Everyone Has a Story: A Reflection on 2012 Listening Sessions

Sometimes we meet people whose expressions and face momentarily stop us in our tracks, but we ignore the quiet invitation in their eyes to empathetically listen to their story. In the nonprofit and philanthropic world, this can too often be the case. Our tireless push to meet endless need, pressing deadlines and other urgent tasks which enable us to serve can pull our attention away from giving the person in front of us our undivided attention. Unfortunately, many people who experience poverty every day face marginalization within the various systems they encounter. Not only can this make them feel “invisible” when their voices are missing or intentionally overlooked, the organization loses out on important insights that can strengthen the effectiveness of their work. A recent Stanford Social Innovation Review Spring 2013 article Listening to Those Who Matter Most, the Beneficiaries states, “The views and experiences of the people who benefit from social programs are often overlooked and underappreciated, even though they are an invaluable source of insight into a program’s effectiveness” (p. 41).

Since 2010, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina has listened directly to the voices of individuals and families through Listening Sessions. Our Listening Sessions engage families experiencing poverty by listening directly to their stories in the supportive presence of community stakeholders that walk alongside them each day. Structured differently than a grantee site visit, Listening Sessions create a collective space to engage individuals served with the primary focus on their perspectives. In 2012, three Listening Sessions were strategically designed to uplift the stories of individuals served by current Foundation grantees. The first Listening Session held in April 2012 in partnership with Helping and Lending Outreach Support (HALOS) in Charleston provided an opportunity to listen to the stories of kinship caregivers who live each day as the Unsung Heroes in the lives of children they care for. The second Listening Session in collaboration with the Puentes Project/PASOS in Columbia gave us the opportunity to hear from the Puentes Community Ambassadors who are compassionately leading as Bridges of Light in their communities. The third Listening Session held jointly with GRACE Ministries in Georgetown brought us face-to-face with home-bound and chronically ill senior citizens whose lives are Touched by Grace by the volunteers that serve them.

We listened deeply and empathetically to these statewide issues at a local level through the perspectives of individuals served, applying Grantmakers for Effective Organization’s (GEO) Widespread Empathy definition of empathy to our work. GEO defines empathy as “the ability to reach outside ourselves and connect in a deeper way with other people – to understand their experiences, to get where they are coming from, to feel what they feel” (p. 4). What we heard surprised us; and at times even moved us to tears as we listened to their struggles, hopes, and fears. We walked away reminded that everyone has a story. When we stop to listen empathetically to the experiences of those we serve, their stories can illuminate and inform the ways grantmakers and nonprofit organizations strategically respond to the remaining unmet need.

Read the 2012 Listening Session Summary, Everyone Has a Story.

Written By: Stephanie Cooper-Lewter, Ph.D., Senior Research Director

Latino Immigrant Families in South Carolina

Although South Carolina is a relatively new settlement area for Latino immigrants compared to other regions of the country, the State has experienced unprecedented growth in the Latino population over the past few decades. The most recent U.S. Census data show from 2000 to 2010, the South Carolina Hispanic population increased 148%. Between 2008 and 2010 in South Carolina, 88% of Latino children were citizens by birth, 65% lived in immigrant families, and 33% lived in linguistically isolated households. The Foundation hosted several Listening Sessions, site visits and meetings to inform our understanding of the impact of this trend, listening directly to the experiences of foreign-born and native-born Latinos from across the State.

Research shows Latino immigrant families in South Carolina often face economic hardship, educational challenges, and difficulty in accessing health care. In 2010, the median annual personal earnings for Hispanics in South Carolina was $18,000. During 2008-2010, 40% of South Carolina’s Latino families experienced poverty at the 100% poverty level, and 70% experienced poverty at the 200% poverty level. Of the more than 725,000 students enrolled during the 2010-2011 school year across South Carolina’s K-12 public schools, 6% were Latino. Although education is one of the greatest predictors for moving above the poverty line, Latino students across the State lag behind their white peers educationally, mirroring national trends in the majority of other states. 46% of Latinos are without health insurance in South Carolina; and nearly one out of every four Latino children go without adequate health care.

Our Foundation is committed to sharing knowledge on a range of issues that families experiencing poverty in South Carolina face. Our recently released Research Brief, Latino Immigrant Families in South Carolina, explores the above demographic changes and highlights eight themes that emerged through our research conversations with Latinos. These themes include motivation to migrate, making the journey, acculturation processes, shifting family expectations, multi-status families, economic hardships, educational challenges and health concerns. Building upon cultural strengths, increased family support services are needed to improve outcomes of Latino families across the State. Strategies employed to foster family resilience and strengthen Latino families should be implemented in culturally responsive and appropriate ways.

Continuing in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, our Foundation remains invested in the future of South Carolina to ensure all families have the resources to live out of poverty. We apply our core values of compassion, courage, respect, justice and collaboration as we continue to work with our community partners to address multiple obstacles faced by Latino families across the state. We will continue to work towards solutions in partnership with the Latino community to reduce the barriers Latino families face in order to promote family economic well-being and improve the socioeconomic status of all South Carolina’s residents.

To read the Research Brief, Latino Immigrant Children in South Carolina, including citations for the above statistics, please go to: Sisters of Charity Foundation Research Brief

Written by: Stephanie Cooper-Lewter, Ph.D., Senior Director of Research

Our Voices, Our Stories: A Look Back on 2010 Listening Sessions

As part of the Foundation’s commitment to listen directly to those experiencing poverty in South Carolina, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina conducted four community Listening Sessions in Allendale, Johns Island, Greenwood and Bennettsville in 2010. Each location was strategically selected because of the different levels of poverty. For example, one community had a 16 percent poverty rate, while another one had 32 percent.

The response to the Foundation’s Listening Sessions was overwhelming with over 270 individuals participating, representing nearly 100 organizations across the four locations. Specific attention was given to obtaining diverse representation and perspectives. More than half of the participants voluntarily provided demographic information. The demographics of those that responded included:

• 57% female, 40% male;
• 34% African American, 27% Latino/Hispanic; 23% Caucasian/White, 5% were Native American;
• 36% were unemployed while 15% were working part-time;
• 24% had attended middle school or some high school as their highest level education, 17% had either a GED or high school diploma;
• 19% had an income range of $25,000 or below while 15% had an income range of $25,000 to $49,000.

During each Listening Session, a Foundation board of trustee’s member or staff member facilitated small focused table discussions among attendees to elicit their perspectives on their experience of poverty and its impact on their community. Throughout the Listening Sessions, families experiencing poverty shared―in a heartfelt way―their struggles, joys and pain.

They were remarkably open with us as they invited us humbly into their lives. We witnessed first-hand tremendous strength and resilience among those we talked with, felt their deep sense of heritage and heard the importance of informal support systems (friendships and family ties). Perhaps what resonated most was the importance and fundamental role faith and spirituality plays in their lives.

One Johns Island Hispanic resident shared, “we believe in God and have faith, that’s all we have.”

Those with a strong spiritual foundation and faith used this faith as an inspiration as they work to overcome so many barriers in order to move out of poverty.

“We’re just trying to make it from day to day," shared one Greenwood resident.

We wrapped up our Listening Sessions by asking participants to share their potential ideas, solutions and resources needed in their community in order to reduce poverty.

As one resident in Allendale shared, “people need to be given a chance to do something with their lives.”

“I need to see the hope to believe there is hope. Instead of telling me, show me the hope,” said one Bennettsville youth. 

Across the locations, twelve recommendations for action fell in four primary areas: social services, education, health and strengthening the community. Families experiencing poverty want to know that people care and are invested in their success.

Read the full summary and recommendations made during the 2010 Listening Sessions



Stephanie Cooper-Lewter is the senior director of research for the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.

2010: A Snapshot

As we close out another year, it is a good time to reflect on the work and accomplishments over the past twelve months. In spite of a weak economy and financial challenges, 2010 has been an outstanding year for the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.

The Foundation served thousands of South Carolinians and more than 60 organizations through over $2 million in grants.

More than 200 representatives from nonprofit organizations took advantage of the Foundation’s Carolina Academy for Nonprofits. The Foundation launched distance learning opportunities with five sites participating in South Carolina and Ohio allowing more than 75 people to participate from outlying locations. We completed our first Nonprofit Leadership Training Certificate Program, a partnership with Columbia College, and held a graduation ceremony in August.

In September, Bishop Guglielmone traveled to Columbia and met with individuals and representatives from organizations served by the Foundation.

The Foundation held four listening sessions around the state and learned a great deal from those living in poverty.

The Collaboration for Ministry Initiative (CMI) held its sixth annual statewide conference, and more the 70 women religious attended.  Through CMI, several Sisters in South Carolina were able to travel to Cleveland, O.H., to see the national exhibit Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America.

The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, an outgrowth of the Foundation’s Fatherhood Initiative, ran its first fund raising campaign, The Ugly Tie Campaign, in conjunction with Father’s Day. The Center also had an article on its Alternative to Incarceration program published in the Child and Family Social Work Journal.

The Foundation served on the on the AmericaSpeaks Engagement Committee to recruit participants and promote the AmericaSpeaks 21st Century Town Meetings® on the budget and economy in Columbia, S.C., one of the six primary cities selected for the event. In the spring of 2010, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina engaged all South Carolina gubernatorial candidates by asking them five questions around poverty and economic opportunity in the state. Additionally, the Foundation continued to raise awareness on the impact of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding in South Carolina and advocate for TANF reauthorization.

A new branding campaign was implemented, and the Foundation launched a new Web site.

It has been an influential year as the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina implemented the first stages of its strategic plan. While these are just few highlights of 2010, the Foundation is already planning how we can maximize impact in 2011, and how we can strategically uses resources to reduce poverty through action, advocacy and leadership so that families in South Carolina have the resources to live out of poverty.

Creative Innovation is Next

I was recently thinking about how funders invest to make their communities better. Often, foundations’ decisions are dictated by what is presented before them in terms of responsive grantmaking or by selective strategies that proactively affect an issue. Both of these methods have value and, in most instances, benefit the community. 
 
But as we look to the future in philanthropy, we must really begin to ask ourselves the question about what is next? Or what should we be looking to accomplish beyond the normal systems in which we operate?
 
I recently watched a program where Jeff Bezos, president and chief executive officer of Amazon, was interviewed about the Kindle which is the latest version of a device that serves as a method to read books. You can download books in no time, it has a 30 hour battery, you can easily read a book using the device and it is relatively small, and all this for only $139. 
 
In the interview, Bezos was asked about philanthropy. I thought his philosophy was interesting.  He believes that in some cases, for profit models can improve the world more effectively than philanthropic models.  They should want to invest in places where there are clear market failures. The example he used was vaccines. “Well, vaccines need to be refrigerated. In poor places, there is no refrigeration and there is no electricity for refrigeration. Shouldn’t philanthropy be looking, through research and development, for ways to develop vaccines that don’t need refrigeration or battery powered refrigerators?”
 
This is an interesting take. I guess there is no incentive for big pharmaceutical companies to develop these types of vaccines because the money flows through developed countries that have electricity. But the whole discussion peaked my interest. I think the whole field of philanthropy should be much more creative and much more forward thinking. We have to find and invest in new and innovative ways of helping the poor and disadvantaged. The old model does some good, but it is not enough good. 
 
Foundations must do a better job of thinking and problem solving at a different level. We cannot wait for government or private industry to be the innovators, particularly when it comes to the underserved. As times continue to be difficult and individuals and families struggle now more than ever, we must become our very own think tank.  If we don’t take the time and give the energy to developing new ideas and methods for our work then it is simply not going to happen.
So, to me, the next phase of philanthropy should be about creative innovation and, yes, we need to be willing to help pay for it too.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Leaders of the Future Must have Different Skills

It is time for baby boomers to face the fact that our time is running out in the work force. Unless, we plan to work until we are 80, then our years are dwindling quickly and, sooner than later, we will be gone. You might ask, “so what?” and that is precisely why I write this.

I believe there is going to be a gaping hole between current leadership in the philanthropic world and the next group of leaders. Why? Because we don’t really have a plan in place to truly prepare the next group of leaders, and the skills and abilities needed for the next generation of leaders is going to be vastly different than those we exercise today.

Reflecting on when I first started with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina back in the mid-90s, I think about how we only had one computer in the entire office and it belonged to the secretary. Everything was copied and filed manually. We still used an electric typewriter for goodness sakes! We transformed in the past 15 years and will continue to evolve in the next 15 years with new and innovative ways to operate. Information technology, communications, social media, etc. is at an accelerated pace.

Information technology will be the single most important force that will drive philanthropy over the next two decades. I think about the goals of the Sisters of Charity Foundation in the coming years. We will utilize technology to teach and train hundreds more nonprofit practitioners than ever before. We will communicate and inform through mediums that have not be used before. We will report and share findings in exciting new ways. We will be able to take the Foundation office with us no matter where we go. Everything will be a click away.

The next generation leaders must be willing and able to embrace this reality and treat it as an opportunity. We have a chance to make philanthropy more efficient, more informative and with better and more definable results. This may also change staffing patterns and the role of staff. Our future leaders will be able to utilize new tools and analyze old methods to improve the organization’s overall effectiveness both internally and externally. There is no prescriptive CEO manual that we can hand to the next generation of leaders. It is not available and it shouldn’t be. To me, it will come down to a select group of people that are high energy yet compassionate, mission-driven, flexible, innovative and technologically savvy.

People are at the heart of our work in philanthropy and that should never change. However, doing business in 2025 is going to be a whole new ballgame. I hope I am still alive to see these leaders in action. It will be as invigorating and exciting as anything you could ever imagine and I think the opportunities are endless. Oh, if only I was age 35 again!

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Understanding Who We Are; It's Complicated

The word “philanthropy” can have a different meaning depending on where you live and what a particular foundation looks like, which some believe is the biggest problem with philanthropy today. Philanthropy seems often self-indulged and not truly committed to finding new and innovative ways to address social problems at the grassroots level. I will also suggest that some funders I have met over the years have developed a cavalier attitude when it comes to their foundation’s direction and purpose. In their minds, they know what’s best for their community and it’s certainly their money to invest how and where they want.

Furthermore, we, as funders, have lofty expectations of those we fund and often apply a set of rules and expectations that are more about process and procedure instead of quality, content or community change. I deplore bureaucracies that force potential grantees to jump through enormous hoops just to get their application reviewed. We need to be spending more time and energy not setting up superfluous rules and guidelines but rather looking for more effective ways to engage and understand disadvantaged individuals and families. It makes far more sense to invest our resources in better defining the significant challenges facing those living in poverty along with understanding what their specific priorities are so they can live more productive lives. We also need their ongoing thoughts and input so our foundations’ decision making is grounded in real life issues and awareness.

Social change, to me, is far less about money and far more about attitude, clarity of purpose, influence and education. We often get caught in the money trap but, quite frankly, private philanthropy’s wealth is simply “a drop in the bucket” compared to the societal needs for underserved communities today.

More involvement and input from those we want to help is at the top of our list at the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina. It has to be. If not, we are making decisions in a vacuum that may be well-intended but often end up leaving important stakeholders out of the equation. I am not just talking about agency input but individual “client” input: the homeless, clients of the food banks, the unemployed, the children of single parents, students in poor school districts, families without access to health care, seniors without transportation, etc. It is a simple concept but it is also a fundamental shift for philanthropy. It is like asking a patient, “Where do you hurt?” rather than coming up with a diagnosis based on what you, the doctor, observes and thinks.

The true measure of social change will be viewed through many different lenses and measured differently by people in the field. However, significant change starts from the ground floor and works up; in the classroom, waiting in line for food or shelter, teen parenting, father absence, etc. Let’s not focus our energy solely on the process but rather on understanding and responding to those who really know how they feel. It is the right prescription for today’s philanthropic ills.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

We Have a Real Chance to Influence Change Now

In philanthropy, as we look at our sphere of influence in society today it has a wide range of entry points. Foundations are called upon to make important and tactical decisions every day. These decisions often have influence on multiple people and organizations. A great many of these decisions are internal and are based on a program, process or an initiative or an intentional direction that a foundation is headed. Boards and staff decide on size and types of grants that are awarded, a process and decision around strategy, how much to invest in program evaluation, how much to invest in communications, etc.

The sphere of influence, referenced earlier, is changing for foundations and it should be. Philanthropy is a significant contributor to communities and to society as a whole and, therefore, has a major stake in how we effect community change. So do a lot of other entities such as government, business, schools, hospitals and various other organizations. If foundations are not looking for ways to influence thinking around issues that can impact their community, region and state, then they are missing an important dimension of their work and an opportunity to get to necessary change.

For example, if a decision is being made by a municipality that will move homeless people 10 miles out of town without adequate transportation and they become isolated, shouldn’t we speak up? It is our job to look at all the issues that affect society and, in particular, see how decisions are going to affect those indigent and low-income people. Alone, these members of society do not have the power or voice to influence the decision makers.

Furthermore, decision makers are often influenced by non objective outsiders that have a vested interest in the outcome of the decision, preventing this influence from being pure and unbiased. Foundations should be objective, and their resources and connections should position them to ask difficult questions and to demand “the little guy” gets his just due in the process.

Whether we are asking tough questions of government, business or other people of influence within our societal sphere, we must step forward and be willing to play a role. Philanthropy has a lot of responsibility and it wields a significant amount of power and influence. It is our responsibility to use that influence for the greater good and let our external opportunities be just as important as our internal decision making. Foundations can no longer live and work in isolation. What we do and what needs to be done reaches far beyond the walls of our office and local town or city. Now is the time for all foundations to step forward and advocate for their grantees, constituents and those in the greatest need. If we don’t aggressively move in this direction then shame on us when the outcome is not to our liking and negatively impacts our state.


Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

Collaboration

Collaboration is another core value of the Sisters of Charity and the Foundation. The definition for collaboration is pretty basic. It is to work with others to achieve a common goal.

When I was in Boy Scouts we had a “tug of war” contest. There were eight guys on one side, eight on the other and a huge mud pit in the middle. When the contest began, the pulling began. I was on the front of the team and I became acutely aware of the muddy pit only a few feet in front of me. I yelled back to my team members to pull harder. One guy on our team was bigger and stronger than the rest of us. He gave a big heave and that was all it took. The guys on the other side lurched forward and half of them plunged into the mud pit, much to our delight.

It was my first known experience where collaboration was pretty clear to me. I could not have done this task alone but with seven other guys helping me pull in one direction, the mission was easier and it was more achievable. This same concept can be applied to so many other things. For example, I have witnessed hundreds of volunteers clean an entire town in one day by working together picking up trash.

When foundations and other organizations collaborate, several things occur. It gives you added human capacity, it gives additional financial resources and it also gives focus to a bigger goal that will better the community. This has also been accomplished through partnerships with business and government.

Collaboration is a great concept but it is not always easy to implement. It requires flexibility, group thinking, a willingness to give up control and a belief that the “greater good” will benefit from multiple partners. Collaboration really works when we become less about territory and more about opportunity.

I have seen more and more nonprofit organizations willing to collaborate during these difficult economic times. It makes sense financially, organizationally and some times it can be the only way they will sustain themselves and survive over the long run. With philanthropic dollars as scarce as we have ever seen, collaboration is a “must” in today’s nonprofit world.

We must be willing to put our own self interests aside and find common ground that will benefit more people and communities. It is not only the way to survive this economic storm, but it is the right thing to do and the right time to do it.

Collaboration is an important core value of the Foundation and the Sisters of Charity Health System as a whole. It is basically working together to maximize your potential to meet your mission and goals. Here is hoping we can find new ways to all work together collaboratively both now and in the future.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina

What Can Philanthropy Do Now?

As our state and country’s economy continues to struggle we find ourselves in the midst of a major dilemma. The questions become, “What can philanthropy do now through foundations and with other non-profit organizations to have impact during tough economic times?” There are several options that I would like to offer for your consideration.

• Foundations can expect and foster more productivity and efficiency from non-profit organizations, and demonstrate this expectation by operating in this manner.

• Invest in more education and training for non-profit organizations, beyond making direct grants. Every non-profit can benefit from new techniques around financial management, operational management, fund raising, board governance and marketing.

• Foundations must take a public stand on issues that impact non-profit organizations and the constituencies they serve. For example, inefficient government systems and punitive and illogical policies and decision making that have a negative impact on the poor and underserved needs to be addressed. In addition, Foundations should publicly support those policies that benefit the communities they serve. Foundations must be crusaders for those who cannot advocate effectively for themselves.

• Invest in innovative ideas, even if it is risky. Be willing to move forward if the outcome could help more people and offer solutions to problems.

• Expect accountability. Every financial investment into the non-profit sector should have a return. Some are easier to measure than others but every organization accepting grant funds needs to be able to report its successes and, yes, failures. This needs to be a meaningful and dynamic process and not a perfunctory “after the fact” exercise.

• Promote more volunteerism. There are thousands of retirees in our state and country that have the time, experience and knowledge to make an impact on the non-profit sector. We must mobilize and involve more of these individuals. We must also call on our young people to become engaged in philanthropic endeavors. Our next generation must see the need and take responsibility for community service now.

• Encourage philanthropy. There are a lot of people who have become wealthy over the last ten years, and for what ever reason, have not shared this wealth. We must find a way to create new foundations or endowments through community foundations. We also must give relief to those who are able to give but need some incentive. For example, the IRA Charitable Rollover under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 allowed taxpayers 70-and-a-half or older to give money to charity from IRA’s without penalty. This was a good decision and generated millions of dollars for non-profit organizations in a short period of time.

These are just a few ways that we can make a difference now. Let’s all work together to find other ways to encourage and build philanthropy. It is how we will continue to change lives and communities for the better.

Tom Keith is the executive director of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina.