Once a year, the Babcock Foundation travels to a location within our funding footprint to learn from our grantee partners where they work. I always look forward to these trips because they afford us the opportunity to engage with our partners on the ground and meet with some of their constituents and other local residents. To be in their communities, to hear their stories, to see the lay of...
In addition to making grants to organizations across the South, the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation achieves positive impact by aligning our financial investments with our mission of moving people and places out of poverty. The Foundation recognizes that climate change has disproportionate impacts on low-wealth people and communities of color across the American South, the nation and...
Over the last few weeks in this blog series, I have explored some themes shared with me by our grantee partners, Foundation staff and board, and other colleagues across the South. Those conversations have been super helpful as I work to learn more about the region.
At the risk of over-summarizing, let me recap some of the themes:
Entrenched challenges, including racism, political...The Foundation conducts its strategic planning in 10-year arcs, a process that includes reflection on our work and results, conversations with our grantee and philanthropic partners and efforts to understand emerging trends. We are wrapping up one of these planning processes now.
Looking across our work and recent history, some core lessons about supporting social and economic justice...
A friend of mine often says change is inevitable, but the real trick is figuring out how to influence that change to achieve meaningful results.
Any thoughtful observer of the South recognizes the region is undergoing serious changes. Major shifts in demographics, changes in urban and rural geographies, uneven economic opportunities and new obstacles to the voting booth present real...