The Catalytic Philanthropy Podcast

Entrepreneurial Philanthropy: Expanding Childcare by Nurturing New Childcare Businesses - Part 1

Lean foundations make bets on new, creative ideas for addressing social and environmental challenges. Learn how a foundation with one staff person helped tackle the childcare scarcity in Connecticut, by helping build a new incubator model to help women start and grow family childcare businesses. In this two-part Podcast, Kimberley Russo of the Fund for Greater Hartford shares, step-by-step, how the foundation uses its powers to convene, advocate, collaborate, and champion, to help catalyze a new vision and model for solving a critical issue, while building economic opportunity for women.

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Entrepreneurial Philanthropy: Expanding Childcare by Nurturing New Childcare Businesses - Part 2

Lean foundations make bets on new, creative ideas for addressing social and environmental challenges. Learn how a foundation with one staff person helped tackle the childcare scarcity in Connecticut, by helping build a new incubator model to help women start and grow family childcare businesses. In the 2^nd part of her Podcast, Kimberley Russo of the Fund for Greater Hartford shares, step-by-step, how the foundation uses its powers to convene, advocate, collaborate, and champion, to help catalyze a new vision and model for solving a critical issue, while building economic opportunity for women.  

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Breaking Down Walls Between Foundation and Community: How Transformation Begins

No matter their mission, culture, or focus, every foundation's first steps toward Catalytic Leadership follow a similar path. A foundation staff person, trustee, donor, or family member ventures into the community to listen, get to know people, and become immersed in an issue. Immersing oneself and getting close to people with knowledge reveals opportunities to use grants and the foundation's other resources in targeted, powerful ways. In this Podcast, we explore these early stages in funders' evolution from grantmaker to changemaker through the lens of funders' experience in Exponent Philanthropy's Intro to Catalytic Leadership Program. The program provides skills training in deep listening and asking powerful questions and then guides participants as they venture into their communities to do listening interviews across the landscape. The experiences of Fayth and Jennifer offer an insider's look at how listening leads to transformation. 

Podcast Guest Bios

A program officer at the Hau'oli Mau Loa Foundation, Fayth Paekukui leverages over 12 years of expertise in program management, philanthropy, and development. Fayth is dedicated to fostering impactful initiatives and enhancing opportunities for underserved communities. She balances her professional pursuits with family time, travel, and a deep love for her four beloved dogs. 

A registered nurse by training, Jennifer Barborak serves as Executive Director of Buhl Regional Health Foundation. The foundation builds upon collaborative efforts to address health disparities and overcome inequities. Jennifer founded Shenango River Watchers, the City of Sharon Beautification Commission, Friends of MERP, WaterFire Sharon, and the Sharon High School Robotics Team. 

Want to Learn More?

Join Exponent Philanthropy's upcoming cohort, Intro to Catalytic Leadership Program, beginning March 26. Learn more and register here >>

 

Catalyzing Generosity: Newman's Own Foundation Models Giving 100% for Philanthropy

Leanly staffed foundations can influence how other foundations practice philanthropy. By working in creative, entrepreneurial ways, these agile funders make new or non-traditional practices more accessible for their peers. Newman's Own Foundation is a lean foundation breaking the mold of corporate philanthropy. Paul Newman's legacy of giving 100 percent of the profits from the food company he established, sets the foundation apart from most models of corporate giving, where the norm is giving five percent or less. Join Alex Amouyel, the foundation's President and CEO, as she explores Newman's vision of generosity, and the unique arrangement established between the foundation and the business to amplify that vision. 

 

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Alex Amouyel is President and CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation whose mission is to nourish and transform the lives of children who face adversity. She leads the foundation’s efforts to utilize 100% of the profits from the sale of Newman’s Own products in service of this mission.

Supercharging Impact: Recruiting Community Leaders for Our Foundation Board

Developing knowledge and insight into a specific issue positions foundations to catalyze change. Learning deeply about an issue reveals gaps and leverage points where you can target foundation resources in the smartest ways. Malcolm Macleod, Board Chair of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, highlights a powerful way to acquire knowledge and insight - recruiting people in the community and field who have deep knowledge and lived experience, to serve on your foundation board. Malcolm explores how board recruitment has transformed the philanthropy, and how the foundation positions itself to find extraordinary leaders.  

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Malcolm Macleod was born in Canada, practiced law there for 25 years, and became president of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation in 2001. He transitioned to board chair in 2020. Malcolm is the author of The Practice of Philanthropy, A Guide for Foundation Boards and Staff. He consults, speaks, and volunteers for foundations and nonprofits in the U.S. and Canada.

Debra Jacobs - Catalyzing Systems Change by Fostering Wide Participation Around Shared Aspirations

Foundations practicing Catalytic Leadership understand that making deeper, lasting progress on a priority issue requires working with organizations across all sectors, and with community members directly. Catalytic leaders use their unique powers to connect, convene, and support collaboration. In this Podcast, President and CEO Debra Jacobs of the Patterson Foundation shares how her foundation applies this systems approach to helping children achieve grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Debra and her colleagues engage and support the persistent involvement of not only educators, but parents, families, caregivers, after-school programs, local businesses, local media, and other people who play a role in childrens' early school success. Fundamental to Debra and her colleagues' approach is to invite conversations across sectors, and elevate understanding and empathy, so community members can work together around shared aspirations. 

 

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As President and CEO of The Patterson Foundation, Debra Jacobs champions the cause of creative collaboration. She has steered the foundation to work with partners to accelerate positive change by sharing fresh perspectives, contributing innovative ideas, and providing critical resources. Debra has advocated for community development throughout her career. Prior to joining The Patterson Foundation, she served as President of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation in Sarasota, and before then in leadership roles at Ringling College of Art and Design and SunTrust Bank, Gulf Coast.

 

Danielle Reyes - Going Beyond Scholarships to Increase Student Participation in Tuition-Based Education

Staff and board of the Crimsonbridge Foundation know that scholarship dollars have long played an important and familiar role to support student participation in tuition-based education. They've invested in building the capacity of schools from kindergarten through college to create welcoming, inclusive institutions that foster the sense of belonging needed to support student success. So when they looked for solutions to increase the participation of Hispanic students in Catholic schools, they proposed outreach, engagement, and communication strategies that went beyond traditional scholarships. These "beyond the grant" strategies not only increased school capacity, but student enrollment and family engagement.

 

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Danielle M. Reyes is President and CEO of the Crimsonbridge Foundation. She has led the strategic development of the foundation’s operations and programs since its founding in 2015, and guides the philanthropic strategies of its affiliates Crimsonbridge Group and Crimsonbridge LLC. At Crimsonbridge, she has co-created an innovative entrepreneurial philanthropy model that integrates inclusion, equity, and communications strategies to foster authentic community-based partnerships that drive change in Education, Leadership Development, Communications Capacity Building, and the Environment. Danielle serves as the Board President for the DC Bar Foundation and has contributed her expertise to local organizations and national boards including the Taproot Foundation and Asian Americans Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

Danielle Reyes - Money Alone Won't Make Systemic Change. Our Foundation Uses Our Full Social and Human Capital - Part 2

Danielle Reyes, President and CEO of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, observes that many times, discussions about improving philanthropy call upon foundations to minimize their presence and agency. Danielle invites us to take a more complex view of foundations' role. In a series of Podcasts, she reminds us that money alone is not enough to make deeper, longer-lasting systems change. She observes that social sector organizations want their funders to do more - to step up and take actions that draw upon foundations' unique abilities, assets, and position. In Part 2, Danielle shares an example how the foundation goes far beyond grants to break through barriers to change, in the field of leadership development for nonprofit leaders of color.

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Danielle M. Reyes is President and CEO of the Crimsonbridge Foundation. She has led the strategic development of the foundation’s operations and programs since its founding in 2015, and guides the philanthropic strategies of its affiliates Crimsonbridge Group and Crimsonbridge LLC. At Crimsonbridge, she has co-created an innovative entrepreneurial philanthropy model that integrates inclusion, equity, and communications strategies to foster authentic community-based partnerships that drive change in Education, Leadership Development, Communications Capacity Building, and the Environment. Danielle serves as the Board President for the DC Bar Foundation and has contributed her expertise to local organizations and national boards including the Taproot Foundation and Asian Americans Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

Danielle Reyes - Money Alone Won't Make Systemic Change. Our Foundation Uses Our Full Social and Human Capital

Danielle Reyes, President and CEO of the Crimsonbridge Foundation, observes that many times, discussions about improving philanthropy call upon foundations to minimize their presence and agency. Danielle invites us to take a more complex view of foundations' role. In a series of Podcasts, she reminds us that money alone is not enough to make deeper, longer-lasting systems change. She observes that social sector organizations want their funders to do more - to step up and take actions that draw upon foundations' unique abilities, assets, and positions. In Part 1, Danielle explores why the Crimsonbridge Foundation uses all the assets and powers. Parts 2 and 3 highlight examples of how Danielle's team goes far beyond grants to break through barriers to change, in two specific focus areas - leadership development for nonprofit leaders of color, and first-generation college student success.  

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Danielle M. Reyes is President and CEO of the Crimsonbridge Foundation. She has led the strategic development of the foundation’s operations and programs since its founding in 2015 and guides the philanthropic strategies of its affiliates Crimsonbridge Group and Crimsonbridge LLC. At Crimsonbridge, she has co-created an innovative entrepreneurial philanthropy model that integrates inclusion, equity, and communications strategies to foster authentic community-based partnerships that drive change in Education, Leadership Development, Communications, Capacity Building, and the Environment. Danielle serves on the Board of the DC Bar Foundation and has contributed her expertise to local organizations and national boards including the Taproot Foundation and Asian Americans Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

Brett Howell and Kirsten Midura - Being The First Funder: Empowering Investment in New Projects, Organizations, and Visionary Ideas

Some say the highest and best use of philanthropy is to drive innovation and creativity. Champions of this role emphasize foundations' and donors' freedom to support - with grants and also connections - entrepreneurial people seeking to develop, test, and scale new approaches to the toughest issues. In this Podcast, meet Brett Howell and Kirsten Midura, the founder and lead staff of the Howell Conservation Fund (HCF). HCF is a lean funder dedicated to supporting innovation and market-based approaches in the environmental field. Across the U.S. and globally, nonprofit leaders and entrepreneurs have visionary ideas that can take social and environmental problem-solving to new levels. Often, these leaders cannot find investors willing to back a new approach. Brett and Kirsten remind us that lean funders are perfectly positioned to be "the first funder." Get inspired about driving breakthrough innovation among your grantee partners. 

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Related Blogs:

https://www.exponentphilanthropy.org/blog/venture-philanthropy-and-the-worlds-most-plastic-polluted-beach/

 

https://www.exponentphilanthropy.org/blog/network-weaving-a-key-factor-in-my-philanthropic-success/