Philanthropy, from the Greek word for “to love humanity,” is inherently a human enterprise. In this business of helping to solve complicated social problems, we’re bound by the opportunities and challenges of working with other people to do so. It can be emotional work, and it’s work that involves very diverse people who span different... Read More
Rural philanthropy requires a different kind of thinking and creativity from urban philanthropy. It stands to reason, then, that the networks rural funders build will look different from those that traditionally attract more urban-focused foundations. In my work researching and building rural philanthropy, I’ve seen two main types of foundations that describe themselves as “rural... Read More
In 2016, the Potts Family Foundation created a statewide collaborative called the Oklahoma Early Childhood Initiative, later dubbed OK25by25. Our stated goal is to move Oklahoma into the top 25 of all states by 2025 in key early childhood metrics. Our key demographic is families with children, pre-birth to five. Through listening sessions with key... Read More
A little over 30 years ago, Pro Football Hall of Famer and venture capitalist investor Ronnie Lott and his wife Karen founded All Stars Helping Kids. Ronnie modeled his philanthropic efforts on the lessons he learned playing football and investing in technology starts-up. Much like how venture capitalists invest in startups, All Stars invests in... Read More
As program officer at the POISE Foundation, Traci Johnson helps Black-led, Black-serving organizations bring change to their communities. During the pandemic, Traci recognized Black-led organizations and communities were far more impacted. She wanted to alleviate burdens on grantees, and speed up the time it took to get resources into the hands of organizations serving on... Read More
At PACE, we believe in the power, potential, and responsibility of people to come together to discuss and address the problems they see around them. As a diverse philanthropic network with members of many sizes, strategies, and geographies, we share a core belief: America will be healthier and more successful, resilient, and productive, if democracy... Read More