Civic leadership at work

Reality Check- This week was the culmination of lots of planning and work by several leaders, who eventually brought together hundreds of representatives from the triangle economic development region to envision and plan how we will 'grow' in the Triangle.

The fact that we are facing growth is not news. Yes, we have sprawl, traffic, congestion, not enough public transportation, (if any, in some parts), issues with open space, water quality-- these were all the things we tried to tackle.

The results of a lego-based exercise were presented to a larger public today, and will be implemented and guided by Triangle Tomorrow over the next several months (www.triangletomorrow.org). This morning, as I heard the presentation of results, voted for priorities, and thought about our region and its future- I couldn't help but admire the work of a handful of leaders who continue to press for our region's quality of life- individuals who could easily just sit back and enjoy retirement, or simply not get involved. We are lucky that we have such folks- and we need more of them. No one 'elects' these people, they just take the lead because someone has to. There's certainly a lot of work to be done and not enough people who raise their hand and volunteer.

This is a form of philanthropy- giving of your time and talent- and it's admirable.

Applause to Smedes York, Jack Clayton, Phail Wynn, Rick Weddle, Pam Wall- and everyone else for this reality check. and for their leadership.

Slow moving

You can never get away from it, can you? Money. We're grateful that we are faring pretty well considering the economy here at the Foundation. Down only 13.5% since the last FY. Total assets are now $ 119 Mill. We're grateful that we are able to count on new gifts. We have great guidance from some amazing volunteers in our investment committee. And, we've committed to go on with our grantmaking for this year, hopefully surpassing last year's totals.

I must admit that I've been surprised at how some other foundations have reacted, and how much their investments have dropped. My initial question is: if your role is to be stewarts of financial resources for the good of the public, should you not keep a close eye on the market and shift investments if the markets tumble as they did in the fall?

We may not have had the best approach, and we did lose money, but we also convened pretty quickly and made some decisions that helped preserve some assets. Of course, as a community foundation, we are able to continue to receive assets, thereby increasing our base. But nevertheless, we acted swiftly. A quick pace is not always an attribute in philanthropy - we are guilty of this as well.

Everything happens for a reason, and perhaps this will be one of the lessons of this recession. We must become leaner, quicker in our decision-making, and more agile in our asset management. All for the benefit of our grantmaking. It's the community, at the end, that will receive less needed funding if we don't adapt to this change.

Community Foundations as leaders

In the three plus years I have been in this community foundation world, I have seen a significant shift in the way community foundations see themselves. It's been heartening. I glad about this. And, it goes along well with the work we are doing here at TCF.
This was very evident this week while we were in Miami at the gathering by Knight. It was, perhaps, due to the types of community foundations that were gathered there- those who are doing some cutting edge things locally-- but serving as a community leader is not a 'new' topic now for our groups, but it's a role that has become something we must play.
Alberto Ibarguen, President of Knight, Steve Gunderson, of COF, all stressed it.
The idea took center stage a few years back with a publication by Lucy Bernholz and others: "On the Brink of New Promise: The FUture of COmmunity Foundations." It really challenged us to get more involved, to not just be 'banks,' and become concerned wtih challenges around us. We really took this to heart at TCF, and the timing could not have been better. Our mission, vision and values reflect our desire to be active participants in the community around us, and our staff embrace this activity.

As a CF, I believe we cannot be satisfied by making grants alone. The grants are connected to the community, and to the people and organizations. There is a bigger role for us to play. Sometimes this is at the front, sometimes in the back of the room. But we must continue to find opportunities to become civically engaged.

It's good to see the field moving in that direction. And the timing could not be better...

http://vimeo.com/3253958?pg=embed&sec=

From Miami--here attending the Knight Foundation seminar on Information needs in communities and new media. We came to this last year, this is second time it's being done.

Fascinating stuff. Great presenters. Gives us lots to think about: especially as it relates to Triangle Gives Back.

More later.

Savvy Women

I think we must have a full moon, and something must be going on around here- this week has been too busy- and everyone around seems to be stressed, stretched, tired. Agh! Such was the case with me this morning when I really wished I could have spent the morning at the office catching up, but instead had to go to be part of a panel organized by the Raleigh CHamber- Savvy Women's Conference.
"Why do I always agree to do these things?" I said to myself (I could practically see Jill's face telling me to 'just say no!')
But boy, was I wrong about needing to be in place other than at the McKimmon Center this morning. The panel was lots of fun- and being around hundreds of women, talking about careers, mothering, community, balance (?!), mentors, politics, life in general was EXACTLY what I needed to end my Friday on a calmer note. Thank you Lynn Garrison of BCBS for inviting me and moderating- you did a fantastic job.

Everything happens for a reason...

Jill Extraordinaire

I thought I'd embarass Jill today by writing about her. What would I do without Jill??? I've worked alongside many people over the years but I think she is probably one of those people who knows me best- she knows that I can't say NO- (so she doesn't let me answer the phone), lets me vent when I need to, knows when I need to close the door, when I need to go down the street for a break, knows what phone calls I have to answer. I can't imagine accomplishing anything at the Foundation without Jill's guidance and support. She has been there for me personally and professionally- and I thank my lucky stars for her every day. GRACIAS JILL.

My world comes to a temporary halt!

On my way to the airport for an NCLR meeting, after a very busy week, and I get rear-ended by a car. Ambulance, emergency room, whiplash, concussion. Otherwise, OK. Interesting how things happen sometimes- the plans go out the window and I am temporarily rendered helpless! and home-bound.

NCLR is one of my main priorities- National Council of La Raza. More about them at another time. A very committed group of Latino leaders serves on that Board.

Today, my friend Monica, and former Chair of the NCLR board, gets named to the Economic Recovery Advisory Board - see below. Go Monica! Seems like President Obama is getting bright talent to advise him.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release February 6, 2009


Obama Announces Economic Advisory Board

Washington (February 6, 2009) – President Barack Obama today signed an executive order establishing the new Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Modeled on the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower the Board will provide an independent voice on economic issues and will be charged with offering independent advice to the President as he formulates and implements his plans for economic recovery.

The Economic Recovery Advisory Board will provide regular briefings to the President, Vice President and their economic team. The Board will be established initially for a two-year term, after which the President will make a determination on whether to extend the work of the Board.

Members of the Board are distinguished citizens outside the government who are qualified on the basis of achievement, experience, independence, and integrity. The Board will bring a diverse set of perspectives and voices from different parts of the country and different sectors of the economy to bear in the formulation and evaluation of economic policy.

The Board will meet regularly and provide advice directly to the President on the programs to jump-start economic growth and facilitate economic stability. The Board will also focus on how the response to the short-run economic crisis is laying the groundwork for the reforms necessary for longer-run prosperity.



Paul Volcker will serve as Chairman and Austan Goolsbee as Staff Director and Chief Economist.

Members of the Board include:

William H. Donaldson, Chairman, SEC (2003-2005)
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President & CEO, TIAA-CREF
Robert Wolf, Chairman & CEO, UBS Group Americas
David F. Swensen, CIO, Yale University
Mark T. Gallogly, Founder & Managing Partner, Centerbridge Partners L.P.
Penny Pritzker, Chairman & Founder, Pritzker Realty Group
Jeffrey R. Immelt, CEO, GE
John Doerr, Partner, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers
Jim Owens, Chairman and CEO, Caterpillar Inc.
Monica C. Lozano, Publisher & Chief Executive Officer, La Opinion
Charles E. Phillips, Jr., President, Oracle Corporation
Anna Burger, Chair, Change to Win
Richard L. Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer, AFL-CIO
Laura D'Andrea Tyson, Dean, Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley
Martin Feldstein, George F. Baker Professor of Economics, Harvard University

Seeing Latinos, a woman, a mother, and a friend, in such positions certainly is heartening- and I forget all about my whiplash...

Media Day!

We held our press conference today to publicly launch the TriangleGivesBack.org website and the Call To Action. Working with Billy Warden and Greg Behr has been great- the guys are awesome! (billywarden.com) Lots of people came out and the setting was approp- Central Park School for Children.

Lots more to say about it, but as always, I'm pressed for time, so I will mention how impressed I was, once again, with Kevin Trapani- one of our newer board members at the Foundation, CEO of Redwoods group, and on the steering committee of TGB. His words were right on- and he mentioned my favorite quote as one that influences him.

To Whom Much is Given, Much is Expected

Isn't that what this is all about??

THanks, Kevin, for that reminder. You're the best!

Where is my head.. and the Scrap Exchange

My sister called from New York-- are you feeling the economic stress down there? What a question. It seems that it dominates most of what I am doing lately, or at least these past few weeks.

That may be why this morning I drove my kids to the office instead of dropping them off at school! AND later, parked on the wrong side of the parking deck (yes, I've parked there for a couple of years already).. Too much going on in my brain...

I hosted a group today for a Nonprofit Facility Tour, as part of series organized by Scrap Exchange (great group- check it out). They are learning different approaches to negotiating spaces by nonprofits. A lot of groups are looking for space- and favorable terms. We had a good discussion. Once again, they asked if we can play a role in facilitating some connections between the nonprofits and potential business leaders who may have space to lease/donate/discount. We'll continue working on this. We seem to be playing that role more and more.

Not just grantmaking. It's not just about writing a check...

Lunch with the Prez: Budgeting and Investing

Had another lunch with nonprofits today. Ken, our CFO, spoke about budgeting and investing- why would anyone be worried about that now??

Gosh, there was a moment there, when everyone was introducing themselves and their group, that it felt kind of overwhelming.

This economic crisis has really hit the nonprofits and agencies are grappling with how to best approach things. It's difficult to keep a positive outlook as the facilitator of this lunch when demand is so high for some of these organizations, and money is drying up. What can I possibly say?

Still, as we talked about investing and long term sustainability- it became evident to me that although we don't know how this will fare in the end, nonprofit staff and board members are certainly rolling up their sleeves and showing their tenacity.

Let's see if Triangle Gives Back can do something here...

Triangle Gives Back

WOW!!!!!!

here's our commercial for Triangle Gives Back. Thank YOU TIME WARNER, Judie Gaines and Russell Doggett. We love it.