The Art of Awarding Scholarships
The annual scholarship application period is beginning at the Community Foundation, prompting me to reflect on what makes a successful scholarship selection process. We coordinate the work of 17 scholarship committees, and the question for all of them is “How do we choose the best candidate?” Committees are faced with difficult decisions when there are more qualified (and hopeful) candidates than available scholarships.
For answers, I looked to Tim Buckner and Sandra Plaza. Tim has worked with the Mendocino Agricultural Families’ Scholarship Fund (MAFSF) for over a decade. Sandra was the first recipient of that scholarship and is a success story on many levels.
A New Generation of Leaders
A lot has been written over the past several years about the leadership transition, especially in nonprofit organizations. For example, last spring the Boston Globe examined “the expected exit of large numbers of veteran nonprofit executives, many of them baby boomers who shaped the charitable sector and whose departures create the risk of a widespread leadership vacuum.”
There is no denying that the trend of retiring boomers is affecting Mendocino County. How are things likely to change? For answers, I turned to Heidi Dickerson, Executive Director of Leadership Mendocino, and Paloma Paterson and Emily Ellickson-Brown, two of last year’s Leadership Mendocino graduates who represent a younger generation of local leaders. The Community Foundation recently became a sponsor of Leadership Mendocino, recognizing the importance of leadership development in all sectors of our county.
Making the Spirit of the Holidays Real
1/1/2016
There is a lot of talk and media buildup about “spirit of the holidays.” However, when you come in contact with people who embody that spirit in real life, it is humbling. I’ve been fortunate to meet a few of these people in the past few weeks, including Judy Popowski, the president of the board and a volunteer at MCAVHN (Mendocino County AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Network). The Community Foundation recently gave a grant to MCAVHN for the Ukiah Winter Shelter, and I wanted to hear first-hand how things were going.
New Ventures in Philanthropy
12/17/2015
As I sit here and write this on one of the many electronic devices that have suddenly populated my life, it would be hard to deny the impact that Silicon Valley has had on all of us, even those of us who are not totally enamored by “tech.” In recent years Silicon Valley’s influence has also spread to philanthropy, and many wealthy entrepreneurs now have established charitable foundations.
The entry of newer foundations to the field of philanthropy has had a positive influence, bringing more money, resources, and ways of addressing both local and global challenges. They are also learning from more established foundations that have a deep understanding of their local communities. Community foundations in particular have spent decades listening to local constituents and using this knowledge and “buy-in” to solve complex problems in areas such as education and healthcare.
The Angel Fund is built on Hope
12/3/2015
The Community Foundation’s Angel Fund was created soon after we opened our office in 1999. In those days we had very little money for grant-making and there was a big county to serve. The Angel Fund allowed us to help people in many different communities with a “hand up” that would help them be successful in life. Although many things have changed in the years since, the Angel Fund continues to assist with the basic issues faced by many local residents: the problems experienced by working families who are trying to make ends meet; the challenges of getting old with limited resources; the difficulty of getting around in a big county with limited transportation.
Early Exploration of Career Pathways
11/20/2015
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you “grew up?” Most everyone has at least one answer. I think I often said “brain surgeon,” since I knew my mother wanted me to be a doctor and “brain surgeon” seemed one step better.
It turns out that those innocent fantasies can have some real influence on the way we think about our lives, especially if there is guidance behind the make-believe. That is why there is a Junior Achievement program designed for second grade students that helps them recognize how different people contribute to, and benefit from, a community. It then identifies the variety of careers in a community and how each job requires specific skills.
Volunteer Hospice Helps
11/6/2015
I recently read New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast’s graphic novel-style memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant, which dives into the nuances of her parents’ deaths with a poignant, dry wit. It’s a moving book because it helps us to find everyday humor in a subject most people want to avoid. Helping people navigate the difficult work and complex emotions that come before and after the death of a loved one is why volunteer hospice care is such an important service.
Redefining Fundraising: It’s not all about Money
10/16/2016
I often think that fundraising doesn’t get the respect it deserves. If you stop and consider all of the wonderful things that happen in our community because of fundraising, you wonder why so many people shy away from it. That is why it was refreshing to talk to Andy Robinson, a man who has been raising money for over 35 years and who seems genuinely happy in his work. “I like getting things done,” Andy told me when I asked him why he finds his work so rewarding. “So I don’t focus on the money. I keep thinking about the mission and what we can accomplish.”
A True Champion of County History
10/2/2015
As you stroll through Pumpkinfest this year, or as you walk down one of Ukiah’s tree-lined streets, say “thank you” to Judy Pruden, a woman whose devotion to Ukiah was manifested in so many ways throughout the community. Judy passed away in May of this year, but her presence is still very much with us.
Judy was one of the primary organizers of Pumpkinfest, and her vision helped make it the kind of event it is today. Her husband, Mike Morgan, told me, “Judy always viewed it as a family event. She thought it shouldn’t be about spending or making money, but instead should be an entertaining, educational and free event that brings people together.”
Building Better Boards Revisited
9/18/2015
What makes a successful non-profit organization? There are many factors, but the board of directors is the key to all of them. The board hires the executive director, understands the vision, stays true to the mission, finds necessary resources, and provides the stability needed to sustain the organization over time.
Earlier this year I wrote about the Community Foundation’s sponsorship of “Building Better Boards” workshops for non-profits, led by Sue Haun and Catherine Marshall. These were followed by a “learning cluster” of ten organizations that participated in six training/peer-sharing sessions in order to pursue board topics in more depth. What I didn’t know then was how successful the peer sharing sessions would be. The participating organizations were from all over the county and learned a lot about each other and about the similar challenges faced by their boards.
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