Letter from the GMN Board Co-Chairs:

GMN’s members are its most valuable assets. The facilitation of peer learning and interaction is one of the most important services GMN provides to its members.  Whether a member is new to the grants management field or a seasoned veteran, GMN and its members stand ready to provide answers, suggestions, and support.

That’s why the National Conference is such a valuable experience—not only does it provide an opportunity for members to learn about the discipline from leaders in GMN and the philanthropic sector, it also presents a rare opportunity for members to get valuable face time with peers from around the country.

One of the highlights of this year’s conference is plenary speaker Joel Fleishman, Professor of Law and Public Policy at Duke University and author of The Foundation: A Great American Secret - How Private Money is Changing the World.  Joel is an endearing soul with a wealth of knowledge, experience and wisdom.  We look forward to hearing him articulate his vision of the philanthropic community, a vision that is being realized in many corners of the sector.

Speaking of vision, we recently discovered a social community that has piqued our interest and may be a valuable resource to you as well.  It’s called Second Life (www.secondlife.com).  Second Life is a 3-D virtual world where users can meet, collaborate and create virtually anything…virtually.  Increasingly, Second Life is being explored and utilized by foundations and nonprofits.

Several foundations have set up shop in Second Life and, just this month, the Grants Managers Network established a virtual office in a “place” called the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life.  In fact, we’re planning to rebroadcast Joel’s speech at the conference into Second Life. We will also have a kiosk set up for conference participants to experience this medium firsthand.  In the interim, check out the following wiki about the Nonprofit Commons (http://secondlife.techsoup.org/about) or read a recent interview Kyle gave about the emergence of nonprofits in virtual worlds  (http://www.nonprofitcommons.org/node/190).  And, if you already have an “avatar” in Second Life and want to help with the development of GMN’s office, please contact Kyle directly.

We encourage you to participate in this year’s conference and to share your favorite resources with us.  By learning and sharing, we can collectively help each other excel in our grants management roles and at the same time advance our careers.

Best Regards,
Kyle Reis
Karin Bishop