The Song Foundation invests in ideas, people, and organizations that amplify equity, power, prosperity and joy throughout Southeast Michigan. The foundation recently hosted an in-person gathering of its nonprofit partners, asking its partners what feedback they had for philanthropy to better serve their organization and mission, what lessons they learned from their communities and how partners recharge.
The Song Foundation invests in ideas, people, and organizations that amplify equity, power, prosperity and joy throughout Southeast Michigan.
“In leading the Song Foundation, I have a wonderful opportunity to cast vision and to reimagine how philanthropy can show up in community,” Khalilah Burt Gaston, executive director of the Song Foundation and CMF trustee, shared.
The foundation recently hosted an in-person gathering of its nonprofit partners – calling it “The Joy Report.”
“The purpose of The Joy Report was to convene our grantees, for the first time ever to help dispel any anxiety they had around reporting and managing their grants after the foundation’s transition to being professionally staffed. Before that, the foundation's daily operations were managed by the board with support from an advisor,” said Burt Gaston.
It was an opportunity to learn from partners, to celebrate their work, to create space for rest and to brainstorm how to best capture what had been done.
During The Joy Report the foundation explored how to further implement principles of trust-based philanthropy. The foundation asked its partners what feedback they had for philanthropy to better serve their organization and mission, what lessons they learned from their communities and how do partners recharge while doing the work that they do.
Partners were able to record testimonials and answers to the questions from the foundation photobooth style. Partners reported an appreciation for the simplicity and engagement of the foundation’s current process and for the foundation not requesting more than necessary.
Together in person, the foundation honored the land, its partners and the hard work its partners have done to empower the communities that they serve.
“Philanthropy has a mandate to shift the sector so that it acknowledges the humanity of people, their inherent dignity, their expertise and their knowledge,” Burt Gaston said.
The Song Foundation aims to foster a strong sense of connection, belonging, interdependence, and shared humanity by supporting and bringing together good people doing good work—and having fun along the way.
“We need everybody open to radical shifts in how we do business and how we collaborate,” Burt Gaston continued.
The Joy Report was a “thank you” to the Song Foundation’s granting partners for their efforts in amplifying joy, equity, power and prosperity for Southeast Michigan.
“In Michigan, we’ve got to really lean in and understand the changes that need to be made in our communities,” Burt Gaston said.
Want more?
Learn about the Song Foundation’s approach to supporting equitable, powerful and thriving communities.
Learn about the Trust Based Philanthropy Project.
