Q+A with Social Investment Manager Michael Smith

Why did the Case Foundation decide to launch the Make It Your Own Awards^TM?
Last year, there were a series of reports that painted a rather disturbing picture of the state of civic involvement in our country -- people were more socially isolated; people felt disconnected, disenfranchised, and powerless to change things; volunteering rates were faltering. All this while billions of dollars were being invested in volunteering and civic engagement programs, and with more nonprofits out there doing good work than ever before.

This left us wondering just what it would take to inspire more, and more effective, civic engagement. Cynthia Gibson addressed this question in a paper we released last year, Citizens at the Center: A New Approach to Civic Engagement. And the answer was simple. We need to shift the way institutions and citizens interact -- from asking folks to plug in or participate occasionally to being meaningful partners in developing a vision for a community, finding solutions, and taking action together. This approach, which we labeled citizen-centered, combines the best of dialogue and deliberation programs with the best in transformative volunteer programs. Talk and action working hand-in-hand.

We started the Make It Your Own initiative to find more examples of programs like these that are already working. And, hopefully, to inspire people and institutions to think about making subtle, yet powerful, changes to make their communities more citizen-centered. Our vision was that by the end of the process, we would discover thousands of stories of people from all backgrounds committed to getting their hands dirty and actually making change happen.

How does the progress of the program so far compare to your initial expectations?
At this early stage, we couldn't be more pleased. Thousands of people -- several thousand more than anticipated -- applied for this small pilot grants program. People from all across the country have stood up and said, "Yes! This is what I want. I don't want to be alone or disconnected. I want to be a part of my community. I want lasting solutions and ongoing change."

We have also received tremendous positive feedback from service and civic organizations that now understand there are small ways to change the way they do business to be more citizen-centered and inclusive. The proof, however, will be in the pudding -- in the actual grant recipients and their stories, and in the institutions and communities that are changed.

What inspired you most when reading about the community projects described in the grant applications?
I must admit I am a staunch idealist. Stories of people uniting without prodding -- to right a wrong, build a shelter, nurture a child -- give me goose bumps and faith in humanity. So as you can imagine, reading these applications was a great joy. Regardless of whether someone understood the finer points of citizen-centered engagement, which many did not, almost all of what I read portrayed people in communities who saw a problem and didn't wait for an organization, government, or the church to solve it. It's old-fashioned neighbor-helping-neighbor America. It's innovation, compassion, and sweat equity, the get-it-done mentality that no foundation can ever match.

Was it hard to narrow down all the applications to 100?
It wasn't easy selecting only 100 of 4,641 applications, but we built a system that made it as easy as possible. It was very important to us to practice what we preached and follow the citizen-centered approach, so we involved real people every step of the way. Foundation staff took a back seat, and we hired 92 external community reviewers to read and score applications. The reviewers were as wonderfully diverse as the applicants -- from every region of the country, and of a variety of races, religions, ages, and professions. Each application was scored blindly by up to three reviewers through a Web-based grant review system that automatically calculated an average score and produced a clear, ranked list.

What are the main reasons people didn't advance?
Are you trying to get me in trouble? Knowing that we couldn't provide comments on all the applications we received, my colleague Cindy Gibson wrote a piece now available on our website about general strengths and weaknesses of the applications. It's wonderfully comprehensive piece.

From my point of view, one of the hardest issues for applicants to grasp was that citizen-centered approaches must involve the community in developing the vision. Many described projects developed by one person or a small group of people seeking funding to help convince others to join their cause. In a citizen-centered approach, you must be willing to ask, "Is this what the community wants?"

Why do you think the citizen-centered approach is so important?
The citizen-centered approach is not new. It actually has roots in town hall meetings and community action groups, for example. The difference is that we outlined tenets that clearly define what makes this type of approach successful. What works is making room at the table for people from all backgrounds and beliefs, focusing on long-term culture change. The need for this approach is important now because it will help reverse a trend of people isolating themselves, working on sporadic projects that may be significant but not transformative, and because it demands that people, government, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations all work together, using their collective strength to attack issues.

Do you think a citizen-centered approach erases the need for experts or more established approaches?
Some of the most powerful movements in our country began without experts but with neighbors in a living room or church basement agreeing they'd had enough or needed more of something. And before you knew it, history was being made and lives were changed. But citizen-centered approaches don't necessarily eliminate the need for experts. If a group of citizens decide to establish a community garden, a gardener certainly may be helpful. If 500 neighbors want to create a plan for the future, an expert facilitator can assist. Citizen-centered approaches simply put people in the role of decision maker and acknowledge institutions and experts as partners in change rather than directors of change.

What do you hope the Make It Your Own Awards will help accomplish in the funding community?
We hope this initiative encourages other funders, or social investors, to seek and support citizen-centered projects and to explore ways to involve the public in the grant-making process. There are great lessons to be learned from grassroots funders and community foundations, which confirm that when citizens are given a role in directing philanthropic dollars, participation and ownership increase. Rather than sitting on the sidelines as a consumer or detached beneficiary, they find new solutions. Innovations are brought to the table, and more people feel the powerful, contagious joy of giving. The philanthropic community often becomes disconnected, as opposed to being the partner innovators and champions I believe we all desire to be. Giving the public a role in the grant-making process keeps us real and makes our work stronger.

What advice would you give someone looking to organize a citizen-centered project?
First, I would ask if they are willing to let go of their personal desires and expectations. Are they willing to let their community, their neighbors -- even those they disagree with -- collectively agree upon a vision, solutions, and action steps. A great article on our website -- "6 Steps to Make It Your Own," by the Study Circles Resource Center -- can be very helpful to those ready to take the next step. From making a plan to building a team, holding public meetings, and taking action, the article walks you through how to make every voice count and achieve lasting change in your community.

What other kinds of support is the Foundation offering to semifinalists and finalists?
All of the Top 20 will be Case Foundation grantees. And any grantee of the Foundation becomes part of our family. We become tireless partners in their success. Each grantee will have access to a Social Investment Manager -- a diehard champion, coach, and cheerleader -- to serve as a conduit for additional resources and information. Grantees will also meet for a series of capacity-building workshops to hear success stories and acquire the tools needed to help them succeed. Additionally, everyone in the Top 100 will be paired with a proposal coach, a citizen-centered practitioner who can assist an applicant in strengthening their proposal, budget, and other plans to shine for the Case Foundation, as well as for other funders.

How can people continue to be involved in the program?
As I noted earlier, this program was designed to involve people every step of the way. The Top 100 applications are now open for review, and each applicant has a webpage where you can read their application and project diary, view photos and videos, and provide comments. You can also add their "widget" -- an innovative online fundraising tool that we are providing to all applicants -- to your own Facebook, MySpace page, blog, or other online profile.

We encourage everyone to return to the website on March 25, 2008, when the Top 20 $10,000 grant recipients are announced. You'll be able to vote on which project should advance to the Final Four for an additional $25,000. There are also a host of resources on our website where you can read profiles and stories, learn how to "make it your own" in your community, and explore the incredible ways people are gaining support and raising funds online for community projects.

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Michael leads the Case Foundation's efforts to tap "citizen-centered" approaches to civic engagement, including its new thought leadership series and grant program, Make It Your Own, which seeks to inspire people to connect with others, form solutions, and take action in their communities. The program involves the public in nearly every aspect of decision making and design and uses the latest Web 2.0 tools to empower applicants to raise funds and supporters.