Pick a foundation out at random and take a closer look at its board. Chances are, you’ll find a well-intentioned group of directors looking to make a positive impact.
By day they may be partners at law firms, vice presidents at wealth advisory groups, or administrators in a health system. Once a quarter they’re given a lengthy board packet to read, they attend a 90-minute meeting, and they vote on a grant docket using Roberts Rules of Order (a parliamentary procedure dating back 150 years) all while operating under bylaws that may not have been updated in decades.
Meanwhile, staff who work closely with communities and grantee partners and understand the challenges they are navigating may be left out of the decision-making process, or even the board room entirely.
Sound familiar? Maybe even a little odd?
Across philanthropy, a growing number of foundation leaders are questioning these business-as-usual governance practices and reimagining how boards can better serve their communities — and you can find them on the fourth season of Philanthropy Northwest’s podcast, Can we talk about…?
It turns out that the best role for the board was not deeply reviewing all of these grants, making that whole process take a whole lot longer, and making it harder for us to get resources out to community.
This season, Philanthropy Northwest, special guests, and friends of Listen to Community are exploring what it takes to put equity and community at the center of foundation board service.
Each episode tackles a different aspect of board service, challenging familiar assumptions and exploring what becomes possible when we rethink how boards lead, make decisions, and share power.
In episode two, for example, Gabriela Alcalde, executive director of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, explores the question: What does board purpose and fiduciary duty look like when community and equity are in the center?
In episode three, Elise Belusa and Rachel Robasciotti from Tara Health Foundation are joining us to answer the question: What does an ED-board chair relationship that centers community and equity look like?
Throughout the season we’ll also explore board recruitment and onboarding, spending and investing policies, difficult conversations, board accountability, and more.
And there will be no shortage of fun! From a special live crossover episode with Stupski Foundation’s podcast, Break Fake Rules (turns out there are many, many fake board rules that our sector is hungry to disrupt), to our signature Soapbox Snack Breaks, we’re making room for humor, curiosity, and plenty of real talk.
Each episode also comes with a companion guide on our website, where you can find additional resources and journal prompts to help you imagine what a stronger, more community-centered board could look like and put your vision into practice.
Whether you’re looking for real-world examples of how your peers are transforming foundation board practices or are simply curious how we’re going to make an episode about spending policies fun, we hope you’ll tune in and join the conversation!
Listen in at Philanthropy Northwest or on your favorite podcasting channel:
