Remembering Rhett Wolfe

The Sisters of Charity Foundation and the Columbia community lost a great person last week with the death of Rhett Wolfe. Rhett was one of the most positive people I have ever known.  He always made the best out of every situation. Even in the worst of times, he would find something to smile about. I truly admired that about him. Rhett served this Foundation for many years. He was a founding member of the Board and began his first term in 1996.He actually was the only Board member to come back on the Board for another term after his full term expired. He was our Board Chair from 2003-2005 and served on virtually every committee that the Foundation had to offer. He was truly loved by our Board and staff.

Rhett, Sister Judith Ann Karam, Pat Littlejohn and I joined other South Carolina Foundation colleagues on a trip to Prague in 2004. We visited several Foundations and spoke to a group of local funders on finding ways to engage a community in philanthropy. Rhett made the trip so much fun. We toured the Country, ate good food and we laughed. Then we laughed some more. It was a memorable experience.

Rhett Wolfe touched my life in many ways and he was my friend. But hundreds, if not thousands of others could say the same thing. We are proud to have had him as part of the Sisters of Charity Foundation family for 14 of our 18 years. He was faithful, loyal and dedicated to our mission.

Even though Rhett had a tragic ending that took his life too soon, we were blessed to have known him for as long as we did. And frankly, I find it hard to feel sad when I think of him. Even after he is gone, he still makes me smile. That is the Rhett Wolfe I will always remember.

Tom Keith, President

Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

May I Have This Dance?

In 2007, an article was published in the New York Times, entitled, “The Down Side of Diversity” (Jonas, 2007).  However, the question might arise as to how there could possibly be a down side to diversity. How could this be when the United States of America is home to over 317 million people and with nearly 7.1 billion people in the world (Schlesinger, 2013)? With America proudly touting its identity as the “melting pot” of multitudes of people of different races, ethnicities, ages, genders, and multitudes of other differences, how could there be a downside of diversity? Yet, in interviews conducted with 30,000 people in America regarding their thoughts and feelings about diversity, findings revealed that the more diverse the setting, the lower the measures of civic health (Jonas, 2007).  In other words, where diversity existed, there was less community or collective strength, vigor, and well-being. But, how could this be?

Consider this..."Diversity" has become a buzz word of sorts amongst organizations. Over time, there has been great investment in diversity programs, workshops, trainings, and the like. Many organizations have even hired chief diversity officers in an effort to ensure that the organization acquires and maintains a diverse culture.

However, I believe that focused attention to "Diversity" alone can ultimately become detrimental to an organization and its effectiveness when the organization leaves out the critical element of - Inclusion. Indeed, organizations can be diverse, yet still not be inclusive. There can be an acknowledgment of differences, yet still no intention to honor and include those differences in the work and in practice. Verna Myers explained the differences between diversity and inclusion as such, "Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance."       

In essence, it is not enough to merely go about touting how diverse the organization is when there is little to no glimpse of inclusionary practices. Furthermore, "the absence of inclusion can also be seen as the absence of an “ethical imperative” (Ferdman, 2014, p. 10) to move beyond the superficial to “create environments in which a broader range of people can feel safe, accepted, valued, and able to contribute their talents and perspectives for the benefit of the collective” (Ferdman & Roberts, 2014, p. 95).

Therefore, I encourage you to assess the diversity of your organization, your board, your stakeholders, and the communities and people you serve. Observe their differences. Examine their strengths, talents, and the abilities they bring. See their many ages, ethnicities, genders, races, religions, and abilities. Acknowledge their presence and above all honor them by simply extending your hand and asking them one simple question, "May I have this dance?"

http://movingdiversityforward.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/NALP-July-2011by-Verna_Myers.pdf/

Ferdman, B. M., & Roberts, L. M. (2014). Creating inclusion for oneself: Knowing, accepting,

    and expressing one's whole self at work. Diversity at work: the practice of inclusion (pp. 93-127). 

    San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ferdman, B. M. (2014). The practice of inclusion in diverse organizations. Diversity at work:

                the practice of inclusion (pp. 3-54). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Jonas, M. (2007, August 5). The downside of diversity. New York Times. Retrieved June 10,

                2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/world/americas/05iht-

                diversity.1.6986248.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Schlesinger, R. (2013, December 31). The 2014 U.S and world populations. US News.

                Retrieved June 8, 2014, from http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-

                schlesinger/2013/12/31/us-population-2014-317-million-and-71-billion-in-the-world

The Duke Endowment is a great asset to South Carolina

Recently, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina hosted Gene Cochrane, President of the Charlotte based Duke Endowment. Named for James B. Duke, The Endowment was established from an Indenture of Trust with an initial gift of $40 million in 1924. In establishing The Duke Endowment, J.B. Duke built on the foundation of giving that had been established by his father, Washington, and carried on by his older brother, Ben.

Mr. Duke died unexpectedly in 1925 leaving the Endowment an additional $67 million. The original Indenture of Trust is read every year by the trustees and President of the Endowment and great care has been taken to closely align with the desires and vision of its author James B. Duke.

The Endowment has been a major supporter of organizations throughout South Carolina for 90 years.  With current assets of $3.2 billion, the Duke Endowment invested more than $21 million in South Carolina last year alone.

As in 1924, Duke’s main focus areas are Child Care, Health Care, Higher Education and Rural Churches; providing resources to organizations and institutions in North and South Carolina that offer effective and creative ways to make a difference for people. They have been involved in special programs around nurse family partnerships, Children’s advocacy, Free Medical Clinics, Orphanages, and a host of other projects.  Their efforts to promote health and nurture children have had a huge impact on many lives here in our state. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Duke Endowment, not only for its investment of money but also for its commitment to changing the lives of individuals and families to be healthier and more self sufficient. And the Endowment, along with Mr. Cochrane and his entire staff, has done their work with grace and humility. This is a rare attribute in today’s world.

Duke is a great asset to South Carolina’s nonprofits, Universities, and Hospitals. We can only hope that the next 90 years will allow the Duke Endowment to continue its important investment in our state. Their presence is important to all of us and I am very thankful they are here.

Tom Keith
President, Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina is offering two Leadership Programs.

The two different leadership programs being offered by the Foundation have tremendous value to nonprofit organizations and their staffs. I encourage any nonprofit in the state to consider attending. This is a no cost program unless you want to acquire a Masters then it is a modest cost. It is taught by talented and knowledgeable individuals that provide practical insights to today’s issues.

An added benefit becomes the interaction among class participants. Together they learn a great deal from each other. They can talk freely among their peers and help each other problem solve and also learn important new ideas and concepts.

The Foundation launched the Carolina Academy a little more than five years ago and the leadership component was added to enhance learning through a concentrated program. I have heard so much positive feedback from those who have participated in our leadership programs.

Every leader needs to grow and often it is difficult to grow within the office setting. That is another reason why the programs are so valuable. The deadlines are coming up in the not too distant future so please apply or refer the link to someone else that might benefit. It is worth it (because it is free).

Click here for more information and to apply.

Tom Keith, President
Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Raising money is not just about raising money

Over the past few months, it has become clear to me that the pain and pressure of having to raise money is excruciating.  I knew it was bad in 2008, but it seems as though it is just as difficult today. Asking a funder for money is a pretty easy thing to do. You simply pitch an idea, complete an application or send in a proposal. It becomes a numbers game. If you ask 50 people for money, you hope that five say yes now and maybe five more say yes later. You always know that 100% is not realistic.

It has occurred to me that the art of asking for money and the science of explaining why you are asking for money are not always connected. Often times, the disconnection comes from within the grant seeking organization’s structure. The CEO, Fund Development Director, Grant Writer and Program Director are not automatically “on the same page.” This becomes really clear to a grant reviewer when ideas and concepts are cloudy because often the responsibility of writing a grant has been left in the hands of a grant writer, sometimes in isolation.  Truthfully, this can be a real problem for the organization seeking funds because the application can appear to be shallow or not well thought out. It is imperative that all the players involved in the “ask” have developed a cogent and clear strategy and that every person involved in the process has signed off on the final product.  It is no longer realistic to think that funders are going to provide grant dollars to organizations just because they like them. Dollars are too tight and options for funding are greater than ever before. Substantive programs are crucial to being funded.

So my advice is to: do your homework, have a realistic strategy, have the whole team “buy in”, have a realistic budget and then have a conversation with the Grantor about the proposal you are about to submit. You may not get funded but, at least you have taken the necessary steps to be fully considered.