Beyond The Blog

"From Both Sides of the Check" is a podcast mini-series as part of The Patterson Foundation's Beyond The Blog podcast. In this week's episode, we interview Debra Jacobs, President and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. Through “From Both Sides of the Check,” we explore what it’s like to work in the philanthropic sector through conversations with people now working at foundations who have worked on both the funder and nonprofit sides. The goal of the podcast series is that these conversations are instructive for people on both sides of the check and helpful in illuminating a path forward for even stronger collaboration in the philanthropic sector so we can drive even more impact.

Key Podcast Themes

• Philanthropic collaboration
• Funder-nonprofit relationships
• Power dynamics
• Trust-based philanthropy
• Fundraising
• “Hiring empathy”

Timestamps - Debra Jacobs

• 00:00 - 00:31 Introduction
• 00:31 - 02:38 Debra’s Role and Defining Success in her Role
• 02:38 - 05:16 Debra’s Previous Roles
• 05:16 - 10:55 Nonprofit Experience Informing Foundation Perspective
• 10:55 - 12:13 Favorite Part about her Role
• 12:13 - 13:17 Least Favorite Part about her Role
• 13:17 - 14:40 Focusing on Excellence and Shared Aspirations to Bridge Differences
• 14:40 - 18:00 What Debra Wishes she Knew about Funders when she was at a Nonprofit
• 18:00 - 20:12 What Debra Wishes Funders Knew about Nonprofits
• 20:12 - 24:24 How to Build Trust and Break through the Power Dynamic
• 24:24 - 26:41 What more Nonprofits should Know about Funders
• 26:41 - 31:00 Dream Partnership
• 31:00 - 32:11 Privilege to Serve, Take it Seriously, Joyful Stewardship
• 32:11 - End Closing

Soundbite recommendation: Seeking alignment through fundraising and 3 questions to always ask prospective funders 14:58-16:38

Join The Journey

From Both Sides of the Check is a podcast mini-series as part of The Patterson Foundation’s Beyond The Blog podcast. In this week’s episode, we interview Wendy Deming, CEO of the Bishop • Parker Foundation. Through “From Both Sides of the Check,” we explore what it’s like to work in the philanthropic sector through conversations with people now working at foundations who have worked on both the funder and nonprofit sides. The goal of the podcast series is that these conversations are instructive for people on both sides of the check and helpful in illuminating a path forward for even stronger collaboration in the philanthropic sector so we can drive even more impact.

Key Podcast Themes

• Philanthropic collaboration
• Funder-nonprofit relationships
• Power dynamics
• Trust-based philanthropy
• Fundraising
• “Hiring empathy”

Timestamps - Wendy Deming

• 00:00 - 00:52 Introduction
• 00:52 - 02:22 Wendy’s Role and Defining Success in Her Role
• 02:22 - 11:08 Wendy’s Roles Before Bishop-Parker Foundation
• 11:08 - 14:35 Nonprofit Experience Informing Bishop-Parker Foundation Experience
• 14:35 - 15:51 What Wendy Wishes She Knew about Funders when she was at a Nonprofit
• 15:51 - 16:50 What Wendy Wishes More Nonprofits Knew about Funders
• 16:50 - 18:20 How to Build Trust and Open Communication with Nonprofits
• 18:20 - 20:39 Dream Partnership
• 20:39 - 22:47 Favorite Part of her Role
• 22:47 - 23:20 Least Favorite Part of her Role
• 23:20 - 24:39 Hiring Empathy
• 24:39 - End Closing

Soundbite recommendation: Insights and empathy from working at a nonprofit after working for a foundation 5:47-7:16

Join The Journey

From Both Sides of the Check is a podcast mini-series as part of The Patterson Foundation’s Beyond The Blog podcast. In this week’s episode, we interview Susie Bowie, President and CEO at the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation. Through “From Both Sides of the Check,” we explore what it’s like to work in the philanthropic sector through conversations with people now working at foundations who have worked on both the funder and nonprofit sides. The goal of the podcast series is that these conversations are instructive for people on both sides of the check and helpful in illuminating a path forward for even stronger collaboration in the philanthropic sector so we can drive even more impact.

Join The Journey

In this Beyond the Blog podcast, Kiarra Louis examines TPF excellence through the lens of event management. In Part II of the Striving for Excellence podcast, Beth Duda, the director of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, joins the conversation to discuss the documents TPF uses to embed excellence in event planning, preparation, and execution.   

Key Themes

• Defining event excellence 
• Celebrating and honoring relationships 
• Intentionally planning and preparing 
• Evolving processes and technology 

Key Quotes

"We strive from the moment people walk in the door that they feel welcomed that we are introducing them to others. We have conversation starters and activities on the table, so no one has the feeling that I don't know what to do or that I don't feel like a part of this." 

"Good enough isn't good enough when you're talking about truly honoring people's contributions to this movement. Whether it is the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading or any one of the other initiatives that The Patterson Foundation puts forth. We know they're as good as the sum of their parts, and we need to hold up all of those parts and honor the spreadsheet people, honor the creatives, and, probably most importantly, honor our community members who come forth to participate in the things that will make our world a better place." 

"We all want to be part of something that is alive, and if we just do the same thing over and over and over again, just talking about it in that way makes it seem not alive and not vibrant. If we talk about SCGLR being a movement, we continue to welcome new people into the movement, and people want to do things that are exciting and vibrant and feel like they matter. So, the more attention we can give things, and the more thought we can put into things, and the more we can learn from the people who are already part of it, the better off we're going to be. So, some of the evolution is to keep it fresh, some of the evolution is because every time we do something, we learn things. And if we're learning something new, it would be crazy not to implement it."

Timestamps - Part 2

• 1:49 – Start of part II
• 2:06 – Event Excellent Documents 
• 2:27 - Using Frameworks
• 5:24 - Using run of shows 
• 3:43 – The Costs
• 4:13 – Including people in the event 
• 6:56 – Evolving each event 
• 8:40 – Using Kahoot -
• 10:59 –  Tangible Takeaways  
• 11:00 - Live The Day
• 11:58 - Planning invitations and reminders 
• 12:25 - Adding cushions to the timeline 

Join The Journey

In this Beyond the Blog podcast, Kiarra Louis examines TPF Excellence through the lens of event management. TPF initiatives catalyze efforts toward shared aspirations through events, gatherings, and meetings in person and virtually to connect, learn, and share with individuals, organizations, and communities. In the first part of this Striving for Excellence podcast, Beth Duda, the director of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, joins the conversation to share the importance of honoring relationships when event planning.

Key Themes

• Defining event excellence 
• Celebrating and honoring relationships 
• Intentionally planning and preparing 
• Evolving processes and technology 

Key Quotes

"We strive from the moment people walk in the door that they feel welcomed that we are introducing them to others. We have conversation starters and activities on the table, so no one has the feeling that I don't know what to do or that I don't feel like a part of this." 

"Good enough isn't good enough when you're talking about truly honoring people's contributions to this movement. Whether it is the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading or any one of the other initiatives that The Patterson Foundation puts forth. We know they're as good as the sum of their parts, and we need to hold up all of those parts and honor the spreadsheet people, honor the creatives, and, probably most importantly, honor our community members who come forth to participate in the things that will make our world a better place." 

"We all want to be part of something that is alive, and if we just do the same thing over and over and over again, just talking about it in that way makes it seem not alive and not vibrant. If we talk about SCGLR being a movement, we continue to welcome new people into the movement, and people want to do things that are exciting and vibrant and feel like they matter. So, the more attention we can give things, and the more thought we can put into things, and the more we can learn from the people who are already part of it, the better off we're going to be. So, some of the evolution is to keep it fresh, some of the evolution is because every time we do something, we learn things. And if we're learning something new, it would be crazy not to implement it."

Timestamps - Part I

• 1:16 - Defining event excellence
• 3:00 - Suncoast Remake Learning Days
• 3:50 -  The Celebration breakfast
• 4:40 - Relationship building throughout the year
• 5:50 - Celebrating the relationship 
• 7:18 - Assembling an Event Committee 
• 10:55 - Part II Sneak Peak 

Join The Journey

In this podcast, Kiarra Louis explores one of TPF's newest endeavors, TPF Tech Excellence, which creates opportunities for TPFers to learn and evolve their digital skills and receive ongoing support through monthly classes, 1:1 learning sessions, and more. One of Tech Excellence's overachievers, Lyndsey Smith, shares her experience on how Tech Excellence is supporting her TPF work with the Foundation and beyond. 

Key Themes

• Building a sense of community
• Strengthening Self 

Key Quotes 

"Google Drive has been my golden ticket right now. Just collaborating with other members of The Patterson Foundation team and doing it so seamlessly. I love the features of being able to edit simultaneously as we meet. It's making document creation much easier."

"You're learning new skills and technology available to you and how to utilize it in your everyday and professional life." 

"Thinking about Tech Excellence and everything that The Patterson Foundation has to stand for. I love how they invest in their people and that we have this opportunity. I am so grateful for the growth and the learning but also for building those connections with people within the Foundation."

"We always hope that when we're working with people in the community, we have this trickle-down effect, but it's special to experience it firsthand and be part of something where people believe in you and want to invest in what you can do."

Timestamps 

• 01:09 - Seizing the opportunity to learn 
• 02:19 Sharing the virtual Tech Excellence experience 
• 04:17 - Using Tech Excellence Beyond TPF
• 07:30 - Demonstrating CLSES (Connecting → Learning → Sharing → Evolving → Strengthening.
• 08:55 Advice for those who have not engaged with Tech Excellence yet 

Join The Journey

In Part II of this podcast, President and Founder of The Harwood Institute, Rich Harwood, continues his conversation with Kiarra Louis, illustrating how The Harwood Institute and The Patterson Foundation are making the invisible visible through authentic conversations, ongoing engagement, and more. If you missed Part I, you can watch it here.

Key Themes

• • Catalyzing and unleashing a chain reaction of actions 
  • Progress takes Time
  • Change Happens at the Speed of Trust 

Timestamps 

• • 2:20 – The importance of being seen and heard  
  • 4:05 – Not arriving with the answer 
  • 6:50 – What’s next
  • 8:30 – Strengthening the community’s civic culture 

Links to Learn More:

• The Harwood Institute
• Making the invisible visible
• DeSoto County Coming Together: Unleashing the Community’s Potential
  • Public Capital Report in English
  • Public Capital Report in Spanish
• DeSoto County Coming Together Overview Video

Join The Journey

DeSoto County is a peaceful, unique, and caring community. People love the small-town feel and step up to care for each other, especially in times of crisis. The area is dealing with various challenges and is facing a fundamental choice: Will the community remain stifled and separated, or will it come together and tap its shared capacity to build a brighter future? 

President and Founder of The Harwood Institute, Rich Harwood, joins Kiarra Louis to discuss the work leading to the recently released report DeSoto County Coming Together: Unleashing the Community’s Potential and share the main themes that emerged from the conversations and interviews. 

Key Themes

• Impact of The Patterson Foundation and The Harwood Institute’s Partnership
• Sending Positive Signals to the Community
• Themes from DeSoto County Coming Together

Timestamps 

• 3:20 - Benefits to people, organizations, and communities in DeSoto County
• 7:40 - The initial reception to the Harwood approach
• 10:13 - Discovering an untapped desire for safe spaces to have conversations
• 15:40 - Diving into the public capital report

Join The Journey

The Patterson Foundation believes that communities can shape their own future by involving people and organizations in the process. By collectively pursuing common aspirations, they can strengthen themselves and their communities as they share a vision to shape the future. DeSoto County Ahead exemplifies this approach, where community members learn from each other, share their experiences, and collectively evolve to create a stronger, more resilient community. In the second part of this BTB Podcast, Ashley Coone, Co-founder and CEO of Links2Success and a TPF Consultant, joins Kiarra Louis Louis to share how she’s using the Harwood Institute’s techniques and tools to become a catalyst for change. If you missed part I, please watch it here.

The Patterson Foundation’s DeSoto Digest Newsletter strives to educate and engage while sharing the work of TPF initiatives and ways residents can participate in DeSoto County. Sign up here.

Key Themes

• Inspiring Hope
• Building Trust in Community
• Everyone has a role in forging a positive future

Key Quotes

• I see people having hope for the future, hope that things can be even better than they are. I see people rising to the occasion to see what they can personally do to make DeSoto County better.
  
  
• It was a little difficult to accept the assignment of working in the community in this capacity, but I realized this work is very important. People trust me. I grew up there. They know me, they know my parents, they know my family, they know everybody. I recognized that people trust me and that people trust The Patterson Foundation. What better to get things done? It makes things easier when there is that trust.
• My background was not in community work, it was not in nonprofit work or any of that. I accidentally fell into this once I saw the statistics and outcomes for the people in the community, and I just thought, how can I help? So, to have a program like the Community Catalytic Guide is very helpful. Now I have strategies. I have opportunities to remember my why. Why am I working in the community? Who else cares? I now have tools and resources that can help guide me in assessing the temperature in my community.
• Although there are huge challenges and things to overcome, what can we do today that can make a difference while also working on the things of the future?
• There is a role for everyone in this work. Everyone's role is not the same, but it's equally as important. I would tell someone to do what they can and do what's in their power...what's in their heart, and it may be right in their own home.
• One of the things the Harwood Institute's training helps us do is find the invisible and make them visible. I think that is one of the most important things we can do in this work because that's where we find people—people who care about the community, who have their own gifts, and who can be part of the changes as well.

Timestamps

• 00:41: The Harwood Institute’s Catalytic Community Guide
• 3:11: Being a catalyst for change
• 4:48: Everyone has a role in this work

Join The Journey

The Patterson Foundation believes that communities can shape their own future by involving people and organizations in the process. By collectively pursuing common aspirations, they can strengthen themselves and their communities as they share a vision to shape the future. DeSoto County Ahead exemplifies this approach, where community members learn from each other, share their experiences, and collectively evolve to create a stronger, more resilient community. In the first part of this Beyond The Blog Podcast, Ashley Coone, Co-founder and CEO of Links2Success and a TPF Consultant, joins Kiarra Louis to explore TPF’s efforts in connecting and engaging DeSoto County residents to turn their aspirations into actions. If you missed Part II, you can view it here.

Key Themes

• Inspiring Hope
• Building Trust in Community
• Everyone has a role in forging a positive future

Key Quotes

• I see people having hope for the future, hope that things can be even better than they are. I see people rising to the occasion to see what they can personally do to make DeSoto County better.
  
  
• It was a little difficult to accept the assignment of working in the community in this capacity, but I realized this work is very important. People trust me. I grew up there. They know me, they know my parents, they know my family, they know everybody. I recognized that people trust me and that people trust The Patterson Foundation. What better to get things done? It makes things easier when there is that trust.
• My background was not in community work, it was not in nonprofit work or any of that. I accidentally fell into this once I saw the statistics and outcomes for the people in the community, and I just thought, how can I help? So, to have a program like the Community Catalytic Guide is very helpful. Now I have strategies. I have opportunities to remember my why. Why am I working in the community? Who else cares? I now have tools and resources that can help guide me in assessing the temperature in my community.
• Although there are huge challenges and things to overcome, what can we do today that can make a difference while also working on the things of the future?
• There is a role for everyone in this work. Everyone's role is not the same, but it's equally as important. I would tell someone to do what they can and do what's in their power...what's in their heart, and it may be right in their own home.
• One of the things the Harwood Institute's training helps us do is find the invisible and make them visible. I think that is one of the most important things we can do in this work because that's where we find people—people who care about the community, who have their own gifts, and who can be part of the changes as well.

Timestamps

• 3:18: Having hope for the future
• 6:22: Reflections from The DeSoto Solutions to Action event
• 8:31: Building trust

The Patterson Foundation’s DeSoto Digest Newsletter strives to educate and engage while sharing the work of TPF initiatives and ways residents can participate in DeSoto County. Sign up here.

Join The Journey