Some of the best things in life come from creative partnerships.
Marriage. Music collaborations. Doritos Locos tacos.
Partnerships are great. They allow us to do more and be more than we otherwise might on our own.
That’s in large part why DonorsTrust (and Novus Society) exists. It started with one donor who had a passion for liberty and wanted his charitable legacy to tell the story of that passion. But as is true with us all, he wasn’t going to be around forever, so two amazing ladies decided to help him out. With that, DonorsTrust was born, creating the perfect charitable partner for donors who believe in economic freedom and the power of entrepreneurship.
Novus was created to be the same type of partner, but for younger givers (under 40), whose priorities and concerns are different than more established philanthropists.
We help young givers think through their charitable goals in a thoughtful and intentional way and give them the tools and advice to carry out their strategic plans.
But it goes beyond that. When someone joins Novus Society, they aren’t just getting us as a partner, they are getting a wider community of kindred minds with which to collaborate and grow. Minds that share their ideals and passions.
Partnership isn’t only important to us merely because it’s how we actually operate. It’s an important aspect of our principles too. Novus Society members are young, driven professionals who care about innovation and creative destruction and who embody the entrepreneurial spirit of America.
But partnership isn’t always easy. Government overreach threatens entrepreneurism and collaboration across the country. From invasive regulations to nit-picky and confusing tax laws, the principles that Novus members care about and thrive from are always being challenged.
Part of what we do at Novus is showcase nonprofit organizations working to uplift values such as free enterprise, personal responsibility, and limited government so that our young donors become familiar with this philanthropic landscape and can decide where their charitable dollars ought to go.
In some cases we even partner with these organizations to bring their policy solutions and ideas to collaborate directly with our young donors. Currently we partner with Teneo Network, America’s Future Foundation, and Lincoln Network; all groups that work with young professionals.
Expertise
We love to put on events and write about different areas that intersect with philanthropy, but we aren’t experts in everything. I know, who would have thought! So we like to look to our partners for the knowledge they can bring to the table to help us create the dynamic and timely content that we share whether it be asking a partner to guest speak at a luncheon or write up an op-ed. Did something big happen in the tech world? We reach out to Lincoln to get their perspective. Do we want to know what’s going on in the policy would in Tennessee? We reach out to the AFF chapter in Nashville.
Perspective
Similar to their expertise, we look to our partners for their wisdom. When we host events, conference calls, or want to enhance the program, we seek input from our partners for best practices and lessons learned. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel and by utilizing the experiential knowledge of our partners we ensure a constant flow of creative and fun events not only for Novus programs, but for our partners as well.
Community
Be adding partners we expand our network of potential Novus members who would benefit from collaborating with us and enhancing their charitable giving. Those groups get the same back from us. They can then share their projects and ideas with existing Novus Society members. The sharing of ideas, perspectives, and experiences is what makes the community of Novus robust. While Novus members differ in the causes that are closest to their hearts and the diverse applications for our principles, those principles are what unite us all.
This year we’re hoping to add even more partners to our roster to grow the Novus community and engage with more young philanthropists across the country. It’s because of them that we can keep making Novus the attractive place that it is.
Frankly, the partners that mean the most are our Novus Society members themselves. This partnership isn’t one sided. By joining Novus, they get us, a team of advisors and liberty-lovers for sure, but we also benefit in return. Our members are what make Novus the vibrant and thoughtful community that it is. We gain access to some truly impressive young professionals – with big hearts and innovative and dynamic minds.
Seeing all of the amazing things they achieve with their giving to make the world a freer and more prosperous place is something to truly marvel over.
As a special note: this year we are interested in growing our partner network. If you and your organization is interested in partnering with us, please contact me, Lydia Pitea at lpitea@donorstrust.org.
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