Managing A Grant Cycle

YOUR ROLE AS TEACHER AND FACILITATOR

As a teacher, the greatest challenge you will face will be finding an appropriate level of involvement in the decision-making process. How will you express your opinions about various proposals? To what extent will you allow the group to learn from its failures or, conversely, assist them in navigating past particular challenges? These are key questions for which there are no definitive answers, though certain issues should be decided before the foundation begins its business.

You should determine as an institution whether there will be limits placed on the directions that the foundation can go. If boundaries are to be placed on students' decision-making powers, they should be disclosed to the Board in advance of any business (e.g. Are you only going to fund Jewish organizations? Are you not going to fund political causes?). Annulment of student decisions once the Board has begun its work undermines the very nature of the process and will alienate students from the seriousness of the undertaking. It may also violate the legal framework of your 501(c)(3) status.

Clarify for students what role you will play and be sure that they understand that it is different from that which you play normally as teacher. You will act as facilitator, teaching them skills, offering guidance, and helping to direct the flow of their decision-making process, but not imposing your vision on the outcomes of the work of the foundation.

BOARD MEETINGS

You should make every effort to differentiate Board Meetings from regular class sessions. This distinction can be accomplished in a number of different ways. The classroom can be set up to resemble a board room or the students can actually meet in the school's or synagogue's board room. You can suggest or impose a dress code (though this may cause more trouble than it's worth). It's certainly a good idea for you as the teacher to dress more formally for Board Meetings to suggest a change of tone. With older students, you may want to spend some time introducing the principles of parliamentary procedure and choose to run your meetings accordingly. Any or all of these things will reinforce the seriousness of the project the students are undertaking.

Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

<< Previous chapter | Next page >>