7 months ago, I started my position in operations at the Conconi Family Foundation – and wow, what a busy, insightful, and educational 7 months it has been. Before my position at the Foundation, I had a general understanding of what philanthropy was, however I had no clue of its complexity. My hope for this blog series is that I can provide a bit of insight into what it’s like working in philanthropy, and some of the main messages I’ve learned during my time here.
Space
One of the first things I learned after joining the Foundation was the concept of systems change. From my experience, change can bring feelings of fear, anxiousness, and uncertainty. But it can also bring feelings of excitement, a sense of curiosity, and opportunities for growth. After reading about the Conconi Family Foundation, I understood that one of the goals of the Foundation was to fund projects that tackle systems change. While I understood that this approach meant looking at projects that have larger scale impacts, I was interested to learn exactly what systems change included.
Space
When I started my journey of learning about systems change, I was shocked to see just how complex the process is. The Foundation defines systems change as a fundamental shift in policies, practices, relationships, power dynamics and deeply held norms and values. Oh, that’s it?
Space
Part of my morning routine includes reading through the Vancouver News to see what happened overnight. With an overwhelming number of headlines showcasing workforce shortages, limited access to health services, and flaws in our justice and social system, I commonly catch myself getting frustrated and wondering, how in 2023, are we still facing these issues? Why hasn’t there been any impactful, lasting change? I wish it was as easy as, hey! I have an idea, let’s try out this solution, but I find I have to remind myself that in most cases, these large-scale, province wide issues should be addressed through using a collaborative approach to update the systems that no longer serve us and could actually be causing us harm. Through working at the Foundation, I’ve found it motivating to know that part of the work we do is actually tackling these systemic issues.
Space
With systems change, having the motivation and intention to do something different is needed, however it’s only one piece of the puzzle. There are a number of different components that have to be present for this change to occur, including collaboration with key stakeholders, financing, timing, and infrastructure capacity, just to name a few.
Space
I believe a helpful way to think of systems change is through considering all of the necessary components as puzzle pieces. When you’re creating change, you need to have a variety of different components, which can be seen as pieces of the systems change puzzle. Sometimes these pieces fit together in an obvious way, however in other circumstances, the connection can be a lot more unclear. This is where collaboration is key, since having someone else examine the puzzle, and the remaining pieces, can help provide a fresh perspective and guide in solving the puzzle.
Space
The Systems Innovation Initiative under RockWool Foundation had a really interesting
learning festival in November, where they discussed the complexities of engaging in this work. If you’re interested in this topic and learning more, I highly encourage taking a look through the video recordings and resources. If you have any experience with systems change or thoughts surrounding the topic, please get in touch and let us know!
Space
Next you’ll hear from Sanja, our Executive Director. I’ll be back next month with another lesson.
Spac
Space
Meagan