As an experienced philanthropist, John Hailer has over a decade of experience with charitable giving initiatives. During his time in leadership at Natixis, John Hailer headed the charitable arm of the company. Now, as Chairman of Diffractive Managers Group and President of 1251 Asset Management, based in Boston, MA, John Hailer is sharing the charitable giving philosophy that was such a success at Natixis.
In a world that is desperate for more impactful charitable programs, there’s a new interest in metrics that aren’t solely based on financial metrics. ESG, short for ecological, social, and global, is the new buzzword in non-profits. It’s a way of looking at the impact that isn’t money-centric; instead, it’s focused on how much impact a charity can really make on the community it strives to serve. John Hailer has plenty to say about how to make the most positive impact.
Laser Focus
Hailer says that the first step is to have a laser focus on your organization’s goals. After immersing himself in consultations with everyone from company executives to departmental employees, he learned the importance of pinpointing the exact areas where help should be directed. In the case of Natixis, those areas were the same places where the company was already doing business. “Take a corporate approach,” says Hailer. “Don’t spread your energies too thin. Realize that smaller, focused efforts will often yield the most impressive results.”
Determine What Success Looks Like
For the benefit of all stakeholders, Hailer says that it’s important to determine ahead of time what success looks like. Goals need to be specific and measurable, just like in the corporate space. This approach not only helps to motivate workers, but it can help to drive fundraising. The public loves to support charities and to feel like they are making a real difference. When you publicize charitable and fundraising goals, it allows the public and workers to step up and know that they’re making a real difference. Every participant can feel like the charitable initiative needs their help to succeed. “At Natixis, we focused on engagement and saw a huge increase in participation among our employees. Making our goals transparent helped to make the entire project real to our workers,” explains Hailer.
Lean Into Skills-Based Volunteering
“What companies can do to make real changes in the world,” says Hailer, “is to pay attention to matching goals with skills. It’s true expertise that can help charitable organizations to operate more efficiently and achieve what they set out to do.” Skills-based volunteering is a concept where charitable organizations work to attract experts who have the set of skills that the charity needs. While every volunteer has a value in manpower, those with a certain skillset can really impact how quickly and efficiently an organization can meet its goals, just like in the corporate world.
For over ten years, John Hailer used these same philosophies to lead the charitable arm of Natixis. He believes that all charitable organizations can benefit from a corporate-minded approach to operations. Says Hailer, “With these methodologies, we were able to discard silo-mentality and build a cohesive culture that made true progress.”
