Wagner Foundation

Systems change takes time, but more importantly, it takes community. Thank you to the Vital Village Networks team for co-hosting the Birth Equity Leadership Roundtable following day one of the National Community Leadership Summit.   The leadership in the room last night was built on decades of wisdom, driven by a true passion and commitment to birth equity. For funders to engage with the broader ecosystem of birth equity leaders and explore how to resource the movement to advance the work forward is a powerful shift from the status quo. We can’t underestimate the intentionality and time invested by the birth equity community that went into the groundwork and relationship building to make an event like last night possible. Together, we were part of building towards something new.   We hope Massachusetts can serve as a model for other states with our collaborative efforts to create a maternal health system by and for birthing people and their families—one that spans the full reproductive lifecycle. We have the will, the resources, and the leadership to make it happen.

We’ve recently returned from Philadelphia and experienced 'Convalescence', the incredible work of artist Pepón Osorio. This exhibition is a vivid example of how art can catalyze important conversations about health equity and the role human-centered institutions can play in transforming health systems.   We’re grateful to partner with Curator Rob Blackson and Megan Voeller, Director of Humanities Thomas Jefferson University a leader in the emerging field of Medical Humanities. Special thanks to Charles Pohl for your vital work centering the human experience within medical institutions.   As funders, thought partners, and advocates, we remain committed to advancing a more equitable healthcare system. https://lnkd.in/ewkg74p9

A critical message echoed throughout #CGI2024 and #UNGA79 this week: We all have a role to play in advancing social change and community voice should be at the center.    We are grateful to be in partnership with incredible organizations like Community Health Impact Coalition on the frontlines of advancing equity in the health workforce, in health outcomes and in gender disparities. We are committed to our role as funders in providing flexible capital to support their work, accompanying them along the journey as thought partners and using our voice to advocate for change. As Dr. Madeleine Ballard said, investing in the professionalization of Community Health Workers (#proCHWs) is not a cost, but instead an investment in our collective health.

Week 2 on the job and our brilliant new Program Officer of International Partnerships, Ruvimbo Mushavi joins Wagner Foundation at #CGI2024. Pretty amazing to see President Bill Clinton present President Joe Biden with a Global Citizen award, what an incredible end to day 1! Ruvimbo joins us after recently completing the Master in Public Policy (MPP) program at the Harvard Kennedy School, and brings a unique perspective gleaned from her work at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Zimbabwe. Welcome Ruvimbo! We can’t wait to get to work.

“We are divided by opportunity. There are those who have it and those who do not. But we believe in a world where opportunity belongs to everyone because that is a world capable of everything.” A message we wholeheartedly agree with! Congratulations @yearupunited on this next chapter, we support your vision of expanding access to economic opportunity for all young adults closing the opportunity divide in our country and we are proud to support your important work.

Wagner Foundation is hiring a Digital Platforms Manager to join our growing team. Learn more and apply for this position at the following link: bit.ly/3MxqVAX The Digital Platforms Manager is a new position for the Foundation. Serving as a pivotal figure in raising visibility of grantee partners and amplifying our Foundation’s voice and thought leadership, the Digital Platforms Manager will be a key disseminator of our communications strategy. This individual will be a creative thinker, skilled copy writer and storyteller, will be responsible for building community on social media, and will maintain a consistent brand on our digital platforms. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority given to those submitted by September 30, 2024.

Thank you Jerren Chang and team for your vision and leadership!

Summer Interns are the best! When you have brilliant talent like Vidhi Rupal, Olivia Wolff, Althea Ruoppo and Alisha Congleton. Huge thank you to all four of you for your research, reflections, and contributions this summer, your work will allow us to better hone our giving strategy and show up as better partners. Hard to believe our 10 weeks together are up - your final presentations were incredible; we all learned a lot. THANK YOU and best of luck!

It's all about participation! Thank you to Lily Sargeant, Wagner Foundation Program Officer for contributing The Social Innovation Forum Participatory Philanthropy pilot. Participatory grant-making approaches ensure that funded initiatives are more responsive to local needs and contexts. Responsiveness and mutual accountability are core to Wagner’s accompaniment approach to grant-making. A huge thank you to the team and the consultants for your leadership in this important work!    Interested in learning more about SIFs model? Check out the latest report and see how we’re changing the way money moves. https://lnkd.in/eE46WPfq

ICA Teens chat with Abby Satinsky, Program Officer & Curator, Arts & Culture at Wagner Foundation about creative choices, arts publishing, and exhibit design during their visit to Wagner Foundation Gallery. Institute of Contemporary Art Boston - We love seeing young people explore and contemplate what art means to them!