Hear stories that demonstrate community leadership in action by leaders in the community foundation field. We hope these videos inspire, motivate and challenge you in your own practice of community leadership.
The CFLeads Video Catalogue on Community Leadership is supported by the Community Foundations Leadership Team and the Council on Foundations.
Doing What it Takes:
Organizing Your Foundation For Impact
A presentation by Paul Grogan, President and CEO of The Boston Foundation, to the Baltimore Community Foundation on June 9, 2010.
In this video, Paul Grogan discusses how The Boston Foundation has taken on a significant community leadership role in addition to its stewardship and grantmaking roles. Hear how The Boston Foundation:
- uses research to help guide its direction
- gathers citizen input to inform its activities
- makes the most of communications to promote its work and
- directly engages in public policy activity to ensure a deep and long-lasting impact.
Taking the Bull by the Horns: Creating a Culture of Community Leadership
A presentation by Mary Thomas, Executive Vice President, and Jennifer Evins, Trustee, of the Spartanburg County Foundation, at the Council on Foundation’s Regional Learning Forum in Boston on May 21, 2010.
In this video, a staff and board team shares their perspectives on their foundation’s transformation from charity to philanthropy. Hear how the Spartanburg County Foundation:
- joined with others to launch an indicators project
- organized a community campaign to improve educational attainment
- created a road map for ensuring trustee engagement
- nurtures new and next-generation leadership in their community
- found the courage to take on the challenge of becoming more reflective of the community through participation in a peer learning network.
Entering the Lion’s Den: Developing the Skills to Create Long-Lasting Community Improvements
A conversation with Lew Feldstein, former President and CEO of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and Mary Jo Meisner, Vice President for Communications, Community Relations and Public Affairs at The Boston Foundation, at the Council on Foundation’s Regional Learning Forum in Boston on May 21, 2010. Facilitated by Deborah Ellwood, Executive Director, CFLeads.
Public policy is not for the faint of heart. In this video, seasoned leaders share their stories of how they affect policy and provide lessons on how to manage the risk. Hear how these foundations:
- use data and research to craft an appropriate leadership role on a policy issue
- take on a prominent profile and use media to move their work more effectively
- have registered as lobbyists to advance their policy agenda
- organize their boards for policy impact
- align public policy with grantmaking and engage donors in community leadership efforts.
