Dr. Toya Graham, Executive Director of the Carolyn W and Charles T Beaird Family Foundation, sits down with Jeffrey Goodman, Director of Marketing and Development for the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana, to answer the following questions:

0:41 1. Toya, since 2014 you have served as the Executive Director of the Carolyn W and Charles T Beaird Family Foundation, one of the largest and most impactful family foundations that our community has. Just in 2022 alone, the foundation awarded over $1.5M to nonprofit organizations.

The foundation has two grant cycles, a Fall Cycle and a Spring Cycle. Let’s start here today. Talk to me about some of the kinds of projects the foundation is looking to fund.

5:24 2. One of the reasons we started this podcast is to help our community cultivate a healthier self-image by highlighting the important work taking place amongst us that people may not know about, like the work you are doing at the Carolyn W and Charles T Beaird Family Foundation.

On this podcast we have also spoken a lot about how to become a stronger community. In your opinion, how do we do a better job of moving from a “me” to a “we” community?

12:35 3. A recurring theme on this podcast is also our identity as a community - who we have been, who we are are and what we are trying to become.

For friends of yours who maybe have never been to Shreveport-Bossier before, how do you describe this community, this place that we all call home.

16:18 4. As you look around our community, what are some of the things that concern you the most?

23:52 5. On the flip side, what makes you optimistic that we are making progress as a community?