​​Short Story for Background and Context
​​TRC Co-Project Roundtable Part Two   
​​ 
​​ 
​
​Main Menu: ​+Home​ | ​+Intros​ | ​+Calls​ | ​+Story​ | ​+Criteria​ | ​+Funding​ | ​+What Else?​ | ​+HeArtspace​
​​ 
​
​Story Menu: ​+Main​ | ​+Short Story​ | ​+Leslie's Story​ | ​+Michelle's Story​ | ​+Your Stories​

​
​ 

​
​Below is a "half-pager" briefly describing the basic co-project story thus far, followed by a set of links to more detailed information.
​​ 
​​This co-project process is intended to prototype a new paradigm for philanthropy, in which conventional barriers between funders and fundees, and the power structures those barriers represent, are broken down. In their place, we offer an invitation to take ownership in the well-being of the whole, or as Otto Scharmer puts it, to shift from Ego to Eco.
​​ 
​​The process was initiated by two interconnected groups: the Thriving Resilient Communities Funding Circle (TRCF) and the Thriving Resilient Communities Collaboratory (TRCC), both founded by Leslie Meehan in 2011. It stems from an ongoing inquiry that has highlighted Money (surprise!) as a crucial leverage point for transformational action, i.e. how much is flowing, where it is flowing to, how the decisions are made about it, and how we "hold it" energetically. 
​​ 
​​In September 2014, the TRCF offered $50,000 for a collaborative multi-partner “co-project” (a project involving collaboration between at least three organizations), to be funded in March 2015. They also invited the TRCC to convene a process in which potential grant recipients, along with individual activists and funders, would collectively develop and choose among a set of proposals that might be funded by this grant, and also by additional money that would be sought to supplement it. 
​​ 
​​The co-project process began with a virtual "Roundtable" (Part 1) in mid-October. This produced ten proposal "Seeds," and an additional $5000 for the co-project "funding pool."  Four of these Seeds were then "sprouted" (i.e. selected to receive RFPs for the $50,000 grant) at an in-person gathering in the SF Bay Area from November 8-10. This gathering included a training on dismantling racism and white privilege, and an examination of the ways in which those might show up within the TRCC space and in this co-project process. Also at that gathering, a conversation was initiated about what criteria might be used to select among the various Sprouts, and the idea was put forth to form a deliberative Council to make the final funding decision. 
​​ 
​​At this point, we believe it may be possible for the entire "Co-Project Garden" to be nurtured as a synergistic whole, with new resources flowing in and additional collaborative opportunities emerging. The TRCC might then evolve an ongoing capacity as "permaculture gardener," helping to seed, sprout, plant and harvest vital work in the movement to shift from "business as usual" to a new model/story/economy based on thriving and resilient communities.
​​ 
​​The work from now through February involves the following: 
  • ​​Developing specific proposals for each of the "Sprouts" 
  • ​​Forming the "Co-Project Council," which will then deliberate to make the funding decision(s)
  • ​​Engaging additional funders to potentially allow us to nurture more (and perhaps even all ten!) of the initial co-project Seeds. 
​​ 
​​From December-January, we will be operating on several tracks in parallel: 
  • ​​This Roundtable (Part 2) will be used to hone a set of criteria that the Council will consider in making its funding decision(s), and also as a way to support the process of engaging with additional funders.
  • ​​Sprout "teams" will develop their proposals, which are due into the TRCF by January 9th.
  • ​​The TRCC "carrier circle" will recruit Council members, making sure that they represent diverse constituencies and are acceptable to all four Sprout teams. 
  • ​​The TRCC may offer support to the Sprout teams, in the form of "heartspace," "resonance mapping," and/or virtually convening peer counseling sessions.
  • ​​The Co-Project Council will initially convene virtually, working from the harvest of the criteria conversation in this Roundtable to finalize the set they will use for their deliberations. 
​​ 
​​ 
​​Note: if you are reading this as part of your Criteria Brainstorming process, here is the link back to ​+Criteria Main Pad: Background and Context​
​​ 

​
​More Background and Context

​
​Stories
​​ 
​
​Key Links
​​ 
​
​About the TRCF (Thriving Resilient Communities Funding Circle)
  • ​​The TRCF is part of Threshold, "a progressive foundation and a community of individuals united through wealth, who mobilize money, people and power to create a more just, joyful and sustainable world."
  • ​​ 
​
​About the TRCC (Thriving Resilient Communities Collaboratory)
  • ​​"Identity Statement" (adopted by the TRCC Circle in Spring 2013):
  • ​​The TRCC connects the growing community resilience movement to more of itself in support of large-scale social transformation towards a just and thriving society.  We are a learning community of practice that hosts deep dialogues and gatherings, seeds and incubates collaborative projects and fosters synergy among leaders. 
  • ​​The TRCC is made up of a set of concentric circles, as follows:
  • ​​The TRCC "stewards" (executive body), currently Leslie Meehan, Ben Roberts, and Marissa Mommaerts. Feel free to email Ben or look for him on Skype at benjamin_j_roberts. 
  • ​​The TRCC "Carrier Circle" (holders of final decision-making authority) currently includes the stewards and Gretchen Krampf (New Stories) Magenta Imagination Healer (Evolver Network), Mateo Nube (Movement Generation), Carolyne Stayton (Transition US), Corrine Van Hook (Bay Localize), and Ken White (Post Carbon Institute).
  • ​​The TRCC "Circle" more broadly refers to a series of regular gatherings (usually virtual) to discuss TRCC business, generally open to all who have participated in TRCC activities over the past year or so, plus selected additional invitees.
  • ​​The TRCC "Community" refers to the broader set of individuals and organizations that have gathered through its work. 
  • ​​Basic TRCC budget information
  • ​​To date, this initiative has been funded almost entirely by the TRCF, with total grants of $90,500 over three years. The next TRCF grants will be made in September 2015, and it is expected that at least some additional funding will be forthcoming, although the amounts are uncertain. Given the large commitment being made to the co-project grant, as well as competing opportunities from other Threshold funding circles, the amount may well be lower than previous years.
  • ​​As of December 1 2014, The TRCC has approximately $25,000 in cash, with plans to spend about $16,000 through February, largely in support of this co-project process, including an in-person gathering. That gathering might also generate a small amount of revenue, leaving a projected net balance of ~$11,000 by March 1.
  • ​​The TRCC's overhead consists primarily of a $1500 semi-annual stipend for two out of the three stewards (currently Ben and Marissa), for a total of $6000/year.  As she is a TRCF member, Leslie cannot receive any compensation from her TRCC activities. Almost all of the TRCC's spending beyond that is for offerings to the TRCC community, such as convening this co-project process and other virtual and in-person gatherings, and funding small "co-labs" (collaborative projects).
  • ​​As both a steward and a provider of hosting/facilitation services (including the lead role in producing this Roundtable), Ben Roberts has been the recipient of a larger portion of TRCC spending during 2014 than any other individual or organization, with total compensation of $8980 ($730 of which was for reimbursement of travel expenses).

​
​ 

​
​Questions or Feedback?  ​+Please post them to this pad​
​​ 
​​