Robert Egger´s Piece of Mind

Well…of all the city’s to break the mayor forum mold, it had to be Austin.

Organized by the Austin Area Human Services Association  the event drew all the candidates for mayor, as well as the candidates for the city council.

The cool part—all their questions and a podcast of the candidate’s responses will soon be online. THIS is part of the V3 campaigns long range plan–to make the questions asked at each forum, as well as the replies, available for any and all to learn from or emulate.

But El Paso is not far behind. Check out my friend Frank Lopez’s effort that will take place tomorrow.

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I love the road. It can be rough and it can be righteous, but either way, I love being out and about, particularly with people who roll around in it for a living, like I do.

First stop on this adventure, one of my favorite spots in the greater DC-NYC corridor—Newark, DE, and the Food Bank up there, run by my chum of chums, Pat Beebe.

From some of my writings and interviews, some might come to the conclusion that I’ve got a jones against food banks. Not at all….I just don’t dig old ideas if the times demand new takes. If your house is rockin, then I’m ready to roll with you…and Pat’s house is rockin. A lot of that has to do with her killer team, and Chef Noah, who runs the training program up there (with Chef Nick) play a huge roll in keeping the volume up at the kind of ear slitting levels that I prefer.

Case in point—the graduation of their 20th culinary arts class. There are few things in life more affirming than a graduation, and as you can read from this account in Delaware Online, this was a great gathering of family and friends. If you EVER get up to the First State, or if you want to learn about training from some powerful leaders in this field, then stop by and give Chefs Nick and Noah a shout out for me.

Then I got it on the good foot and made tracks for West Virginia, to speak at a staff development day for the Public Library Squad of Charleston.

Now…it might seem random, and some might assume, given how often I’m up in front of an audience that I’ll speak at the opening of a refrigerator just to hear the sound of my own voice…and they wouldn’t be half wrong…but in this case, I really wanted to be there.

I have ALWAYS dug libraries. Few countries have made public education or FREE access to information so handy. We should be really proud of our country for this part of our history. But…like food programs (who also have a history of giving things away for free), the times are changing for our bookish brothers and sisters.

Now, Public Libraries have to fight for funding. Voters often view them (as they do nonprofits) as part of the “extras” that, if the choice comes down to cops on the beat, they can do without. Libraries (and many nonprofits) are now doing “Return on Investment” formulas to prove their worth. They are tracking how many folks come their to access computers to look for work, gain new skills, or, in the case of that spunky school girl who sat next to the First Lady at President Obama’s first speech before the House, use them to write letters that say “we aren’t quitters!!” Neither are the librarians!!!

But they are up against it right now. West Virginia is one of only a handful of states that have yet to post a deficit (coal), so their library system isn’t as up against the wall of others, but the big questions about the future of libraries is just a relevant to them as it is anywhere else in America. Will the public fund them? Will they continue to come through their doors and the information age progresses? If they build a new one with countless cool bells and whistles—will they come? I URGE YOU to think about this. Be part of the discussion in your town.

When I started the Kitchen—I didn’t know how to start a nonprofit. I went to the library to learn how!!!! I owe them. So do you.

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I’m just back from a great (albeit short) speaking gig over in Birmingham, England, at Voice 09, a stellar event sponsored by the UK’s Social Enterprise Coalition.

This was my second speaking gig in the UK, the previous being at the first Social Enterprise World Forum, held last year in Edinburgh. And like that previous journey, I was once again blown away by what I learned. I was equally thrilled to be in the musical city of Birmingham, home of Sabbath, Judas Priest, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, UB40, Steel Pulse and Duran Duran (for those of you who, like me, are hungry like the wolf).

And I am hungry–for new ideas, bold thinking, real leadership and the fellowship of those who are trying to pull all three together.

I tell you….if I was younger, I would SO venture outside of the US right now, to see what’s going on in so many other countries, where people are not so limited in their thinking, or so incumbered by the traditions of charity. For so many others, outside of the US, experiments like social enterprise, micro-credit and nonprofit political engagement–well, it’s not academic, or “wouldn’t it be nice” stuff….for many it’s economic (or literal) life and death.

That’s why it so funny to read op-eds from some of the old guard in the US who are bucking at the notion of social enterprise (yes, they find it that threatening). They purposely try to make it out as boutique projects of starry eyed young dreamers. They suggest that the President is being “fooled” into thinking social enterprise can address big social issues. Like tired old generals asking for more money for just one more surge, they just can’t let go of their historic, but unproductive strategies. Well, the doorways that they are opening in the UK must be paid attention to.

For example–the government over there views the economic opportunity of social enterprise as so ripe with potential that they are investing heavily in its future, with the hope that it will produce upwards of 10% of their GNP in the next decade. THAT’S vision. In fact, the Mayor of Birmingham greeted the attendees with the pledge that his city would be the most progressive social enterprise city in the UK. When was the last time you heard of a US Mayor talk to nonprofit/NGO’s with that kind of enthusiasm and vigor?!?! You will.

They also have a new Minster for the Third Sector…which is an idea I hope to have considered here in the states, although I was really taken with the fellow who challenged the group to realize how lame it is to be considered “third anything”!!! Language does matter. In fact, a few suggested that while they dug having a full time Minister dedicated to developing the broader nonprofit sector, they worried that they were still viewed as “lesser thans” in an economic environment in which they are providing not just profit, but profit plus. Watch that change.

If you are interested in learing more, then join a growing army of bold doers at the April gathering of the US version, the Social Enterprise Alliance, which will convene the annual meeting of US based social entrepreneurs down in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Internationally, more and more doers from all points north, south, east and west are pulling together funds to make it to Melbourne, and the next gathering of the World Forum. If you are serious–so are they. Really—this is the spot to be!!!

And if you want to learn more about what’s going on in the UK, then sign up for Livewire, a daily e-newsletter from the truly fine folks at Social Enterprise Magazine.

But hear me, please–Social E is not THE answer. The old wags are 1/2 right. It’s NOT about taking the models to scale (although that’s cool). It’s not about having a new federal office in DC (although that would be cooler still). Social E does one thing important—it opens the door to a bold new strategy. It points to the advent of the consumer driven economy, and the demise of the consumption driven version that is tanking all around us. It’s about making your philanthropy the way you spend your money everyday. It’s about incentivizing corporate behaviors, so that we don’t have to legislate wage or social responsibility. It’s about the “buycott.” It’s Capitalism 2.0

It’s the future.

Stay tuned for more.

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I have spent a lot of time in a lot of states and cities, and for some reason, I have been rolling south to southern Florida a lot in the past few months. This time I wheeled into West Palm Beach, where I spent quite a bit of time during my golden youth, visiting my grandparents.

 This time, I was invited to speak to the local chapter of the Fundraising Professionals, but (as always) I put my skirt out there with an offer to work it for anybody who asked. Four did….so I spoke at an “Empty Bowls” dinner for the Palm Beach Coalition for the Homeless, met with nonprofit colleagues at the Lord’s Table to talk about ground floor work, as well as two friends who wanted to follow up on previous dialogues about purpose and politics.

 Long story short—we rocked it. But the best part was the unexpected joy of meeting Chef Nick and the men and women enrolled in the Café Joshua training program. They built their program on the DCCK model (which is always an honor) and like us, they are boldly challenging the stereotypes of both nonprofits AND the folks we serve. Nick’s a righteous dude…check it out.

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On January 4, 1965, during his State of the Union Address, Lyndon Johnson outlined his vision for the Great Society, which included a declaration of “war on poverty”.

On the 44th anniversary of that auspicious act, I spoke with close to 1,000 college students, instructors and nonprofit colleagues at the annual American Humanics conference in Indianapolis.

Talk about a solid way to usher in a bold new year…and talk about a wildly motivated cohort of future leaders. I tell you what, I’ve spoken all over the country, and flat out— this upcoming generation is our salvation. They are wholeheartedly into the “what’s next” debate and I aim to help them find their voice. I love my generation, and I will continue to try to be part of the dialogue that helps them loosen their grip on the sector, so that this new generation (who have more of an economic stake in the race than we do) can begin to try new ideas, new tactics and…at times, entirely new economic and political approaches to solving really tough social issues that charity alone cannot even dent.

And that’s what 2009 is going to be about for me, the Kitchen and the V3 Campaign. It’s not going to be an easy road. Too many feel that the heavy political lifting is done, now that we have a new President (the first to get their first job at a nonprofit). We know that the real work of taking it down to the smallest community in America has just begun. Join us…and I’ll see you on the road.

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Tuskegee Institute

Birmingham

I just got back from my second trip down to Alabama in less than two weeks. Don’t ask me how that got scheduled, but I was in Auburn (and Tuskegee) last week, and then I rolled into
Birmingham this week. I’ve learned a ton in my visits to the south over the past few years, and I’ve grown quite respectful of the rich heritage of the south, and I have come to admire their efforts to build a shared vision for the future. Many of these cities have a rough road ahead—too many main streets are boarded up, too many of their youth are leaving and too few jobs are available for those who stay. This won’t be easy—but we have a shot at doing something really powerful if we open our eyes to the resources we have and step boldly into the future, together. THAT’S the message I took with me. It’s about a new economy, a new use of existing resources and a new role for nonprofits. They dug it (really). I hope you will also.

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