HelpUsAdopt.org’s Post

A few weeks ago, I got to attend the Financial Women of San Francisco's Financial Woman of the Year award luncheon, honoring Lisa Pantages, CFO of the Giants. Lisa talked about how a small scholarship allowed her to pay for her first semester of college, and from there she worked her way through university, and up and up to where she is today. Five years ago, FWSF's scholarship helped me attend Stanford University Graduate School of Business. This was a game-changer during my pivot from founding Resonate, a social enterprise in Rwanda, to joining the investment side, where I have the privilege of advising startups - first at Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, and now at F-Prime Capital where I support their portfolio of high-growth tech companies. And while the financial component of FWSF was critical, the mentorship, community, and encouragement they provided was, too. Even though we've seen incredible progress, and have pioneers like Lisa to look up to, we still have a long way to go for women to be equally represented, fairly paid, and respected - not only in finance, but across the workforce. Like so many times in my life, this moment made me think about the importance of self-advocacy, lifting each other up, and taking action. Rabbi Hillel's quote will always remain a guiding light for me: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when? Is there an opportunity in your own life to push yourself, to advocate for what you want, or to reach higher? Take it. Is there someone in your life who could use your mentorship, guidance, or support? Give it. Is there something you've been wanting to do, or start, or lead? Get after it. #FWSF #womenleadingchange #LFG

Venture Capital News - Venture Capital News Headlines

Pauline, our founder and CEO, had the pleasure today to join the Family Office & Investment Forum of Campden Wealth to share her insights around the importance of including impact within a family offices strategy. The key takeaways from her discussion were: • By mere virtue of looking to preserve and grow their capital over generations, Family offices have a long term investment horizon and as such are uniquely positioned to consider philanthropy and blended finance models within their portfolio, • Philanthropy offers an entry point for families to talk about thematics that are driven by shared values and areas of interests that are close to their hearts, which then can evolve into applying an impact lens in their investment strategy, • The conversation around impact can act as a catalyser to involve the Next Generation in the discussions and decision making process, • We still have a very siloed mindset in our day-to-day business-as-usual approach, yet the world functions as a system and everything is interlinked. To address a problem one must look at its root cause and aim to solve the challenge at this level rather than simply seeking to alleviate the symptoms of the chosen problem. • Finally, the raison d’être of KAIROS is to work with families in devising strategies whereby they can drive positive change through their family wealth - whether through their investments or philanthropy. Wealth holders hold a significant power of influence in driving the change that is so direly needed from a societal, environmental and economical standpoint. A heartfelt thanks to the team at Campden Wealth for welcoming Pauline on stage and the many questions from the audience! #ByNextGenforNextGen #systemschange #familybusiness #philanthropy  #investingforimpact #regenerativebusiness #leadership #collaborationforchange 

Weissberg Foundation is activating 100% of assets in support of our mission, vision, and values. Active ownership (including #proxyvoting, #shareholderengagement, and #publicpolicy) of our global public equities is an important tool for pursuing racial equity across publicly traded companies. That's why I applied to be part of the inaugural cohort of the Shareholder Engagement Project to learn and act alongside colleagues like Laura Campos (Nathan Cummings Foundation), Laura Nixon (The Educational Foundation of America), Rickke Mananzala (New York Foundation), and Eric Horvath. Let me know how your #foundation uses its power and privilege as #shareholders of the world's largest and most influential #public #companies to do good.

Since I published this article a year ago, I heard from over 100 women who've been the subjects of targeted takedowns at work. Women across all fields - media, non-profit, startups, big corporate, law, academia, and more. Young women and older women. Women of all races, religions, countries of origin, and sexual orientations. Women who made big mistakes, and women who made small mistakes. Women whose only "mistake", if you can call it that, was having too much ambition. Has anything changed? Not much - I still read lots of takedown articles, some have successfully ruined the subject's reputation, and others less so. On a more hopeful note, we're starting to see the beginning of a comeback for some of the women mentioned in the article itself. Kimberly Bryant set the record straight and is embarking on an exciting chapter as an advisor and investor. Sophia Amoruso launched the ultra-cool VC fund Trust Fund, and spoke out in a recent feature on Elle. A few others are working on exciting new companies - I won't tag them here as they haven't spoken publicly. But I love to see it. Of course, nobody is throwing big money at them like they do at the more prominent men who screw up big and get a bigger second chance. And before you cancel me for saying this (and let me tell you, some have tried), remember, this applies to you too. You, too, make mistakes. You, too, may need grace and forgiveness one day. You, too, may need a second chance. Today and every day, I stand up for a woman's right to screw up and come back from it. Because there is a difference between holding someone accountable for their actions, and purposefully trying to ruin their lives. As we tell our Graham & Walker portfolio founders: as long as you don't lie, cheat or steal (or worse), we'll be there for you if you fail.

💡For foundations that have made racial equity a greater focus, deploying mission-related investments using the often-untapped resources in endowments can achieve a much larger impact than grants alone. To learn more about how foundations can start their journey toward racial equity lens investing, read a Q&A in ImpactAlpha with our members Andrea Dobson, Chief Operating and Financial Officer of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and Ian S. Fuller, Co-founder and CEO of Westfuller.

The second part of our Fundamentals 101 series -- coming up May 14th at the Catalyst offices -- will break down for you some essential financial competencies, including financial statements and 990s, impact investing, and activating your endowment. https://lnkd.in/gKEkWVfR Join Moss Adams Senior Manager Matt Dinsdale and Catalyst CEO Megan Thomas to explore financial due diligence and why it's an essential part of grantmaking, including the history and context of how systemic oppression shows up in financial statements and what key indicators funders might rely on for concrete and meaningful analysis of a non-profit’s financial health. After a networking lunch, attendees will dig into the popular topic of impact investing, which is the idea of putting money into initiatives, with the intention of generating a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return. Topics will include how foundations can activate their endowments and program-related investments. Whether you are new to philanthropy or simply looking for a refresher, this program will offer grounding and an opportunity to connect with your foundation peers! (This program is designed for members of Catalyst. If you are interested in becoming a member of Catalyst, please contact melissa@catalystsd.org.) #impinv #impactinvesting #skillsbuilding #professionaldevelopment #philanthropy #grantmaking

Jamie Allison and Jennifer C. Haas of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund offer us a breath of fresh air about how philanthropy must evolve to meet this moment. I couldn’t agree more that it’s time for foundations to move away from a control-centered status quo and into a modality rooted in trust. This is the path forward to fulfilling our commitments — as funders — to equity and justice work. There are so many gems of wisdom in this piece! Read the full article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review at the link in the comments. Tell me what you think about this approach in the comments below.

🌟 Calling All Community Investment Heroes! 🌟 Are you a humble leader in #yyc community investment? Do you quietly but diligently work behind the scenes, making a significant impact without seeking recognition? It's time to step into the spotlight and shine a light on your remarkable efforts. The Hazel Gillespie Community Investment Leadership Award is calling for nominations, and we want to celebrate individuals like you who embody the spirit of selfless service and dedication to community betterment. This was a huge honour last year, and like me, you might think, "Well, it's just my job," or "I don't need a reward for doing what I love." But this award is about more than just a physical token of appreciation. It's about honoring the legacy of Hazel and recognizing the unsung leaders who continue to build and prioritize community, and showing the world that humility and impact go hand in hand. So, if you know someone – or if you are that someone – who deserves recognition for their outstanding work in community investment, I encourage you to apply or nominate them for the award. https://lnkd.in/gFjeCnXy

$240B in venture capital investments last year… and according to a McKinsey report only 1% of VC funding goes to Black founders. So why is it that a $25M fund directing grants to Black women is what is being found unconstitutional? We know (and they know) that diversifying investments is good business, good for the economy, and just plain fair… So what are Edward Blum and his group so afraid of? This news is disheartening but we’re not changing course. ICA Fund will keep making smart investments in great businesses and moving our country forward together. #FearlessFund #Diversity #VentureCapital https://lnkd.in/gk6yqPTC