and measures, 5F4 is ma%ing a difference in the field the!
are *or%ing in.
Things Missing
Donor Tra(el and Donor #ducation. Donor tra(el is a critical area that needs to be
addressed if *e are to mo(e for*ard. <n terms of donor education, ho* can *e nurture
the acti(ist donor communit!?
Fle3ibilit! *. Funding 9ecei(ed. <s there an! *a! *e can be more fle3ible *ith the
funding that is being offered? Man! times, *e turn do*n mone! because of restrictions
donors place on their donations. So ho* can *e accommodate donor interests *hile
remaining true to our strategic plan and (alues?
)randing the 5lobal Fund for 4omen and :ublic #ducation. Auestions raised *ere,
ho* can *e transform the communications function to resemble something li%e
mar%eting and ad(ertising. <f *e *ould li%e the 5lobal Fund be a household name ho*
could the communications team help fulfill that (ision. Blso, can *e someho* e3pand
the communications function to leading public education campaigns?
5F4 Bs Bn <ntermediar! and the 4omen6s Funds. <f the 5lobal Fund becomes an
intermediar! of a big brea%through grant, then ho* *ill that impact ho* mone! is
channeled through the organi-ation? Blso, *e need more clarification on the role of the
4omen6s Funds and that of 5F4, especiall! since some *omen6s funds start off as
grantma%ing institutions but later transform into operating 5+s.
4e also need to tal% more about our (alue7added if *e *ere to ta%e on the role of
intermediar!. )ecause funders are starting to gi(e larger, fe*er, and more multi7!ear
grants and because t*o thirds of *omen6s right groups globall! are reporting budgets
less than CD&,&&&, *hat is our (alue7added to the abilit! to transfer those funds? Blso,
*e should be reall! careful *ith ho* *e tal% about an /intermediar! role.0 The *ord
/intermediar!0 connotes /outsourcing0. 4hile 5F4 might decide to pla! an intermediar!
role, *e should not self identif! as such.
E&T STEPS
+rgani-e further discussion on 5F46s relationship to the 4omen6s Funds,
4or%ing groups *ill continue conducting inter(ie*s and other e3ternal scanning
acti(ities $ongoing).
#llen *ill meet *ith =a(ita to *or% on de(eloping scenarios the second *ee% of
+ctober $together *ith 1oanna =err and 1an e%%ers EFuture "onsult7)
#llen and 1an e%%ers *ill meet *ith Shalini, and Dale in Bmsterdam to tal%
more about the scenarios and scenario process
o(ember )oard and Staff strategic planning meetings are o(ember 2'72F.8&
Staff6s participation in the o(ember e(ents $11.2', 11.22, 11.2F) is still being
*or%ed out.
#llen to (isit 5lobal Fund ne3t on 11.2G through 11.8&.