I’ve had the pleasure of being able to look around and see that so many individuals, myself included, are committed to making positive changes in the world. However, I notice that many of the individuals wanting to make a change give significant amounts of time and thought to make a change that is external to themselves or their organizations, rather than giving attention to internal change. Most times individuals immediately think of making a change that happens to and for, and maybe with, other individuals or communities.
Reflection is key
As someone who has held the role of Executive Director of the Mortenson Family Foundation for 13 years, I have had time to reflect on how positive change is made. I have seen foundations fall into the thinking that positive change is made in external contexts, far from the truth. Often, for foundations, the focus of making positive change happens out in the community by supporting community leaders and nonprofit partners who are responsible for significant positive change. However, I have come to see internal foundation change, change to a foundation’s power, policy, and practices, as a critical part of the change needed to support our communities. +
I am a white female foundation leader and am aware of the demographics of the sector’s executive leadership – some of the power inside a foundation. According to Exponent Philanthropy’s 2022 survey, only 13% of top leadership roles at foundations across the country were filled by people of color. The demographics of leadership in my own geographic community were majority white leaders. While I recognized this information, I failed to see many actions being taken in the sector to change the demographics. The demographics of leadership in my own geographic community were majority white leaders.
Leading in Internal Change
Mortenson Family Foundation established a clear mission that intentionally included advancing equity and centering the community. To ensure the foundation met its mission, we began working on every aspect of “what” the work was and “how” the work was done. As the Executive Director, I also began reflecting upon who I was as the leader of this foundation and how I was going to the forefront of our mission.
One component of “how” we would fulfill our mission was through a commitment the Board of Directors made to increase grants to organizations led by BIPOC leaders and organizations led by and for the community. To know if the foundation was accomplishing its goal of increasing grants, we started asking prospective grant partners questions targeted around the organizational and board leadership. If we were to answer that question as a foundation, our answers would include one white leader and a 90% white Board – not very diverse or community centered.
I found myself questioning, again, if I was holding the foundation back from meeting our mission of “centering community” due to not being the most proximate to lead the foundation. Since I have long believed in leading with values, I started to take into account that by continuing in this leadership role, I was not aligned with my own personal values of advancing equity.
As the foundation was living into its mission, I hired a foundation team from communities proximate to the foundation’s work, for example, all who identified from communities of color, none who had prior foundation experience, and all who had an amazing depth and breadth of competencies. I believe a foundation can teach the needed grantmaking skills; however, a foundation can not teach the lived experiences and relationships of proximity.
Change with Intention
I was very intentional about helping to grow the skills of the team in the ways the team members themselves wanted to grow. For example, I knew that one specific team member, Ambar Cristina Hanson, had the goal of running a foundation. I supported Ambar's outstanding competencies as a leader, desire for more opportunities to learn about the administration of a foundation, and eagerness to work directly with the board. Also, whenever learning opportunities arose, Ambar and I made the time to dig deep into learning not just the “what” of the subject, but also the “why” of the subject. I was intentional to include Ambar in the development of our work and to ask her to lead in presenting to the board about the work, all while ensuring I was supporting her in the way she felt most supported.
As Ambar grew in her foundation knowledge, I grew in my certainty that it was time for me to exit. When I shared my intention, I also shared with the board that I thought Ambar was ready to take on a leadership role. Although I knew that, while I was creating space for a new leader, it would be the board who would make the ultimate decision of the new leader. I believe that, through other work to change the Mortenson Family Foundation from the inside, the board was at a place to live into its mission by choosing a proximate leader. The day Ambar was named the next leader of the foundation was a day for celebration, not just for the foundation, but also for the community and for myself.
I have lived up to my values, something that is really important to me and that I continue to promote for other individuals and foundations. While I was deep in the transition, I had not thought about my next chapter - I held fear about what I was going to do next and how I would earn an income. Once the transition was complete, I had time to focus on my next chapter which has led me to consulting with other foundations that are ready to make organizational changes, from the inside. As opportunities have presented themselves, my fear has subsided and has been replaced with optimism for the future.
Long ago, Mahatma Gandhi shared “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.” The internal changes a foundation makes – and a foundation leader makes – hold the opportunity to make positive changes in the world and in ourselves.
About the Author
Donna Dalton is principal of Syringa Consulting where she focuses on supporting transformational change in the philanthropic sector. Prior to launching Syringa Consulting, she was the Executive Director with Mortenson Family Foundation for 13 years. While leading the Foundation, she helped shape and iterate the work of the Foundation to center community and advance equity. Her decade of service to donor advised funds and special projects with The Saint Paul Foundation/Minnesota Community Foundation provided insight into the importance of identifying values and ensuring the expression of those values in how work is done. Donna’s prior experience as a development officer at a variety of nonprofits strengthens her understanding of what organizations need to serve the community.
Wokie Weah has a deep understanding of youth development, education administration, and organizational development at the local, national and international levels.
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