Governance and Operations

“At Deaconess Foundation, our strategy is guided by the residents in the communities in which we live, work, and serve. Through an expansive community listening process, we redefined our strategic aspiration to reflect both our community’s immediate needs and long-term hopes for our region. When we listened, we heard that our pursuit of health justice and social justice needed to extend beyond our ideas of what policy priorities should be for three to five years and that people want to be free from oppressive systems that inflict harm. Therefore, with great intention, we sharpened our vision and set our gaze on an intergenerational strategy in which Deaconess acts boldly with its power, influence, and resources to pursue liberation within seven generations.”

“Action is where philanthropy demonstrates its true value. At the Children’s Foundation, this means supporting community-led solutions, participating in collaborative funding efforts, and advocating for policies that strengthen public health, uplift nonprofit partners, and reinforce the philanthropic sector. Action requires transparency, trust, and long-term commitment.”

“Philanthropy has been the medium through which we have learned the health and human service landscape of our community, but most recently, our learning has compelled us to move toward direct services in partnership with agencies working to improve health. The family resource center—Carver Center for Families–and the development of the Center for Nonprofit Success—are initiatives that represent our desire to be a relevant part of the ecosystem, a colleague to our grant partners, and result from our work to strengthen resources across the health and human services continuum.”

“Now more than ever, philanthropy can play a crucial role in bringing people together to focus on values we all agree can move us toward a future where all people thrive, no exceptions. The Rippel Foundation and ReThink Health enjoy a special role as a catalyst in pursuing this ambitious goal—helping others see their power and having the courage to use it to bring about transformational change. Right now, we must resist further fracturing and distraction and commit to making serious investments in the vital conditions to advance shared values of justice and fairness. There is no shortcut to a thriving future, especially now, and we have a track record of supporting individuals, organizations, and regions to courageously plan and invest for long-term, intergenerational impact.”