First Fridays ARE…
Building upon the successful programs of the St. Louis MHB and other regional philanthropic leaders, PhilMO Members are piloting a multi-funder First Friday program in 2024.
First Fridays are free, confidential opportunities for staff members from community organizations to meet with two funder representatives outside of a formal grantmaking process for a 45-minute technical assistance meeting.
The conversation is intended to build the capacity of the community organization and support their successful navigation of the regional philanthropic sector. A First Friday meeting is space to discuss questions confidentially and receive assistance on topics including:
✅ Program logic models (with evaluation plans)
✅ Assessment tools and data collection
✅ Community resources (including access/connections)
✅ Program enhancements/ideation
✅ Community trends and opportunities
✅ Program implementation barriers/challenges
✅ Application writing/evaluation (generally)
First Fridays are NOT…
⛔ Mandatory or required by any regional funder
⛔ Compliance-related or formal training (this conversation doesn't replace the need for long-term, in-depth support)
⛔ An opportunity to seek specific funding or request increased funding
(direct such queries as each individual funder advises in their application and/or on their website)
Consider First Friday conversations as a friendly, informal chance to talk through an idea or problem. Before/after consultations, community-based organizations and funders will enjoy optional networking time over light refreshments. Water, coffee, and snacks will be provided; participants are encouraged to bring a reusable mug or water bottle. Dress for the rest of your day (casual or business casual are just fine).
WHEN & WHERE?
Friday, June 7, 2024 | 9:00AM - Noon | Delmar DivINe
July – not held due to holiday/conflicts
Friday, August 2, 2024 | 9:00AM - Noon | Delmar DivINe
Friday, September 6, 2024 | 9:00AM - Noon | Delmar DivINe
October – not held due to holiday/conflicts
Friday, November 1, 2024 | 9:00AM - Noon | Delmar DivINe
Friday, December 6, 2024 → 9:00AM - Noon | Delmar DivINe
WHO & HOW?
Community-Based Partners/Nonprofits
Any community-based organization staff member with a question or desired area of learning may sign up. You do not need to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or have a current grant. You must register and, in registration, specify your question or discussion topic. Please note these conversations aren’t an on-ramp for funding or an opportunity to ask about a specific grant program (contact that funder directly as described in their application materials). This is not free ongoing consulting but rather is a friendly, informal chance to talk through an idea or problem.
There is no fee to participate; registration is required. You will sign up for a specific 45-minute time slot when registering. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to that time – and you are welcome to come earlier and stay afterward for networking with other community-based organizations/nonprofits as well as funders who are on break. Water, coffee, and light snacks will be provided; you are encouraged to bring a reusable mug or water bottle.
Nonprofits/Community-Based Organizations: Pre-Registration is required & will open by November 22, 2024
Funders/Grantmakers
Any interested staff member involved in Metro St. Louis grantmaking work is welcome to volunteer as a co-advisor. PhilMO will assign you a partner (preferably someone from another grantmaking organization to diversify the expertise of your duo). You will hold 45-minute sessions with a 15 minute break between. Water, coffee, and light snacks will be provided; you are encouraged to bring a reusable mug or water bottle.
Funder volunteers are encouraged to sign up for the full morning. For first time co-advisors, plan to arrive by 8:30AM to review process, find your meeting space, etc. As we build the base of volunteers, we do welcome registration for part of the morning – the more funders we have volunteering, the more nonprofits/community-based organizations can get assistance!
Grantmakers who want to volunteer as well as nonprofit staff who have questions must register their participation. Slots for nonprofits are limited by the number of volunteering grantmakers.
Funders: Registration will open on November 12, 2024 to serve as a volunteer funder-advisor
FEEDBACK & QUESTIONS?
PhilMO centers a culture of learning – especially for pilot projects! We hope First Fridays will help demystify the philanthropic sector… and your feedback will help us understand how we’re doing, where to improve, etc. All registrants will be asked to complete a short survey following their experience. You may also direct questions and/or share feedback directly with the PhilMO team by emailing info (at) philmo.org. We appreciate your help understanding your experience and how we might strengthen the experience both funder-advisors and nonprofit/community-based organization participants.