Topic: Philanthropy and capital

The Power of Place-based Strategies

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

Place-based approaches have become a cornerstone for fostering long-lasting, meaningful change, by connecting organizations, cities, and communities across the United States. Through focusing on local needs and opportunities, place-based strategies have proven essential for building community resilience and driving positive, tailored outcomes.

During the final event in the Building Thriving Futures series hosted in partnership with FUSE, leaders dove into actionable strategies to strengthen partnerships across sectors and address critical challenges in supporting small businesses, advancing housing equity, and expanding workforce opportunities. 

Some of the key takeaways from the event appear below:

Insights:

Impact leaders need to support and work closely with local decision makers. City and state leaders are the largest social services providers for communities. As the federal government pulls away funding and infrastructure, it won’t change the community needs and people will look to their local and city governments to do more. The current destruction is huge — some populations like in Kansas have/had a large proportion of federal workforce — and philanthropists and private sector leaders need to help local public sector leaders expand their capacity to navigate the change. 

Learn from existing models that bring disparate people together for local change. For example, JobsFirst and FresnoDRIVE are initiatives funded by public, philanthropic, and private dollars aimed at boosting workforce, education, and inclusivity, and are high-aspiration, long-term plans.  

Diversification of funds is key — understanding who in your community is reliant on federal funding and helping them diversify to de-risk and change keeps occurring. Consider how you can help track the dollars being cut in your region, predict the ripple effects that will impact your grantees and community, and stem the loss. 

Balance listening and surviving, with planning for the future. Many organizations are navigating changing infrastructure, adopting a defensive posture, and doing the important work of helping grantees and community partners survive this turbulence e.g. by providing more unrestricted funding to plug gaps. However, also make time to think about those things that will help you “swing for the fences” and plan for a new future e.g. investing in the capacity and social capital of local talent who can rise into transformational leaders. 

Consider how we can fall in love with the problem and use it as a spark for innovation? Turbulence allows us to consider what we should double down on, what can we pivot away from because it is not an immediate priority, and what can we think differently about? In this time where national actions are impacting hyper local communities, it could be a useful exercise to borrow from entrepreneurs and figure out how you find the hardest, stickiest pain point and build energy around addressing it.

Drive investments to data and make sure you have secure data infrastructure locally, as it may not always be there federally. There may be opportunities for new investments and new partnerships that hinge on this data. 

Philanthropies have the power to bring place-based peers together to support each other. Information and strategy help us adapt more rapidly. By bringing together members, partners, or organizations you work with, across states and cities, who are working to combat the same barriers and issues, you scale insights and learning and help prevent a constant reinventing the wheel and repeating the same growing pains.

Invest in telling the story of place-based impact. With so many programs and initiatives at risk due to their reliance on federal funding, telling the story of their impact is more essential than ever. The role of communications and communications teams is often an afterthought, but the importance of language and framing has never been more crucial. Storytelling matters — even if it means we need to pivot or look at it a different way, we keep the story going.

Five Minutes with Kiana Jackson, Director of Data and Research, New Disabled South

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

For this installment of 5 Minutes With, NationSwell sat down with Kiana Jackson, Director of Data and Research at New Disabled South, to discuss the launch of the new think tank, Black Disability Institute. Housed under New Disabled South’s Research and Data team, the Black Disability Institute aims to initiate original research and bolster existing advocacy efforts examining issues uniquely affecting Black people with disabilities.

Here’s what she had to say:

NationSwell: Tell us a little bit about your journey in advocacy work and research — what is your personal connection to the Black disabled community? What inspires or motivates you — personally and professionally — to do this work?

Kiana Jackson, Director of Data and Research at New Disabled South: My journey in advocacy started with community organizing in rural Georgia, where I saw firsthand the health disparities and systemic inequities Black communities face. Over time, I became more involved in research, trying to uncover why these inequities persist and how we can tackle them at the roots. My personal connection to this work comes from my own experience as a Black disabled woman from the rural South, where I ran into everything from limited accessibility in schools to scarce resources for complex disabilities. Seeing how these barriers affect not just me but so many in my community drives me to keep going. What truly keeps me motivated is the incredible resilience I see among Black disabled people. Even when the deck is stacked against us, our community finds ways to create joy, support, and innovation. I want to help shift the conversation around disability away from merely “fixing” people or adding accommodations onto flawed systems, and instead push for broader, structural changes that allow us to thrive.

NationSwell: What is unique about the experiences of Black disabled folks living in the American South? Why is research so critically needed at this time?

Jackson: Black disabled people in the South occupy a very particular space, facing racial discrimination, ableism, and the unique challenges that come with living in a region that is often under-resourced. Legacy issues—like entrenched racism in institutions, lack of healthcare infrastructure, and inaccessible public spaces—combine to create more hurdles than what you might see elsewhere in the country. At the same time, the South has a legacy of resilience and activism that runs deep, with strong community networks supporting one another. Despite that legacy, Black disabled Southerners are often overlooked in national policy and research, which makes it harder to bring about meaningful policy reforms. If we don’t have accurate data and storytelling that center these experiences, we can’t demand the changes needed in healthcare, housing, or education. Focused research is crucial right now because it pushes back against harmful narratives and ensures our communities’ realities become part of the broader conversation on disability justice and equity.

NationSwell: What are New Disabled South’s existing advocacy efforts like for the Black community, and where are you most excited about expanding that advocacy work?

Jackson: We’re committed to intersectional disability justice, and that means ensuring Black disabled voices directly shape our policy and research agenda. Through our Black Disability Institute (BDI), we will conduct original research and connect with Black communities, making sure people’s lived experiences inform our work. For example, in our broader research initiatives, we’re investigating racial disparities in Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waitlists—vital supports that Black disabled Georgians often wait years to receive, even though the state has the means to address the backlog. We’re also examining how policing intersects with disability and race in the South. Our data shows Black disabled voters frequently report discrimination in encounters with law enforcement. By pinpointing where these problems occur, we can push for better training, alternative crisis response teams, and more accountability. Looking to the future, I’m eager to see the Black Disability Institute grow and take on more community-centered research in healthcare, criminal justice, and the economy. Our broader vision is a South where Black disabled folks have the resources and autonomy we deserve—and where our lived experiences are front and center in every advocacy effort. We view research as both a tool and a call to action. The data we collect does more than reveal problems; it drives our advocacy strategies and helps us collaborate effectively with state officials, healthcare providers, and fellow advocates. Through all of this, our guiding principle remains clear: The fight for disability justice in the South must uplift Black experiences, voices, and leadership every step of the way.

NationSwell: What are the Institute’s primary goals, and what is its theory of change?

Jackson: Black Disability Institute (BDI) operates as a think tank under New Disabled South’s Research Department, aiming to reshape how we talk about Black disability and ensure that research benefits the community. We focus on bridging gaps between researchers and Black disabled communities, building trust where it’s often been broken, and spotlighting lived experiences through studies and community outreach. Ultimately, we want more funding and attention directed to the challenges that keep Black disabled people—especially in the South—from having economic independence and quality care. Our theory of change is that real progress comes when rigorous research, grassroots engagement, and institutional partnerships come together. By keeping Black disabled voices at the heart of what we do, we can confront the systems that leave us out and create lasting policy change. In our first three years, we’re zeroing in on Poverty & Care, working with healthcare leaders, policymakers, and local organizers to give Black disabled Southerners a comprehensive network of support—from accessible housing to decent-paying jobs. Our hope is that by driving both research and advocacy, BDI can help build a future where Black disabled people are fully recognized, respected, and resourced.

NationSwell: Finally, what are some of the challenges you’re currently facing, and how can NationSwell’s community of changemakers help you with those challenges?

Jackson: One of our biggest hurdles is the lack of detailed data and targeted funding for Black disabled communities in the South. Too often, policy and research discussions don’t address—or even acknowledge—the multiple layers of racism and ableism we encounter. Changing this requires significant effort and resources. Another challenge lies in shifting the broader narrative: disability is still widely seen through the lens of “accommodation” rather than justice, and Black disabled people can get lost in both racial justice and disability advocacy spaces. NationSwell’s community can help by sharing resources, forging strategic partnerships, and amplifying our research so the experiences of Black disabled Southerners reach decision-makers. We also welcome support in reshaping the narrative—through storytelling, media, and campaigns that show the realities and resilience of Black disabled people. By joining forces, we can push for systemic changes that move us past “inclusion” and toward genuine equity and justice.

Impact Next: An interview with Visa Foundation’s Graham MacMillan

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

This year, Impact Next — an editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Graham Macmillan , president of Visa Foundation.

Greg Behrman, CEO and founder, NationSwell: What brought you to this moment? Was there a formative relationship or experience that led to you becoming a leader in this field?

Graham  Macmillan, Visa Foundation: I knew in college that I wanted to be passionate about something and intellectually challenged, and thankfully, because of some great professors, I got inspired to think more about international development, which was a term way back in the 1990s to describe social impact. 

I was really interested in these organizations that were out there trying to solve big problems and challenges, and asking what they could do to support communities, and I started to realize this was the direction for a career that was both interesting to me and would allow me to go to sleep at night knowing that I was trying to make things a little bit better than they were before. 

You get tested over the course of your career, of course, but those moments also have the potential to be very affirming. If you’re lucky enough to have a passion, to be interested in the work that you do, to be surrounded by really fun, terrific people that share a common sense of purpose, you can make a career out of that without a problem. 

Behrman, NationSwell: What makes you an effective leader in your organization? Is there a particular philosophy of leadership or an approach that comes to mind?

Macmillan, Visa Foundation: I don’t know that it’s my place to call myself a leader — that’s for others to determine, in my view. What I try to do that may have characteristics that speak to leadership is having a sense of purpose, having a vision for what could be that is better than what it is now, taking some risk, and always ensuring that your role is in service of supporting the people that actually do the work.

I do nothing except cause trouble for my team. I get in the way. I slow things down. I ask too many questions sometimes. They’re the ones that actually do the good work. My job is to make sure that they are prepared, they have the resources, the support, the belief that they can get it done and solve any problems that might come up. So that’s what my job is and my belief in where I can add the most value. 

Behrman, NationSwell: What are two or three facets of the work that you’re leading that you think are special — what feels important to lift up?

Macmillan, Visa Foundation: The signature work that Visa and Visa Foundation have been focused on is the role that small and micro businesses can play in advancing economic growth. What we’ve managed to accomplish over this five-year period is to establish a strategy that would advance small and micro businesses in a meaningful way that aligns with both the values of our 30,000 employees and our stakeholders around the world — putting women and underrepresented founders at the center of that strategy. 

We know that there’s a tremendous gap between the resources that are allocated to women-led or underserved entrepreneurs, and we wanted to pry that open and demonstrate that they actually are not only viable, but there are actually tremendous, high-growth opportunities in doing so for a whole range of reasons. 

The distinguishing characteristic of our approach over the past five years has been not only grant making but actually investing to support these small and micro businesses. We have about a $500 million endowment, which makes us somewhat unusual for a U.S. Corporate foundation — we manage the assets, and we’ve worked with the board to establish that we manage the assets as if we were more like a perpetual foundation without an annual distribution of funds. 

Behrman, NationSwell: Anything else about your work that feels particularly differentiated in the field?

Macmillan, Visa Foundation: There are a ton of foundations that don’t invest at all. What we have constructed is essentially a toolbox of all the things that we could use, and it’s not a monolithic application — we look at every circumstance and we open ourselves up to what the partners actually need. We tell them what’s available to them and we’re not prescriptive, we don’t assume we know what they need better than they do.

I believe that corporate philanthropy is elevated when you’re harnessing the power and capability of the business — that is fundamentally differentiated from private philanthropy. It just is. When done well, change can occur at a pace that is just fundamentally different. We are on the precipice of seeing that happen, and we’re currently trying to set up conditions by which we can then be effective at that next phase. 

Behrman, NationSwell: Who are a few of the peer leaders whose work or leadership styles you most admire?

Macmillan, Visa Foundation: I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my boss at Citi, Brandy McHale, who taught me more about corporate philanthropy and philanthropy in general than almost anyone I know. In many ways, everything that I do is modeled off what I learned from her, both in terms of culture and humility and good sense of humor. 

A colleague that I’ve long admired but have recently gotten to know more and more is Delilah Wilson-Scott. Delilah is incredible in my opinion: she’s navigated two very complex, large companies at the highest level, and she does it with grace, with humor, and she’s super smart. 

And then last but not least, of course, is my former colleague, Darren Walker, who I spent a few years working with at Ford. Darren is a fundamental believer in the power of the market as a force for good, he knows finance, he knows governance, and what he’s been able to build out of that knowledge is tremendous. 

Behrman, NationSwell: What are some of the resources that have really inspired you as a leader? 

Macmillan, Visa Foundation: I would honestly point to the NationSwell community: there’s substance, there’s thought, there’s content, there’s community, there’s gathering. The breaking of bread — that’s a resource unto itself. 

In terms of podcasts, I love “The Rest is History” — it’s fantastic. I’m a huge follower and fan of history, and the podcast is led by two British hosts, and there’s something about talking about history with a British accent that just feels right. It’s also really good if you want to fall asleep. There’s also another terrific one called “Empire” — I’m grateful to any resource that I can use to take my head out of this space but still be thoughtful and think of the patterns in history that become our future.

Being an Effective Philanthropy Leader in the Year Ahead

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

Philanthropic leaders must balance the work of executing on their unique organizational priorities, adapting to evolutions in the field, and innovating toward more impactful models and approaches.

At the outset of 2025 – a year poised to surface new tensions, complexities, and opportunities for funders – NationSwell convened leaders to take stock of the most urgent trends and highlight what’s needed to unlock even more transformational impact on the road ahead. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Increasing polarization around the language of DEI might require adjusting approaches to achieve important goals. Doubling down on our equity commitments within the current political climate may require us to think creatively about how we can still “do the work” without drawing unwanted attention — relying on judicious rhetorical and narrative framings in order to continue to show up and prioritize the people and communities who rely on us. At the same time, we must remember that language has power — when we change our language, we also risk inadvertently decentering our priorities or shifting our focus. Maintaining our firm commitments to increasing equity will require us to avoid “preemptive submission” — making cuts or strategic decisions out of fear of the unknown, before we’re asked or required to do so.

Focus on what is in front of you and what you can actually control. Sometimes, the oldest cliches are true: Hand-wringing and worrying about the state of the world more broadly will only stymie your efforts to move the ball forward in the corners of your organization where effective change is possible. Our current political moment requires an acknowledgement that this political phase is temporary, and a commitment to adjusting to and processing the information we actually have in front of us in order to respond effectively and do the critical work that needs to be done in this moment of flux.

Get creative about how public-private partnerships can function in unexpected ways to serve common interests. As the work of joining hands in service of common goals becomes more urgent, leaning on nontraditional partnership models is one avenue funders can explore in order to serve their communities. Funders who might not normally come together or might have competing funding priorities — banks, for example — now have an opportunity to come together and use one voice, thinking strategically about how they can work together in service of creating more inclusive economies and being more generally supportive to partners, organizations, and the communities they serve. 

Prioritize the engagement of local government in place-based work. Although there is traditionally a silo wall that hinders functional communication and collaboration between place-based philanthropy leaders and local governments, the swiftly-materializing reality of a massive reduction in federal dollars and services will inevitably leave local governments facing significant financial constraints and obstacles to delivering urgently-needed services. As community members are set to bear the brunt of these shortfalls, philanthropic leaders now have a prime opportunity to develop new strategies for bridge-building and engagement with local officials — and to help reimagine how those funds and community services are delivered. 

Understand that some nonprofit partners are anxious and scared. Our current moment will require us to think not just as funders, but also as community members responding to a very human reaction by nonprofit partners who were stressed and resource-strapped even before the political climate shifted. As ever, listening and empathizing will be critical skill sets for philanthropic leaders to lean on, as will the ability to think creatively about how to deploy or earmark capital and provide partners with the information they need.

Put your own mask on first. With an evolving mandate and a set of stepped-up anxieties for partners and community members, philanthropic leaders must remember that taking care of themselves and ensuring that they are in a healthy mental space will be a pragmatic concern as much as a spiritual one. Ask yourself what you need in order to be okay to show up for others in the way that is required of you in this moment — is it more sleep? Better hydration? More dedicated time with loved ones? Finding new and innovative ways to provide support for community partners will also be critically important, whether it’s funding new avenues for legal support or collaboratives for leaders in the trenches so that they are emotionally supported with new ways for processing and keeping their own heads up.

Impact Next: An interview with Wells Fargo Foundation’s Darlene Goins

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster under-served communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2024, Impact Next — a new editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Darlene Goins, President of the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Greg Behrman, CEO and founder, NationSwell: What brought you to this field? Was there a moment in your life that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action in the impact space?

Darlene Goins, President, Wells Fargo Foundation: I grew up the daughter of a minister and seeing the service to others and community that my father provided instilled in me a need to provide service to others. As I entered my adult life and career, I became fascinated by the idea of decision analysis — making decisions through data. When I was in graduate school, and then later when I was at FICO, I realized there was a ton of consumer confusion around credit scores. I knew I wanted to help demystify credit scores for people and provide financial education with it — to help people improve their scores and chart the path forward — so I created a program that allowed financial institutions to share FICO scores for free. Seeing the impact that program had unlocked passion in me to do more, beyond the credit space. I came to Wells Fargo excited to scale relationships that can be used to further financial capability, and to create lasting community impact on the lives of underserved, underestimated families and businesses. 

Behrman, NationSwell: As a leader in the space, how are you sense-making when it comes to this moment, and how are you thinking about the unique opportunities and challenges inherent to it?

Goins, Wells Fargo Foundation: It’s clear that we’ve made meaningful progress, but we still have a long way to go. We are seeing that some of society’s toughest problems are still widely prevalent — the housing crisis, an unmanageable cost of living, the difficulties so many people face in getting ahead. But at the same time, I’m encouraged by the collective effort I’m seeing from so many organizations to drive change and move us in the right direction. That’s one of the reasons I feel so blessed to be in this role, to have the ability to leverage philanthropy as a catalyst and test new and innovative ideas at scale. 

Behrman, NationSwell: Are there any trends we’re seeing in the current moment that make you feel particularly optimistic?

Goins, Wells Fargo Foundation: From a philanthropy perspective, one of the changes I’ve seen over the course of the last nine years has been the general attitude shift I’ve seen around really integrating a community’s lived experience and wisdom into investment decisions. Historically speaking, the traditionally held attitude of philanthropy was that you could come into communities and you automatically knew what would work best. These days, I’m seeking more of an orientation toward community co-design — leveraging the experience of the people you’re trying to help. This trend around community-led design gives me real optimism for the future. 

Behrman, NationSwell: What are two or three facets of the work you are leading that you think are particularly special or differentiated in the field — what feels important to lift up?

Goins, Wells Fargo Foundation: One of the things I really like to think about is how we can leverage the full breadth of our resources. As a financial institution, Wells Fargo Foundation has four primary funding priorities: affordable housing, sustainability, small business growth, and financial health. Bringing the full resources of the bank to bear is critical to the work of strengthening marginalized communities, and that intentional approach allows us to go deeper on societal issues.

One example of this multi-pronged approach can be found in Minneapolis, where we invested in the development of a mixed-use, multi-income housing development in the commercial corridor that was destroyed in wake of George Floyd’s murder. After a period of intentional and highly engaged community outreach, the finished development will feature 100 new affordable housing units, a Wells Fargo branch, and a community meeting space — the combination of commercial and corporate properties that can create a lasting impact.

I’m also very proud of the work we’re doing in the small business growth space, particularly with the Open for Business Fund. When the pandemic hit, our CEO decided to take the gross processing fees the government issued for administering the PPP loans — equivalent to around $420 million — and put that back into a fund to deliver urgent capital and expertise to racially and ethnically diverse small business owners. Fast forward four years, and we’ve been able to serve 336,000 small businesses, which has helped to generate or preserve more than 461,000 jobs. 

Behrman, NationSwell: What are some of the resources that have really inspired you as a leader? 

Goins, Wells Fargo Foundation: One resource that’s really helped shape my thinking on how to position the work is an article that McKinsey published on the business case for financial inclusion, which looked at Black and white Americans and access to financial products and the racial wealth gap. It concluded that if Black Americans had the same access to financial services that white Americans have, companies could realize up to $60 billion in additional revenue each year. That is something I’ve really come back to over and over again, and it has helped me with positioning this work on numerous occasions.

As a leader, I also love the book More than Ready by Cecilia Muñoz. I have dealt with imposter syndrome in the past, and her book helped me to recognize that I am ready for the seat that I occupy. It’s also been helpful in providing strategies for dealing with microaggressions and unconscious bias, and just generally reminding me that I’m not alone in this work.

There’s a quote I come back to often: “Never accept criticism from someone from whom you wouldn’t seek advice.” I think that pretty much speaks for itself.

Impact Next: An interview with the Seattle Foundation’s Alesha Washington

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of growing inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster our most vulnerable communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2024, Impact Next — a new editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Alesha Washington, President and CEO of Seattle Foundation.

Chloe Lew, Senior Vice President of Partnerships, NationSwell: How did you come to be the President and CEO of the Seattle Foundation? I’d love to hear about any key milestones, mentors, or experiences that brought you here.

Alesha Washington, President and CEO, Seattle Foundation: For me, it started with a general curiosity about nonprofit organizations because of my experiences with them growing up. I was a volunteer camp counselor at my neighborhood YMCA, and my first internship experience was with the ACLU. As I became more aware of nonprofits, I quickly learned that philanthropy played a role in funding all of these amazing experiences I was having as a kid, and I knew I wanted to do something to give back to this sector that was giving so much to me.

I also had a notable mentor in Dave Abbott, the former president of the George Gund Foundation in Ohio — he was the one who instilled in me the power of public policy and philanthropy. He taught me that if we make a grant to an organization, it will benefit a group of people, but if we change the law or the regulation that’s causing the need in the first place, we can help many more. He was always thinking about how to use philanthropy as a catalyst for public policy and systems change. I became a lobbyist because of his influence and used my position to create change in the civic sector. By the time Seattle Foundation became a possibility for me, I was impressed by how explicit the foundation was about racial equity and justice, and how clear it was about the role that a community foundation could play in systems-change work through grant making and advocacy. 

Lew, NationSwell: You have been at the Seattle Foundation for nearly three years. What has been guiding your leadership as you’ve taken the helm of the organization?

Washington, Seattle Foundation:  Three things come to mind. First, there were some operational challenges when I stepped into Seattle Foundation, and I came in eyes wide open — the opportunity I saw was: How do you unlock resources for a community while also building a stronger business, and how do you do that with purpose? Wrestling with this solidified the need for a very clear and accessible vision. When you go through big shifts as an organization, there are bound to be questions and pent-up energies — the ability to set that vision early on and give folks something to aspire to helps them know that even when it’s hard, it’s hard for a reason.

The second thing is that I genuinely believe organizations are only as strong as their people, and at the end of the day if the people aren’t well, the organization isn’t healthy either. Stepping into this role, I spent time early on with every single person who works at the Foundation so that I could hear their stories and understand their point of view. It starts to give you a real temperature check on the health of the organization as a whole when you hear how people are showing up to work every day.

Finally, the thing I hold at the very center of my work is joy. In a space where there is so much polarization and so many people coming from different lived experiences, joy is something that we all still seem to find some unity in. Holding space for joy doesn’t mean that things aren’t chaotic or difficult; it just means that we can recognize the beauty of that discord and move through it with meaning, strength, purpose, and hope.

Lew, NationSwell: How do you center joy within the Foundation — what does that look like in practice? 

Washington, Seattle Foundation: The reality is given the changing nature of community foundations – the shift towards sustainable business models that can drive real impact – we will be in a state of evolution constantly. Navigating change is hard, so a key focus for us is building trust in order to ensure that our people feel valued and heard. We put out a robust staff engagement survey in an attempt to create mechanisms for people to share thoughts and perspectives. We use our people manager meetings to offer training on change management, really focusing on how to manage through change joyfully so they feel equipped to support our team. 

We’re always thinking about how to create safe spaces for people to share thoughts, but then also how to respond to those concerns so folks have clarity and transparency around our thinking. Our team that works on learning literally put together a Jeopardy game to bring people deeper into the work and make it fun — you can make gaining knowledge and trust a really joyful experience.

At the end of the day, we’re trying to create a fun and joyful environment internally while also being intentional about transparency and trust mechanisms that help people step into more of their power in the work. My personal barometer for that is how many staff feel comfortable reaching out to me to say, “Can we grab coffee?” or “Can I talk to you?” I’m seeing an uptick in that in a way that lets me know we’re doing something to foster something good here, even if it’s hard. 

Lew, NationSwell: How are you thinking about the current moment in social impact, and the economic landscape more broadly?

Washington, Seattle Foundation: Nikole Hannah-Jones did a piece on the colorblindness trap that I think is essential reading. Especially now as I consider where we are post this election. She very skillfully and artfully tracks the impact and legacy of slavery to where we are in the present day, with a number of lawsuits and efforts to attack diversity, equity, inclusion, to turn the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act on their heads and systematically reverse a lot of the efforts to create more opportunities for Black people and other people of color.

So much has gotten lost in translation through this time that I’m not quite clear or sure how astute and clued in we all are as a society. If nothing else, it is illuminating how powerful and sometimes dangerous narrative can be. One thing I still hold onto from NationSwell’s immersive experience in Montgomery is when Bryan Stevenson shared with the group that the biggest sin of slavery wasn’t slavery itself, it was the way that we justified it — the narrative around it.

I think what it means in my work, and for philanthropy as a whole, is that we get prepared for sophisticated legal, financial, and reputational threats that are meant to make us back away from anything we are doing that would be seen as too controversial in this current environment. We need to stay focused and close to each other. We need to keep our values at the center of every move we make. And we need to keep funding narrative change, community organizing, and power building in the communities we serve. 

I want to know that we’re able to stand the test of this time, that we don’t shrink away and acquiesce to a moment and then find ourselves in a situation a decade from now where these things we fought so hard for around a more inclusive democracy, around opportunities for those that never had a fair shot to a get ahead, all of that is turned on its head.

Lew, NationSwell: What are some of the initiatives, ways of working, or projects that you feel represent the best or most differentiated work that the Seattle Foundation is doing? What would you lift up for other leaders in the field?

Washington, Seattle Foundation: We have a vision of a joyful region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice. As a grantmaker, we’re always thinking about how we resource organizations — especially BIPOC-led and -serving organizations — in a way that helps make that vision a reality. 

We’ve always done that through this very tiny pot of money that represents our core discretionary dollars — around 5% of what we do as a whole — with the other 95% driven through our donor-advised funds. The foundation has had to get innovative to figure out how we shift from impact work happening through a tiny discretionary grantmaking pool to bringing all the resources under our control to drive toward our vision. We have to think about all of the tools in our impact toolkit and how they support traditional grantmaking, and so we’ve really started to deepen our work with impact investing.

One of our primary vehicles for this is the Evergreen Impact Housing Fund, which is our way of contributing to the production of affordable housing, something that iis sorely needed in a community like Seattle. Thinking about the creative ways that philanthropy can test, innovate, and de-risk projects around affordability, how we can come into a capital stack of a project to make it more solvable at the end — we really put a lot of energy into that, and it creates opportunities for donors to co-invest with us. We are planning to grow this impact fund over the next year and create opportunities for individual donors to co-invest with us. 

We have refreshed learning opportunities for our donors to help broaden their understanding of community issues and help them get engaged. We’re supporting peer-to-peer learning among our donor base, so while their entry point may be a conversation of interest for them with other philanthropists on environmental justice, we’re there to then help them see what we’re funding and where there are opportunities for them to invest. 

My hope is that by recognizing everybody’s humanity in this — and the fact that we are all linked together in what it takes to get to a joyful community — we’re seeing resources move in more ways that are aligned and connected to what Seattle needs to thrive.  

Lew, NationSwell: Which of your peers in the field most inspire you?

Washington, Seattle Foundation: I have a top three. Fred Blackwell with the San Francisco Foundation is the epitome of cool for me. He has a tremendous heart for social justice. Trisha Finnegan at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation — we have this shared experience of moving to communities that we are not from and stepping in as new leaders attempting to drive pretty significant change. She leads with a level of courage and strength that is beyond anything that I’ve seen, and it gives me a lot of energy and hope. 

I’m also inspired by a phenomenal community leader back home named Leah Hudnall, who runs the Legacy Perspective. Leah really understands narrative change work and is deeply committed to the success of the community that raised her. She’s been very intentional in capturing the stories and legacy of people that would otherwise not be named, and she has stayed true to that calling, even in the face of opposition to her leadership.

Lew, NationSwell: What are the resources that you’ve found have been transformational in terms of how you look at this work and at your own leadership?

Washington, Seattle Foundation: I’m reading a really great book right now called “Leading with Joy: Practices for Uncertain Times,” by Akaya Windwood and Rajasvini Bhansali. I’m big on leadership books for past time reading but it is probably the most insightful, meaningful body of work that I’ve read — it uses short vignettes and stories from both of the authors to reflect on the leadership experiences of women of color through a lens of joy.

Impact Next: An interview with New York Life Foundation’s Heather Nesle

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of growing inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster our most vulnerable communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2024, Impact Next — a new editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Heather Nesle — President of New York Life Foundation.

Greg Behrman, CEO and Founder, NationSwell: What brought you to this field? Was there a moment in your life that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action on social and economic progress?

Heather Nesle, New York Life Foundation: There is one seminal moment for me: I took guitar lessons when I was in fourth or fifth grade, and my guitar teacher was playing at Carnegie Hall. My parents decided the whole family would go and get dressed up as a show of support, and on our way out, I noticed a homeless person sitting on the street right by the entrance. I remember having a conversation with my father about it, and asking why somebody would be sitting there, and that conversation stays with me as one of the first moments I can remember where I really started to understand privilege — the idea that not everybody has a place to live, or food to eat. It was a spark that likely inspired me to ultimately enter the field of social purpose.

Behrman, NationSwell: Looking back at the scope of your career, how have your thinking, your strategies, leadership style, or philosophies evolved? What are some attributes or approaches that make you an effective leader in this space?

Nesle, New York Life Foundation:  Being an effective leader transcends sectors, and I think there are a few core attributes that everybody has to have: good communication, proficiency at your job, the ability to pick strong people and develop them well. I’m also a big believer in curiosity — constantly reading, exploring, and meeting new people. I think it helps to cultivate new ideas. 

In terms of my personal style at work, I’ve always just believed in treating adults like adults, and on our best days, making sure that we’re having fun and bringing a sense of humor to the things that we do. I’ve been very lucky in that I love what I do and I love coming into work. If I had to nail down one core philosophy that I return to, I think it would be to just continue doing your best to add a little bit more into this world than you’ve taken away.

Behrman, NationSwell: What are a few things you’d like to shine a spotlight on around the work that you’re leading?

Nesle, New York Life Foundation: A lot of the work we do is around mental well-being, as it relates to childhood bereavement. I think we’re seeing a lot of suffering across the country, and really around the world — people are in this sort of gloomy place generally. From our perspective, the loss of a significant person is always going to affect your mental health, but the larger macro trends that we’re seeing around drug overdoses, suicide, etc., just really exacerbate that suffering for children and families, and so this acute sense of crisis that we’re in is making those disparities even more stark.

We also have another focus in the middle school education space, and it doesn’t take an expert to know that middle school is a fraught time in your life, but there are so many things that are just making it harder right now. We have the after-effects of the pandemic still playing out on learning and socialization, and social media, and some of the isolation that comes into play there. We also have several looming crises — climate change, social justice, you name it — that young people are deeply concerned about. Those are big issues that are affecting the areas where we focus. 

At the same time, I also feel optimistic about so much. I get to work on these issues with some of the smartest and most passionate people, and young people, in particular, continue to inspire me. One of our grantees in the bereavement space is the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. When you read the writing and you see the different art created by these young people, it really does fill you with hope. You see that there are optimistic, passionate people coming up behind you, and it makes you feel like the future is bright.

Behrman, NationSwell: What else about the impact strategies, initiatives, or partnership models New York Life is championing feels particularly unique or differentiated? 

Nesle, New York Life Foundation: Generally, most children will have an adaptive response to grief with certain basic interventions, but as a society, we don’t really know who these children are — there isn’t any real way to identify them. Studies have shown that kids who have lost a parent are more than twice as likely than non-bereaved kids to have issues at school and at home, even many years later. They have an increased risk of mental health and psychosocial problems, and some research also suggests that children who lose a parent at an early age have lower levels of educational attainment. 

We’re doing a pilot in Utah, with our partner the Children’s Collaborative, right now to identify bereaved youth and connect them with key benefits, and we’re essentially doing three core things there. The first is we’re working with one of the largest school districts in Salt Lake to add a question to their intake forms when children register for school every year voluntarily asking guardians to let the school know if the child has lost a parent or guardian. The second thing we’re doing is working with their Department of Records and Department of Health to compare death records with birth records so that when somebody dies, they can actually determine if their name is on somebody’s birth certificate who’s under the age of 18. And then the third thing that we were able to do is convince Utah to become the first state in the nation to add a checkmark on their state death certificate indicating that a person who has died has left behind a dependent child. After these young people are identified in these different ways, the United Way is leading the effort to conduct outreach to their current guardian or remaining parent, and work with them through the various processes until they start to receive benefits they might be eligible for, including Social Security, SNAP, FEMA, as well as connections to emotional resources. 

We’re also partnering with other cities and states — including Dallas, Memphis, and the state of New Jersey, where they actually just passed legislation requiring bereavement education for students in grades 8-12. So there’s good stuff going on — we’re excited about moving that needle forward.

Behrman, NationSwell: How are you making sense of the field right now? What are the current social impact trends that are not getting enough attention, in your mind?

Nesle, New York Life Foundation: In my role, I also have a hand in our sustainability strategy and reporting, working with people from across the organization. It’s impossible to approach these topics without engaging the entire company, because the reporting and regulatory requirements are all-encompassing. It’s exciting — there are opportunities for CSR professionals to learn new skills and create new impacts in their companies. 

I also think there are headwinds and tailwinds affecting philanthropy in general. There has been a lot going on in the DEI space, and that’s affecting grantmakers. Some of these recent court cases and settlements are creating confusion about how to continue supporting underserved populations and avoid potential litigation. This challenge will continue as other cases wind their way through the legal system. On the other hand, what we see, at least in our company, and I hope it’s an example of a broader trend, is much higher engagement, people really wanting to volunteer, really wanting to have a purpose. And we’re lucky, we have a very mission-driven business at the heart of what we do. At New York Life, we have not only gotten back to pre-pandemic levels, we’re on track to exceed those levels, so that feels really exciting.

Behrman, NationSwell: Of the social or economic leaders who perform a similar function to yours at peer organizations, whose work inspires you, and whom you hold in high esteem?

Nesle, New York Life Foundation: I think working in a sector like this, we’re incredibly lucky — there’s a real kinship to this field and lots of folks to be inspired by. For the last 18 years, I have been meeting regularly with a group of women — it just happened to shake out that way — in the CSR field. We found each other organically, through groups like NationSwell, and decided to get together and exchange ideas and help each other work through challenges. It has been one of the most formative experiences of my career.

The “members” of this illustrious group include Liz Cribbs, who’s now in philanthropic advisory at UBS; Kelly Fisher, who’s in sustainability at HSBC; Natalie Abatemarco, who just recently retired from Citi’s Community Development Group (and is a staunch Mets fan, like me); Fran Laserson, who retired as the head of the Moody’s Foundation; and Louise Raymond, who was at McGraw Hill in their CSR department, but now runs her own sustainability consultancy. 

We support each other through the highs and lows of this work — and I encourage people starting in this profession to form their own peer groups.

Behrman, NationSwell: Could you recommend any insightful resources – maybe a book, report, podcast, or article that has significantly influenced your thinking?

Nesle, New York Life Foundation:  One book that I go back to quite a bit is Working by Studs Terkel. It’s a compilation of stories about people and their jobs, details about what they do day to day, how it makes them feel, and the purpose they find in those jobs. I think, especially in these times when we all feel so polarized, just getting down to the nuts and bolts of how people spend their days and what they think and worry about creates some much needed empathy. We all really do care about most of the same things, and want to derive purpose in how we spend our days. But it also gives you an appreciation for how the world works and how people doing many different jobs keep us safe, fed and happy. 

My father, when I was young, gave me a copy of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, and out of so many inspiring and thought-provoking quotes there’s one by Joyce Carol Oates that really resonates: “A daydreamer is prepared for most things.” I’d like to think so!

Impact Next: An interview with PNC’s Sally McCrady

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of growing inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster our most vulnerable communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2024, Impact Next — a new editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Sally McCrady — Chair and President of the PNC Foundation.

Greg Behrman, CEO and Founder, NationSwell: What brought you to this field? Was there anything formative or foundational that galvanized your commitment to driving social and economic progress?

Sally McCrady, Chair and President of the PNC Foundation: Like anything, probably a little bit of luck and being in the right place at the right time. 

I’ve been at PNC for 26 years now, and I started right out of graduate school. I really wanted to work for a nonprofit, and never thought I would be saying someday I’ve been at a bank for 26 years. But I got a terrific opportunity at PNC to start doing research in support of our Community Development Banking group, which felt like a good first step, and I became really interested in the role that banks can play in terms of community development. 

From there, I went into our Compliance group where I did work for the Community Reinvestment Act, which I’m happy to say PNC has had an outstanding rating under for the last 40 years. In September of 2003, PNC announced a program called PNC Grow Up Great, and I was immediately drawn to its mission and the importance of early childhood education. Twenty years later and here I am — working not only on our Grow Up Great program, but also overseeing PNC’s charitable giving.

Behrman, NationSwell: What do you think is different about how PNC approaches its philanthropic work and community investment? 

McCrady, PNC: To me, the piece that’s always made our philanthropy impactful and interesting is that we are very committed to making decisions locally. To give some context, when PNC Grow Up Great launched in 2004, PNC operated in 12 markets — we had never really done anything where everybody had a similar focus. Fast forward 20 years, and we’re now in 54 markets. 

What’s been interesting, and what’s allowed Grow Up Great and our philanthropy in general to be successful, is that we have never stepped away from the local approach to philanthropy. So while Grow Up Great has a common mission, and we are all focused on supporting high-quality early childhood education, that looks a little bit different in each one of our markets because we know that our local markets and our employees there, know the needs; they know the nonprofits that can have the greatest impact, they really take the lead and make the decisions locally, and that’s been very successful for us.

Behrman, NationSwell: Is there a signature social or economic project or initiative you’re currently overseeing that you’d like to spotlight during our discussion?

McCrady, PNC:  One of the things I treasure most about Grow up Great is our strategic focus on one common social issue — early childhood education —. What that’s allowed us to do, not only at the corporate level, where we have a couple of partnerships that are national in scope, but also at the local level, is build relationships that, in many cases, have spanned the full 20 years. 

One of my favorite initiatives that we bring into all of our markets now is called Be My Neighbor Days. Across the country, we’re partnering with Fred Rogers Productions, a local PBS station, and a number of community partners for a community day with all sorts of different activities for families and their younger children to really think about how they can be great neighbors. They might be writing, they might be putting packages together for local senior communities, but everything is done with the importance of kindness in mind.

Another partnership that’s been amazing to work with is DonorsChoose, which is a platform where citizen donors can go online and help fulfill a teacher’s request, since we know they are still spending out of their own pockets for things they want to utilize in their classrooms. 

Several years ago, when we first worked with DonorsChoose, the platform was not open to Head Start programs, which are one of our biggest partners since the inception of Grow Up Great. We’ve been able to work with DonorsChoose to re-envision the platform. And, with our committed funding, DonorsChoose now serves Head Start programs across the country. We’re so proud of this investment, because I can’t think of any educators that need it more than our Head Start teachers.

Behrman, NationSwell: Is there anything else that you might want to lift up in terms of the ambition of your work, or things that you feel like are particularly innovative that you’re pushing on right now?

McCrady, PNC: I’ll highlight our employee volunteerism program also, which is a little bit different than other corporate programs out there. First, our employees receive 40 hours of paid time off each year to volunteer. So one of the programs we can volunteer for is Grow Up Great, and we’ve had 1.1 million hours in support of early childhood education through the program. Second, I think volunteers are the heart and soul of our program, and it’s awesome to see how engaged our employees get. It’s so rewarding to support our philanthropic giving with employee volunteerism, and to support our employee volunteerism with philanthropic giving.

Behrman, NationSwell: People often talk about integrating employee giving, and philanthropy more broadly, into their business strategies. Are there connection points there with the work that you’re doing?

McCrady, PNC: We have a dedicated skills-based volunteerism program where we work with a small group of nonprofits in several of our markets to help address a particular issue they’re hoping to solve. For about 16 weeks, our employees and nonprofit partners work together to focus on that one problem. We’ve helped organizations with IT, job descriptions and overall HR strategies, we’ve supported landscaping and marketing needs, and we’ve helped Head Start programs streamline enrollment and translate documents into multiple languages.

We also encourage our nonprofit partners to think broadly about how they can use the experience and different skill sets of thousands of PNC employees to make a difference. So every day, we have opportunities to make those connections and help create long-term success. 

The more we’ve learned about early childhood education and the positive impact it has on a child’s lifetime trajectory, the more we’re convinced it’s the place where we could really make a difference. And it wasn’t already crowded with a lot of voices — we felt like it was an area where we could really make a difference and, probably most importantly to who we are as a bank, there was a ton of economic research coming out that explained the value of long-term investment.

Behrman, NationSwell: Is there an approach to your leadership that you would say has allowed you to drive impact and be successful in the way you have?

McCrady, PNC: First and foremost, none of this would be possible without our executive leadership support and active engagement in driving the importance of our community work. 

Another approach that has served me well over time is just having the utmost respect for my colleagues across the markets, and being such a huge fan of what they’re doing and the organizations that they choose to support. The different work they’re doing might not seem like a fit with the project we’re trying to do at first, but then when you understand the local nuances, it makes sense. So I think it’s just being open to new ideas, how things might look a little different in every city where we operate. And that’s OK, because again, our colleagues understand the community and what they’re trying to accomplish.

Behrman, NationSwell: What are some of the defining trends you’re seeing right now in community impact or corporate philanthropy? 

McCrady, PNC: From a corporate philanthropy standpoint, one thing that’s really important in this moment is around employee engagement and just thinking about how all of our workplaces have changed dramatically over the last four or so years. One area we focus on a lot is making sure our employees understand what we’re doing in the community and have an opportunity to learn and engage in the impactful work we do. 

For the last several years, one of my favorite things that we do to engage our employees is provide a DonorsChoose gift code around the holidays and let them go online and choose a project to support that speaks to them. So I think a lot of it is the importance of creating and enforcing PNC’s culture — really just tying everything back to the employee experience.

Behrman, NationSwell: Of the social or economic leaders who perform a similar function to yours at peer organizations, whose work inspires you, and who do you hold in high esteem?

McCrady, PNC: I’m following Mackenzie Scott and all of the decisions that she and her brilliant team have made in the last several years. It’s so interesting to see the nonprofits they select, and in so many cases they’re familiar organizations that we have worked with in a small way. I’m beyond excited to see the recognition and elevation into the national limelight, because in many cases they’re small local nonprofits that would never have these enormous resources to really take their mission to scale. 

I’ll also mention Cathe Dykstra, who runs an organization called Family Scholar House in Louisville, Kentucky. The program is basically a housing education program; the majority of the clients are single moms, but there are also some great dads that have been part of the program as well. The scholars are graduates of high school who want to go on and get higher education – two-year, four-year degrees – and the program provides the stable housing and everything their families need to allow them to achieve their educational goals. It truly breaks the cycle of poverty in one generation, and what’s been awesome to see is that while they have five campuses in Louisville, it’s now spreading across the country. 

Behrman, NationSwell: Could you recommend any insightful resources – maybe a book, report, podcast or article that has significantly influenced your thinking?

McCrady, PNC: A podcast I love and just discovered in its second season is Wiser Than Me by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Just this weekend, I listened to an episode featuring Diane von Furstenberg, and she also had Rhea Perlman and Bonnie Raitt as guests — it’s just amazing. The guests are women that are mostly in their 70s, talking about these remarkable careers and what they’ve done philanthropically. It’s just a ton of fun. She ends every podcast by calling her mom and telling her about who she’s just spoken to, and her mom has these wonderful anecdotes or insights that take you by surprise. It’s a wonderful array of women leaders that have accomplished so many things — I find it crazy inspirational every time I listen.

Atlanta Showcases Homeownership Solutions that Help Close the Racial Wealth Gap 

Posted on by Syd Goin

Innovative homeownership partnerships led by local governments can empower communities to overcome systemic barriers to generational wealth.

Home is not just where the heart is: homeownership is proven to build wealth for you and your family. Typically, individuals and families who own their homes accumulate more assets over time, and according to the Federal Reserve (2022), the median net worth of homeowners is nearly 40 times greater than that of renters. 

Unfortunately, rates of homeownership in the US are in lockstep with deep-rooted racial and economic disparities, creating a generation-over-generation racial wealth gap that negatively impacts BIPOC families. Rates of homeownership for white Americans are over 30% higher than for Black Americans, and rates among those in the highest income bracket are nearly double those in the lowest income bracket. 

Affordable housing and homeownership can support every community member’s quest for financial security, but producing more housing units is only part of the solution. Local leaders must tackle interconnected issues simultaneously, offer holistic support, and involve cross-sector partnerships and collaboration to ensure homeownership is equitable. 

Mayor Dickens of Atlanta understands this complexity and has set an ambitious goal to build or preserve 20,000 units of affordable housing in eight years. “We know that increasing the amount of safe, stable, and affordable housing will provide significant benefits throughout our community: increased economic mobility, a reduction in crime, better health outcomes, higher educational achievement. Our city cannot meet its fullest potential if our people do not have stable places to live and to lay their heads at night,” said the Mayor recently. In response to the challenge, the Mayor has established a new office dedicated to realizing the necessary affordable housing and addressing the root causes of the socioeconomic gap.

To shed more light on this solution, we spoke with Wesley Myrick, a former Fuse Executive Fellow, who serves on the Mayor’s Office Policy Team, Special Projects Division. We asked Myrick about the work involved in building safe and secure affordable housing, as well as the strategies his team is using to prioritize homeownership solutions that uplift diversity and legacy communities, rather than allowing gentrification and disenfranchisement.

NationSwell: Wesley, it is great to speak with you today and learn more about innovative approaches to homeownership. Let’s start with your role on the Mayor’s Office Policy Team, Special Projects Division.  What does it involve?

Wesley Myrick: I serve on the housing team which has three divisions: Special Projects, Innovation Lab, and General Housing Policy. I joined the Director of Special Projects, who manages large-scale displacement initiatives like Forest Cove. That property was condemned due to the state of disrepair it was in, so the city stepped up to relocate families, acting as a champion for them and the larger community. 

We also work on the Rapid Housing Initiative, which is focused on the quick delivery of highly dignified, comfortable homes for those experiencing chronic homelessness. One example of this is an apartment project called, The Melody, which opened in January of this year and consists of 40 units of permanent, supportive housing.

NS: Obviously safety and shelter are essential for everybody. But tell us more about why affordable housing is a key component when thinking about supporting thriving communities? 

WM: First and foremost, what are thriving communities composed of? It’s people. It’s families. It’s diversity. Affordable housing enables the creation of diverse communities, where residents include not just high-income or low-income earners, but a genuinely mixed and inclusive population. That’s significant because corporations, supportive services, and other general services need the full gambit of individuals in a community. 

Affordability at every income stream allows people to live wherever they want to live within the city. This matters because it means every community has people who are invested in being there and not just relegated to that neighborhood because it’s all they can afford. This leads to higher instances of pride and of people building community because they want to be there, which attracts businesses and developments of other things people want in a community. In Georgia, the roughly 40,000 stable, high-quality affordable housing units produced through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program between 2001 and 2019 boosted the state’s economy by $12 billion and created 4,284 new jobs annually, and led to increased property tax revenue for local governments. 

This all starts with housing. When communities have affordable housing that is accessible to a mix of people who want to live and invest there , industry is attracted, amenities arrive,  and people stay. Then, fifteen years go by and families have raised kids in a home, in a place they feel connected to that just 20 years ago may not have been a great place to be.

NS: Feeling pride and invested in a place is so important! Plus, affordable housing can be a path towards home ownership which encourages equitable economic mobility.  Does this factor into the strategies that you all are putting in place when it comes to housing?

WM: This is a perfect example of why our department is structured the way it is. The Office of the Chief Policy Officer has five different divisions working in tandem. We have a housing team, strategic partnerships and strategic initiatives, a youth and education team, a neighborhood economic development team, and an ombuds team. Each team is tasked with ensuring Atlanta is the best place in the nation to raise a family. 

The housing team works on housing unit production and preservation. We have a safe and secure housing program that examines why legacy residents are housing insecure and aligns city processes so that more people remain housed in their family homes without it being overly burdensome to do so. This ensures that regardless of your zip code, you can stay in the city and helps households of more modest means retain control of generational assets.

For the neighborhoods team, this means making significant financial and infrastructure investments into historically diverse communities to attract industry and jobs. For the strategic partnership and initiatives teams, this means convening our corporate and philanthropic communities to make investments into programs and communities that help stabilize and propel communities across the city. For our youth team, this means ensuring that youth have the best possible programs to help support their educational goals and workforce readiness through the summer jobs program and Year of the Youth. Lastly, our Umbuds team helps to catalog recurring shortfalls of government policy or practice as delivered directly from the electorate so that we can better produce what communities need to thrive.

NS: I’m glad you mentioned the different sectors. What do you see as the role of the private or philanthropic sectors when it comes to this work? Can you give an example of  a successful partnership?

WM: There are limits on what public funds can be used for and how we can disperse them, whereas private money is much more flexible. We launched a $200 million fund last year in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, supporting the production of affordable housing units. While that amount of money is a significant investment it’s, unfortunately, still not enough. We need the philanthropic community to make those investments in housing where the government can’t. 

NS: Atlanta is growing as an economic and cultural hub. What are some of your key policy recommendations for establishing a secure future for Atlanta residents, especially legacy communities who are at risk of displacement?  

WM: A cornerstone of our work has been building trust with communities, which is why we not only work across departments but also have dedicated personnel who work on these things. We currently have an anti-displacement grant that partially helps support Owner-Occupied Rehab Programs, which we are able to connect residents with and has been valuable for our senior community members who need our support to ensure ordinances are not violated. Oftentimes, properties fall into disrepair, not because there are bad actors, but because there’s simply a lack of resources. Mitigating these barriers when we can is something we’re very proud of and want to keep doing more of.

NS: You wrote an excellent piece on the City of Atlanta’s  Faith-Based Development Initiative, which encourages faith-based communities to grant use of their underutilized land to affordable housing developments. What were some of your biggest takeaways from this initiative?

WM: I’ve learned that there are opportunities to create various housing types across the city at every level. For example, one house of worship has been rehabbing and renting single-family units using community development block grants and home funds, with the objective of providing them at affordable rents for those who need them. Simultaneously, they are working on a vision for a small multi-family community. 

We’ve been fortunate that in addition to houses of worship, other city, state, and private-sector organizations have answered our call. We launched the Faith-Based Development Initiative in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners, a national leader in faith-based development, and a CDFI, so they fund affordable housing across the country. The other lesson is that community building doesn’t mean building buildings – it’s really about building hearts and minds around what’s possible and helping execute that. 

NS: Land acquisition is one of the most costly elements of development, so efficient use of vacant publicly-owned land for housing development is key in increasing the availability of affordable housing. How have you tackled that in Atlanta?

WM: We chartered an organization called The Atlanta Urban Development Corporation (AUD), specifically tasked with managing the redevelopment of public land through the issuance of Request for Proposals (RFPs) to solicit, review, and select a development partner. They issue the RFPs, review them, figure out how to finance and fund them, and co-develop them with the organizations that respond to the RFPs. Thomasville Heights is their most recent RFP, focusing on mixed-income housing developments. Since they’re new and small, they’re also more nimble to move on projects. An important policy consideration is how you can expedite some of this public plan work. Create a mechanism by which you can successfully develop your project, and the developers will respond because the process is laborious – we found a way to make it less laborious with the AUD. 

We have some good examples of how the government is doing all it can in collaboration  with private partners to fill gaps while ensuring the work is community-owned and community-driven. For instance, the Midtown Fire Station, a vacant two-story firehouse that sits in Midtown Atlanta, is considered one of the most valuable plots of land in the country. The plan is to rehab the station and develop 20 to 30 housing units above it, which will be majority affordable in a part of town that’s not easy to afford. Adding one more unit makes a difference because that’s one more family that’s housed. For policymakers we have to remember that the units are important not because they are units but because they house people. 

Pathways to affordable housing are key to unlocking equitable homeownership, and social mobility, and a step toward combating the historic causes of the ever-present and widening socioeconomic divide across the country. Bringing affordable housing projects and initiatives to fruition, as evidenced by leaders in Atlanta, Georgia, will require a blend of innovative, strategic cross-sector partnerships and a revamping of local government offices and functions. FUSE offers a unique model for cross-sector collaboration to address a wide range of issues affecting growing towns and cities across the US. Learn more about their past and current initiatives by visiting https://fuse.org/.

Impact Next: An interview with Adobe’s Amy White

Posted on by Brianna Provenzano

At a moment of growing inequality and division, who is advancing the vanguard of economic and social progress to bolster our most vulnerable communities? Whose work is fostering the inclusive growth that ensures every individual thrives? Who will set the ambitious standards that mobilize whole industries, challenging their peers to reach new altitudes of social impact? 

In 2024, Impact Next — a new editorial flagship series from NationSwell — will spotlight the standard-bearing corporate social responsibility and impact leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and philanthropists whose catalytic work has the potential to shape the landscape of progress amid urgent need for social and economic action.

For this installment, NationSwell interviewed Amy White — Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility & Communications at Adobe.

Greg Behrman, CEO and Founder, NationSwell: What brought you to this field? Was there a moment in your life that galvanized your commitment to driving bold action on social and economic progress?

Amy White, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility & Communications, Adobe: It might sound sort of cliché, but my career in community service really starts with my parents. They were both career public servants, my mom in education and my dad working for the National Soil and Water Conservation Service and earning his BS and Masters Degree by leveraging the GI Bill. My love for the environment and concern about climate change and climate justice came from my dad and my belief that economic opportunities were unlocked through education came from my mom. There was never a doubt in her mind that we would all go to college, but I didn’t really anticipate getting a degree in forestry that I don’t use very often now. 

I’d say the other formative moments in my career that have brought me to social impact work have been working with direct service organizations. My early career began in direct service with the YMCA and the Girl Scouts, running resident camps and helping all kids realize their full potential. That evolved into the understanding that some communities were not reaching their potential either because not everyone was able to participate, or because there were systems in place that limited their power and mobility. These realizations motivated me to move into a career that is focused on advocacy, communications, and eventually philanthropy, all in service of trying to level the playing field. 

Behrman, NationSwell: Looking back at the scope of your career, how have your thinking, your strategies, leadership style, or philosophies evolved?

White, Adobe: If you were to ask some of my closest friends or former bosses, they might tell you that I am deeply principled, and that sometimes gets in the way of getting what I want. I think my principles and style haven’t changed, but my ability to see that there is often more than one way to get to my desired outcome — and that shared success with other business leaders or community organizations or folks in positions of policy or advocacy can be shared — has. I think some of that is maturity and understanding the context of the systems and problems we are working to change or improve, and some is getting smarter at building allies “across the aisle” to support my goals 

Philosophically, I have always believed that we are stronger and better together. Through collaboration and leveraging the best of our collective resources, listening, strategy, and thinking, we come up with better solutions and usually a more sustainable and lasting change.

Behrman, NationSwell: In your mind, what defines this present societal and economic moment? Which trends fill you with optimism, and which ones give you pause?

White, Adobe: Two topics that I spend time thinking and worrying about, particularly in the U.S., are polarization and isolation. To my earlier point, I think we are better as a collective, but the political polarization and isolation that has endured in a post-Covid world has resulted in less of the community-based living that humans are meant to have. 

I think that has big implications for our mental health and well-being, and that our empathy has taken a beating as we have forgotten how to be curious about others and care for our neighbors — which is exacerbated when it comes to and how we care for the folks who are the most disenfranchised. I think it’s deeply concerning that the topics where Americans have historically been united, or at least willing to have a civil debate, are no longer even on the table for Thanksgiving dinner. We seem to have lost the ability to have a classy conversation and respect the dialogue because we have to win, and because we’re entrenched in our positions.

I also don’t know that social media is necessarily helping us. I think some of the gains we saw in the earlier era of community building, organizing, and information-sharing that social media enabled are now being lost to echo chambers of folks with the same ideas, and replacing our in-person relationships with technology. 

Not to be discouraging — all that being said, I do have a lot of optimism and hope. I’m really encouraged by the idea that an entire generation of social activists are coming into their own as the executive directors or CEOs of change, creating movements as community organizers and advocates who are now in leadership positions and able to swing resources and attention toward issues that matter.

Behrman, NationSwell: What’s not getting enough attention?

White, Adobe: Education. As I shared earlier, I’m a firm believer that education unlocks enormous opportunity — but actually being able to unlock those opportunities starts with ensuring equal access to education. 

It’s going to be really important that we make this education accessible to everyone: in schools, in workplaces, and through non-traditional pathways and local community-based settings. 

I also believe that increasing attention to education means increasing attention to the unique educational needs of the current generation, Gen-Z. We know that Gen-Zers are uniquely creative, ambitious, and vocal, so we also have an opportunity to reframe the skills we’re able to provide them with so that they can truly feel empowered to shape the future. 

Behrman, NationSwell: What makes the impact strategies or initiatives you’re championing within your organization unique? Can you walk us through the steps you’ve taken?

White, Adobe: Adobe’s overall mission — which our CSR work is obviously hyper-focused on — is to do the right thing by focusing on people, purpose, and community. I think these three ideas really come together through the employee community engagement work we do right in our own backyard of San José, California. This has been a focus of ours for as long as we’ve been in San José — which is a long time, since 1994! — but we really ramped it up in 2023 when we launched our Hometown Commitment. The Hometown Commitment is Adobe’s promise to San José — a promise to give back to the community that we call home and a promise to help support the institutions, organizations, and people who work to make it a better place. And for San Jose specifically, we believe through strategic partnerships and funding we can help revitalize the downtown community that still is recovering and reinventing itself after COVID.  We think we can support community based organizations and social service providers to activate public spaces and care for the most vulnerable folks in that community so we can all thrive together. 

A recent and especially fun example of this work can be found directly on the pavement in San Pedro Square in San Jose. Adobe collaborated with two of our hometown grantees — the San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) and Local Color — to paint a beautiful pavement mural, “Threads Woven.” Created by local artist Jim Fonseca, the mural is inspired by Mexican sarape blankets and aims to showcase the vibrancy and color of San Jose. It isa huge mural (over 12,000 square feet!) and we were able to offer up some of our programs like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Fresco to help with the design. It is the largest public artwork of its kind in San Jose — and it’s so colorful that you won’t be able to miss it. 

I think this particular project stands out as a great example of our impact strategies at Adobe and how they really span from inside our company to our community. Our community and impact work is expansive and optimistic, but we also take the time to focus on smaller projects that can make a difference in individual communities. 

Behrman, NationSwell: That’s very cool – can’t wait! Can you elaborate on your specific role in spearheading social or economic progress within your organizational framework? Where does your function sit, and how does your role stand out from other social or economic impact leadership functions? 

White, Adobe: What I love most about my role is that I have a unique perspective on where our people, our products, and our philanthropy intersect to really impact social progress. We’re a creative company. How do we use our creative tools to make a difference? I see my role as bringing together Adobe’s resources to solve problems and support the communities of people we serve.

An important component of the resource we bring to bear is Adobe’s platform. Our CSR team sits within our Global Marketing Organization and that means that we view storytelling about our grantees and partners as integral to how we raise awareness and introduce our audiences to organizations doing amazing work. 

Behrman, NationSwell: Could you recommend any insightful resources – maybe a book, report, podcast, or article that has significantly influenced your thinking?

White, Adobe: One thing I’ve read recently that’s stuck with me is this supplement to the Stanford Social Innovation Review sponsored by the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. It covers a number of really important issues — trust-based philanthropy, racial justice in philanthropy, how philanthropic founders can remain accountable, and more — and a big takeaway for me is how trust-based philanthropy can help inform the future. 

A trust-based approach to philanthropy means a more equitable relationship between foundations and their grantees. It means instilling more trust in local organizations, letting grantees and partners take the lead, and focusing strongly on relationship building — and consequently, trust-building. I really believe that centering community is key to making the biggest impact — and to do that, philanthropic organizations and philanthropists themselves have to lead with trust. But I also think that too often, corporate funders do not choose this approach. There is often a quid-pro-quo approach with nonprofit partners.  And while there may be less reporting that private or government funding, there is a push for NGOs to support brand building versus focusing on their strategic programmatic priorities and corporate funders have a lot to learn and reflect on in the learnings relating to trust-based funding approaches.