Giving Compass' Take:

• The Lerner Foundation shifted from transactional to transformational philanthropy by investing in partnerships that fund a sustainable long-term mentorship program for young people in rural Maine. 

• How are foundations measuring the long-term impact of big bets in philanthropy?

• Read about the anatomy of big bets to understand more about the components of sustainable philanthropy. 

The Lerner Foundation had only been making grants for five years when the winds shifted—the board of directors decided it was time for a profound change in our priorities. Our founding purpose is simple and straightforward: “to further opportunity for the people of Maine.” Manny and Polly Lerner’s broad and hopeful intention gave us the space to consider what we might accomplish if we focused our resources on one big, bold idea. And a big idea did emerge for us.

The Aspirations Incubator, a six-year pilot project rooted in mentoring relationships, focuses on raising and sustaining the aspirations of rural middle school children in Maine. The ultimate goal is that many more young people develop the confidence, skills, and passion to pursue an academic or career pathway beyond high school. Since changing our focus, we’ve gone from having 40 grantees to just seven, and we’ve committed all our resources to this project. It’s a big bet—and here’s how we’re doing it.

Our board president, Eliot Cutler, first raised the possibility of a move away from traditional, cycle-based grantmaking after his independent gubernatorial campaign in 2014. On his travels to every corner of the state, Eliot heard Mainers’ concerns for the future of their communities, and he was moved to think expansively and creatively about how to raise and sustain aspirations across the state.

After a lengthy vetting process, we announced our seven new partners. We decided to develop the Aspirations Incubator as a pilot project, with the goal of determining the necessary conditions to successfully implement and sustain a long-term mentoring-based youth program model in a rural setting.

Seeing a need that will influence the very future of our state gave us the urgency, passion, and permission to aspire to a larger, more focused goal, and commit to it for several years.

Read the full article about transactional to transformational philanthropy by Erin Cinelli at Exponent Philanthropy.