Guest post by Mary Manuel “Social networks are not about technology, they are enabled by technology”.  I’m sitting with this thought as I write and publish my first ever blog.  As a digital immigrant, my goal for this conference is to practice learning the language of my new country at the GEO Networks conference over the next two days. As I become absorbed in frenetic tweeting of my “aha” moments and pay half attention to the speakers, I become afraid that I will lose the culture and … [Read more...]

The morning plenary for A Grantmakers' Gathering on Networks was designed to deliver robust, thought-provoking content for grantmakers who want to use a networked approach for the strategy as well as time for people to make connections with others and process and apply these new ideas. After a welcome by Kathleen Enright, President and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, Diana Scearce, Monitor Institute was our facilitator.   She immediately had us moving around and introducing … [Read more...]

Over the next couple of days you will be reading more frequent but shorter  posts from these guest bloggers from the Growing Social Impact in a Networked World:  A Grantmakers' Gathering of Networks meeting in San Francisco on October 17-18th.    Guest bloggers were tasked with writing a brief post about one idea about networks that sparked their imagination during the gathering. Scott Bechtler-Levin, President, IdeaEncore Network Paul Connolly, Chief Client Services Officer, TCC Group Stephen … [Read more...]

On October 17 and 18th,   I will have the honor of participating in an interactive convening, hosted by GEO and the Monitor Institute focused on how funders can increase their impact by supporting networks and embracing more open and collaborative approaches to grantmaking.   Attendees will explore concrete examples and tools that grantmakers can use to tap the power of networks and increase peer-to-peer learning among grantmakers who are experimenting with networks.   The conference program and … [Read more...]