On Wednesday, September 4, 2013, ConnectVA will host Innovation in the Business of Philanthropy in collaboration with GiveRichmond/GiveSouthsideVA, Work it, Richmond, and i.e.*

Special thanks to event sponsor, PlanG.

Register now – space is limited but still available!

The evening will feature a dynamic panel of representatives from local giving platforms. We’ve highlighted panelists Joe Domino, Project Innovation Partner at RVA Card, Melina Davis-Martin, Co-Founder of PlanG, and Brian Marks, founder of Bonfire Funds. Now we focus on Kim Russell, who as VP of Communications at The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia (TCF), is a key member of the GiveRichmond/GiveSouthsideVA team.

“If we understand what inspires people, what moves them to action and how they feel about their place in our community, we will discover new ways to serve or partner with them better.”

– Kim Russell, GiveRichmond/GiveSouthsideVA

3 people should know about GiveRichmond/GiveSouthsideVA or TCF

• The Community Foundation seeks to promote philanthropy in all of its forms, especially for the benefit of Richmond and Central Virginia.
• In partnership with several other funders, TCF launched GiveRichmond (and its affiliated sites) in 2010 as a way to share important community knowledge with the public at large. Now featuring more than 550 local nonprofit portraits, GiveRichmond provides the transparency donors need to make the kinds of decisions that turn a simple act of giving into a wise investment.
• We are pumped to kick off the 3rd Annual Amazing Raise ? the region?s 36-hour online giving challenge ? in just two weeks. Last year, the event generated 15,000 individual donations and $1.2 million for local nonprofits. What if we could double it this year, providing our community with the resources to be greater than it already is? Does that motivate you to engage at least one more person?

How do you keep yourself or your organization thinking creatively?

The board and staff of The Community Foundation make it a top priority to listen to the many people we meet everyday ? donors, volunteers, nonprofit leaders, other funders and more. If we understand what inspires them, what moves them to action and how they feel about their place in our community, we will discover new ways to serve or partner with them better.

How does your organization empower individuals, advance organizations and strengthen community?

We know that many local residents want to engage, but they don?t always know how. GiveRichmond/GiveSouthsideVA is a website that allows them to match their interests with local organizations, and to seek deeper information (related to leadership, programs and financial stability) about those organizations. With information comes the confidence to make decisions about how to engage, either through charitable giving or volunteer opportunities.

Hear more from Kim, the other panelists, featured speaker Paul Nolde with Virginia Community Capital and other innovators and entreprenuers at Innovation in the Business of Philanthropy! Register here.