What's New

 

Surdna's Board met in February to approve 66 grants totaling $7,824,500. These grants support our mission to foster sustainable communities in the United States -- communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures.

Grants included funding for the Center for Working Families to ensure the strong implementation of the Green Jobs/Green New York Act, aimed at achieving mass-scale energy efficiency improvements through retrofits of housing units while creating quality green jobs throughout New York State;  Urban Habitat to support their innovative Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute, building out a regional public sector leadership pipeline of low-income people and members of communities of color in the Bay Area; Emerald Cities to advance comprehensive assistance to cities in developing and scaling energy and other greening solutions in ways that create sustainable, high wage, inclusive jobs and civic engagement pathways; and to the Detroit Creative Corridor Center to support the development and implementation of a Delivery Co-Operative for creative sector entrepreneurs; and to craft a state-wide advocacy campaign to increase support to Michigan's creative economy initiatives

Click here for the complete list of grants.

GDP measures economic growth, but is it an accurate measure of progress?

While GDP has been steadily increasing, indicating a growing economy, other metrics of progress show a very different picture. A new report from Demos, Beyond GDP, makes the case for why GDP is an incomplete measure and explains in depth what is missing from GDP that prevents it from measuring progress. Demos is also releasing a set of infographics that charts important social measures against GDP growth.

Demos, a Surdna grantee, is a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization that melds the analytical innovation of a think tank with the outreach strategies of an advocacy group through 6 major program areas: Democracy, Economic Opportunity, Public Works, International, Special Initiatives, and Fellows.  By publishing reports, books, and articles, organizing events, and through television and radio appearances, Demos works to help the public and policymakers see in a new light the challenges we face as a country, and the underlying causes of those challenges.

By Beth Herz
(written for the Philanthropy New York blog)

On November 29th, Philanthropy New York hosted a funders briefing to discuss the rise of this type of political attack on advocacy work and the roles foundations can play in responding. The briefing’s two panels included Madeline Janis’s story and a case study from Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood. Several experts provided a background on trends in the field and recommendations for preparedness and Pablo Farías, a Vice President at the Ford Foundation, brought a funder’s perspective. (The event was co-sponsored by the Ford Foundation, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the New World Foundation, the Ottinger Foundation, Public Interest Projects, the Surdna Foundation, and the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock.)

Read more...

The Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) was formed in 2009 to provide a forum for municipal sustainability leaders to learn from each other and accelerate achivement of ambitious city sustainability goals. The USDN has identified behavorial change knowledge as critical to advancing the adoption and scaling of sustainability practices.

Surdna recently provided funding for members of the USDN to attend the 2011 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change (BECC) conference.  The conference focused on understanding the nature of individual and organizational behavior and decision making, and using that knowledge to accelerate our transition to an energy-efficient and low carbon economy.

Following the conference the USDN, in conjunction with the Sustainable Cities Institute, launched a blog series for attendees to  share their personal and professional insights and key take-aways from the conference.

Access the BECC blog series here...

The Surdna Foundation announced today that three new members were elected to the Board of Directors: Judy Belk, Carra Cote-Ackah, and Gwen Walden.  They will replace outgoing board members Edith D. Thorpe, David Grant, and Nadya K. Shmavonian.

All three new board members bring a wealth of philanthropic experience to Surdna.

Judy Belk is the Senior Vice President of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), where she manages the organization's West Coast and Midwest operations. One of the world's largest philanthropic service organizations, RPA provides advice and counsel to individual donors, family foundations and corporate foundations, overseeing more than $200 million in annual giving. Prior to her work at RPA, Ms. Belk served as the Vice President for Global Public Affairs at Levi Strauss & Co., with worldwide responsibilities for corporate social responsibility initiatives, philanthropic programs, governmental affairs, community relations, and communications activities.

Carra Cote-Ackah is a philanthropy consultant based in Philadelphia.  Previously, she was a program officer at the Robertson Foundation in New York, working in the fields of education and youth development, environment, and religion.  Ms. Cote-Ackah has also worked at the William Penn Foundation in Philadelphia and served on the Andrus Family Fund Board from 2002-2008, the last two years of which she was the board chairperson.  She has also worked with several nonprofits and The Children's Bureau, Department of Human Services, on issues related to children and families.

Gwen Walden is the Founder and Principal of Walden Philanthropy Advisors, a strategic consulting firm for foundations and philanthropic entities of all types and sizes.  As a highly respected leader at two of the country's largest foundations, The J. Paul Getty Trust and The California Endowment, Ms. Walden specialized in giving to the arts and community health over a 23-year span of managing large and increasingly complex lines of responsibility within the foundations.  Walden Philanthropy Advisors focuses on the needs of boards and executive leadership seeking expertise in a range of areas from long-term strategic planning to targeted issues having ramifications for their organization's operations and programs.

Surdna's Chairperson Josephine Lowman said, "We are extremely fortunate to announce the addition of three talented and experienced new board members in Carra, Judy and Gwen.  We are confident that they will bring the critical expertise necessary to maintain Surdna's excellence in the field of philanthropy. At the same time, we are deeply grateful for the passion and dedication of Edie, David and Nadya.  We will miss their insight and leadership."

Surdna bids farewell to Edith D. Thorpe, who served on Surdna's board for over 20 years.  Ms. Thorpe served on several of the Foundation's committees, and was instrumental in helping to establish the Andrus Family Fund (AFF), and chairing the Family Involvement Committee which oversees the AFF.

David Grant was one of the first non-Andrus family members elected to the Surdna board.  Mr. Grant served as President of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for 12 years before beginning a consulting business in 2011.  He joined the Surdna board in 2007, serving on several program committees, most recently the Thriving Cultures Committee.

Nadya K. Shmavonian joined David Grant as one of the first non-Andrus family members in 2007.  She is currently the President of Public/Private Ventures.  Prior to P/PV, she served as vice president for strategy at the Rockefeller Foundation.  Ms. Shmavonian was chair of Surdna's Sustainable Environments Committee and served on several other committees.

About the Surdna Foundation

The Surdna Foundation - one of the nation's oldest family foundations - was established in 1917 by John E. Andrus, and is governed today by fourth and fifth generation Andrus family members.  Surdna seeks to foster just and sustainable communities in the United States-communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures.  With assets of approximately $850 million, Surdna awards more than $38 million in grants annually to hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the United States.

The deadline for submitting applications for this year's Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowhip is Monday, November 14th at 4pm.  PLEASE NOTE: technical support will not be available beginning at noon on November 11.  If you experience technical difficulties in submitting your application online between then and the application deadline, please contact Kimberly Bartosik at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

October 20, 2011

The Surdna Foundation announced Judilee Reed as the new Director of its Thriving Cultures Program.  Ms. Reed will join the Foundation in mid-November, and succeeds Ellen B. Rudolph who served the Foundation for nearly 18 years.  Ms. Rudolph will continue to work on several projects for the Thriving Cultures Program.

As the Executive Director of Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC), Ms. Reed established and led successful projects focusing on building the capacity of community-centered arts organizations, improving artists' access to information about America's changing health care policies, generating awareness of the increasingly diverse demographics of communities around the country. Ms. Reed holds a B.A. in art history and a B.F.A. in painting from the University of New Hampshire, and alumni status at Harvard Business School.

Ms. Reed will take over leadership of Surdna's Thriving Cultures Program at an auspicious time as the focus has been expanded over the past year to include: Artists Engaging in Social Change, an effort to strengthen the capacity of artists and cultural organizations to engage in social change efforts; and Community Driven Design, through which disadvantaged cultural groups have a voice in the design planning of public places.  The Thriving Cultures Program will continue its support for Teens' Artistic Advancement.

Phillip Henderson, Surdna's President, said, "We are thrilled to have Judilee joining the Surdna team.  She brings exceptional creative vision and programming experience, and her broad knowledge of community-building will add to the Foundation's cross-program and collaborative style of work.  Judilee has always been committed to the power of art in communities and shares Surdna's view of the importance of equity."  Additional information is available from the Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) Website.

Related to this announcement, Lynn Stern was promoted to Senior Program Officer of the Thriving Cultures Program.  Stern has served as program officer of Surdna's Thriving Cultures (formerly Arts) Program for 5 years, playing a central role in the development of new lines of work; in particular she led the development of Artists Engaging in Social Change.  Stern has also provided leadership to Surdna's New Orleans Fund initiative.  Prior to joining the Surdna Foundation, Lynn worked as an independent consultant to philanthropic organizations and nonprofit groups, and served as project specialist to the Ford Foundation's Media, Arts and Culture unit.

About the Surdna Foundation

The Surdna Foundation - one of the nation's oldest family foundations - was established in 1917 by John E. Andrus, and is governed today by fourth and fifth generation Andrus family members.  Surdna seeks to foster just and sustainable communities in the United States-communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures.  With assets of approximately $850 million, Surdna awards more than $38 million in grants annually to hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the United States.

 

By Kelly Nowlin, Surdna Board of Directors

October 2011

Surdna's New Orleans Fund seeks to advance New Orleans long-term rebuilding and resiliency efforts by supporting civic engagement in multiple issue areas, including economic development, education, arts and culture, coastal restoration, and worker's rights.  The fund is overseen by staff from across our program areas in partnership with a liaison from our board of directors.  From time to time board liaisons travel with staff to New Orleans to meet with grantees, thought partners, and colleagues in the city.  Kelly Nowlin recently completed her first year as liaison to the New Orleans Fund and traveled to the city last spring for her first taste of its irrepressible spirit.  Kelly reflects on her time in New Orleans in the commentary that follows.

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I had never been to New Orleans before.  As the current board liaison to Surdna's New Orleans Fund, I had the great opportunity to make this trek last April with a group of program staff.  After meeting with over thirty people from ten different organizations in just two days, I was left with a mix of sadness, hope and true admiration.  Sadness for those families that never returned or who still struggle to rebuild their lives.  Sadness for the hundreds of lost cypress trees in the bayou.  Sadness for the disappearance of coastal wildlife and for the distressed environment.  At the same time, a strong feeling of hope lingered.  Why?  Because of the neighborhoods.  There is a bond like no other that exists in these communities that is palpable.  Organizations such as the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED) put the power of those bonds to work by engaging local residents in processes that, with critical work by other Coalition members, reach up to the state legislature and seek to protect and restore the neighborhood and coastline.  Because of the youth.  There are groups like the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association (VAYLA), Rethink New Orleans, and the Fyre Youth Squad, all members of the Power of a Million Minds (POMM) youth organizing collaborative, who are developing relationships with city officials to ensure they have a voice in rebuilding their future.  Because of the leaders.  There are community and nonprofit leaders across the city who continue to persevere with limited resources, their unyielding commitment stemming simply from passion and strength of will.  The people of New Orleans are special.

At a recent Surdna board meeting, we spent time deepening our understanding of leadership.  Experts in this field discussed that there is a shift today towards collaborative leadership in which leaders seek out other leaders to work together to accomplish goals.  This approach resonates with me and with what I observed in the civic leaders in New Orleans.  When I asked many of our grantees what keeps them going, they answered that a big part of it is their connection to colleagues and partners at different organizations.  When you meet someone like Tracy Nelson, Executive Director of CSED, or Timolynn Sams, Executive Director of Neighborhoods Partnership Network, their passion and collaborative spirit is apparent.

In today's world of technology and social media networks, opportunities to connect with leaders from disparate fields are greatly enhanced.  Whether you're building a business or rebuilding a community, collaboration is a necessity.  I have spent the last few years building my own online business and had much to learn.  I spent a majority of my time reaching out to experts, asking questions, and sharing stories, struggles and ideas.  One leader I connected with was marketing guru Seth Godin.  Seth has written more than a dozen worldwide bestsellers that have been translated into more than thirty languages.  He believes that we all have the potential to be leaders...that we all create our own form of "art."  Seth is passionate about helping people to spread ideas and create movements.  In his book, Tribes, he defines a tribe as "any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea."  According to Seth, "tribes can change our world not because you force [people] to do something against their will, but because they wanted to connect."  It's about connecting with people who have similar passions and values and who have stories to tell.  This approach has been evident with leaders in New Orleans following each devastating event of the last six years and it remains evident today.  It's the groups we belong to -- these "connections" -- that keep us all going.

The six-year anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita passed not long ago and while much work remains to be done I am honored to have connected with so many leaders in New Orleans as they continue to rebuild and inspire.

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Godin, Seth. Tribes: we need you to lead us. New York: Portfolio, c2008.

A new report from Surdna grantee the Transportation Equity Network presents the first-ever compilation of data from all 50 states on their use of on-the-job-training and apprenticeship programs to boost job access for minorities and women in the federal highway construction field. The Road to Good Jobs: Making Training Work finds that most states are doing a poor job of using proven training programs to boost highway construction job access for minorities and women, though unemployment rates for minorities are nearly double those of whites, and female unemployment is ticking up while male unemployment is dropping.

The study finds that:

• Four states—Illinois, Indiana, Connecticut, and Minnesota—succeeded in increasing the percentage of both women and people of color in training programs from 2008-10.
• Only two states had at least 50% women in OJT/apprenticeship programs from 2008-10: Maine (75%) and North Dakota (55%).
• Community organizing by TEN members to push for broad use of OJT and apprenticeship programs led to top rankings and breakthroughs in Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois
• Indiana and Illinois were standout states in terms of the overall increase in the use of OJT/apprenticeships from 2008-10, surpassing more populous states such as California and New York.

The study also provides detailed rankings on which states are using training and apprenticeship programs to make real progress toward equity and diversity in highway construction, and which states are failing to recruit and train women and minorities. The study also describes the steps necessary to improve states’ progress, and provides local, state and federal policy recommendations.

Click the image at the top right of this page to download the report.

Yesterday in Albany New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, affirmed that energy efficiency retrofits are top job creators, and praised specifically New York’s recently passed on-bill financing law – a policy crafted by Surdna grantee the Center for Working Families. He said “this on-bill financing is a very big deal that I think every region should maximize,” adding that the program deserves more publicity than it's received.