Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

On Tuesday of last week, the fellows had a great leadership session featuring two alums and two other mavens in the non-profit professional world. The leadership session could not have come at a more perfect time for me. If you can recall, I had been feeling a little bit stressed about the upcoming fundraiser I am planning for my organization. As a result, I have been putting all of my energy into making this fundraiser a success. My summer fellowship is the first time I have worked as a full time employee, let alone as a full time employee in the non-profit realm. I have always been used to clocking out entirely as soon as work lets out. As soon as 5pm hits—I answer no phone calls, no emails, nothing.

However, this summer I have found myself not sticking to my rule of containing my work between 9am to 5pm. At Central, I work from 10am-6pm, and sometimes have to do extra work after 6pm. For the planning of the fundraiser in particular, there have been times where I have met with people for meetings after I leave for work, visit restaurants before 10am, driven to different parts of the city in rush hour traffic to try to retrieve donations from different businesses, and so on. To be honest, the extra work is thrilling. I enjoy the fact that my work does not solely revolve around being in an office. At the same time, it can be a bit draining because I have not found a balance yet in which my extra effort is wholly productive rather than a mere feeling of productivity. Because at the end of the day, the extra work has not made me feel any less worrisome about the event. So, when the speakers visited, I asked for their advice on how to maintain joy and health in their professional lives. One of the best pieces of advice they gave me was “Do your job, Don’t become your job.”

Since Tuesday, I have truly taken the advice of “Do your job, Don’t become your job” to heart. Although I have not perfected the work-life balance yet, I have become more conscious and honest with myself about how much I can handle. I almost visited a restaurant on a Saturday of my four-day July 4th weekend to discuss the fundraising event! But, I decided that I needed my Saturday to myself.  I love the work I am doing because it is exciting work and it is good work. However, I am learning about ensuring that my work neither consumes my life nor my identity. Before I am a public servant, I am an individual with needs of sleep, food, good health, and joy and I can never forget that.

Hello, hi, welcome to my second post in two days! (I promise you, though, this bonus post is worth it!)

LeaderSpark is predominately an organization that hosts leadership development events, workshops, and programs throughout the year to help youth grow into strong, independent members of society. Some of the projects that they engage in, though, are a little more hands on, and I’m pretty excited that I’ve had the opportunity to dip my toes into one of them recently- Honey Child.

Honey Child is a social enterprise that was started by some of the youth that have participated in the LeaderSpark curriculum. They make honey, chapstick, and candles… from scratch. Which means these students are L I T E R A L L Y doing BEEKEEPING, managing their expenses, and doing everything it takes to create their own business, which is pretty dang cool!

All I’m saying is… the youth that we work with are pretty amazing. I worked to get some of the newly created candles ready to sell recently and seeing how much this enterprise has expanded since the Honey Child group started in just November 2016 is incredibly inspiring. These students want to learn and grow and make a difference, and I can’t even begin to describe how meaningful it is for me to be a part of an organization that makes that happen for them. A lot of the students that we work with are considered to be some that society as deemed unworthy or has given up on, but being a part of LeaderSpark… I know we never will. They deserve so, so much more.

SHAMELESS PLUG FOR THIS REALLY AWESOME GROUP OF YOUTH:

If you would like to buy any honey, chapstick, or candles from Honey Child, email Kay Wilson at kay@leaderspark.org or call our office at 1-614-442-7899.

(Heads up: the candles are honey and mint scented and likely the most amazing thing you’ll ever smell in your time on this earth)

Until next time, my friends!

Sam

Summer Art Workshops do not run this week because of the 4^th of July holiday, so I am able to take some breathes and participate in museum programs that I do not normally have the opportunity to be a part of.

Today, I joined an Artful Adventure tour. As described by CMA, Artful Adventures is, “is a unique preschool experience focusing on play, imagination, and wonder in CMA galleries. Preschool groups spend one hour exploring CMA with specially trained education staff members to discuss, imagine, and engage in hands-on activities that foster imaginative thinking.” This program is facilitated by the Learning department that I work under and often has summer camps and daycares sign up to participate.

It was fascinating to watch the preschool aged children react and discuss works of art hanging on the gallery walls. Our first stop was in front of a large piece that depicts a pool of water reflecting trees, a man, and clouds. The children talked about the strangeness of seeing familiar objects that are hanging upside down.

Then, using materials that we brought up to the galleries we had the students create a picnic for the man in the painting to eat. Most of the students jumped right in and were able to access their imagination quickly in order to decide what this upside-down man in the water would want to eat. Other kids needed a little encouragement about how to use material such as little puff balls, foil, and pipe cleaners to make something delicious.

Our last stop of the Artful Adventure was in front of a series of four works that show body shapes behind watery panes of glass. The children were quickly able to pick up on the sadness or creepy feeling that the pictures evoke. Using makeshift clip boards and paper, we had the students draw what they think the people behind the water really look like.

Chloe Napoletano

I would like to take a moment to recognize Mr. Richard H. Oman, the first Executive Director of the Columbus Foundation. He recently passed away but his legacy will live on forever. I feel the need to write about him this week because he selected me to be the Richard H. Oman Fellow.

A true Buckeye through and through, he received his bachelor’s and Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University in 1948 and 1951. He then continued to pass on his wisdom and knowledge at Ohio National Bank, the Isaac, Postlewaite, O’Brien & Oman law firm, Columbus Foundation, Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, and Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP. Richard (Dick) also served as legal counsel and secretary for the Foundation from 1955 to 1978. He was instrumental in the development and continued growth of this crucial organization. Oman believed the Columbus Foundation “can and should be the conscience of the community.” (Columbus Dispatch)

Recently the fellows attended a learning session about leadership and next steps as we begin or continue our job search. I cannot help but think that Dick Oman’s leadership, effective and innovative, is something to truly admire because it was not about what he would gain, instead, it was about what others would receive. A leader is compassionate, innovative, passionate, effective, and shines through action and knowledge. This probably contributed to him being listed in the “Best Lawyers in America and Who’s Who in America” (Legacy) and the Harrison Sayre Award for Leadership and Philanthropy. During his lifetime he achieved many more awards and recognition for his lifelong commitment to Columbus and community organizations.

Unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet him but based on what I have heard and the note he shared, he had an extraordinary amount of compassion and love for Columbus and the Foundation. There is something truly special when someone sees your potential, passion, and accomplishments without meeting you. I am truly saddened by his passing but grateful for his kindness.

For more background information on Richard, please visit the links below:

http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170629/richard-oman-key-architect-of-columbus-foundations-growth-has-died

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=richard-heer-oman&pid=185951518&fhid=8702

I have been learning a lot about myself and my working style lately. A lot of my previous positions have involved non-traditional working hours and several work projects that had to be completed on my own time, and now that I have a more structured schedule, I’ve had to adjust the way that I work accordingly. One of the things that I’ve found to work best is keeping a journal that I use to brainstorm, create lists, and outline my thoughts and ideas throughout the day. This journal has given me something tangible that I can see that helps me stay on track with exactly what I need to do each day in order to complete my projects, and it helps to keep all of my ideas in one place rather than being scattered in a million different documents. I’ve been asked to blog-both about my study abroad experience earlier this summer and about the fellowship-quite frequently lately, and I have been reminded through those experiences about how much writing helps me to reflect, to be most productive, and to come up with some of my best ideas.

Though what I like to call “work journaling” probably wouldn’t work for everyone, it is extremely effective for me, and I think it is particularly conducive to the kind of work that occurs in non-profit organizations. This is a sector where there is a constant need for creative ideas, tons of projects happening at once, and endless to-do lists. Writing things down throughout the day allows me to maintain the perfect balance between staying super organized and on track, and also letting my creativity flow.

Finally, I want to take a moment to point out again how awesome the people are that support this organization. There is a couple with a golden retriever therapy dog that comes in every Thursday and sits in the lobby and talks with the kids as they pet the dog. The lobby is right outside my office, and it brightens my day every week to see the faces of those kids light up as they forget for a moment all of the things that they’re going through and enjoy the company of a sweet furry friend. It warms my heart to see all of the big and small gestures from so many members of the community that care about these kids and their families and will go to great lengths to comfort complete strangers and let them know that they are loved.

-Courtney

By Kelsie Fields at the Westerville Symphony

This past Sunday, the Westerville Symphony hosted our annual Sounds of Freedom concert! The concert is part of the City of Westerville’s Summer Concert Series, and the Westerville Symphony hosts it every year around the Fourth of July.

The event was a huge success, and we were so glad to have the beautiful weather! This year, we hosted the event in the Alum Creek Park amphitheater, and this venue turned out to be perfect for a summer concert! The buzz in the air was cheery and patriotic, and the music reverberated throughout the park and surrounding area.

Our excellent conductor, Peter Stafford Wilson, led the orchestra as they played famous military songs, Sousa’s marches, and other patriotic favorites. Having only attended a symphony orchestra performance once before in my life, I enjoyed this concert very much; the outdoor venue and excited audience gave the concert an entirely different feel than what I had experienced before.

It’s encouraging to see the strong grassroots support for the arts that exists in our community. Columbus is wonderfully vibrant when it comes to art (in all forms), and even when it comes to symphonies. In fact, Columbus is a very “symphony-saturated” city, with more than just a few in the local area, as would be expected.

I have been learning a lot about the value and importance of community support. Without the support of the City of Westerville, Otterbein, and our amazing community members, events like this simply wouldn’t be possible. It is because of the enthusiasm of our community that events like this are successful and that make it possible for us to offer these events for free. There are low barriers to entry when you can offer someone a symphonic experience outside, for free, with no pressure, and this strategy allows us to engage more people with the Symphony, maybe for the first time!

All in all, the event was a huge success. Now we will spend our time focusing on my main project, the Beethoven 5k! Stay tuned!

One full month at DSC. That is such a strange thing to think about. I have read it takes around 21-30 days to make a habit. Coming into work at DSC has become not only a habit, but a routine I look forward to. Before I start getting all sentimental – I can only imagine what my blog post will be week 10 – I will write about what I did this week and what I learned.

This week I was entirely motivated for change. Not in an ‘I’m going to change the world’ kind of way, but more in an ‘I’m going to make this document grammatically correct’ kind of way. Baby steps. I created a word document with website content edits to be implemented. I brainstormed future marketing ideas. I edited, edited, and edited again our Case for Support document (still editing). All these projects felt familiar to me. I felt like I could apply my skills in very practical ways. It felt good not to have to ask my supervisor, “okay what’s next?” every couple of hours.

I feel like I accomplished a lot this week. But I also learned that in order to really get things done, I need to be flexible. Not everything will go exactly as I hope. There will be disagreements on outlook, efficiency, and even word choice. Choose your battles. Ultimately, team work means valuing a group perspective above individual perspective. That is where the best work can be produced, if there is flexibility. That is a humbling lesson.

I do not have access to the website template, so I had to submit my changes via word document. I researched alternative do-it-yourself web templates before learning that we are in a year contract with our current one. I asked around to find appropriate terminology alternatives for “individuals with hearing loss” to be used in the Case for Support document. All these things I wanted to complete on my own, but kept finding that I need the input/permission/information from others in order to really get things done. And ultimately, I think teamwork always creates a better outcome.

Karlee H.

Hello, hi, welcome to my Week Four Recap!

Week Four was… so many things. I feel like every day that I spend at LeaderSpark goes quicker than the last because thinking back to last week, it genuinely only feels like I was in the office for about 2 hours total (I was there a lot longer than that). I think that’s what is supposed to happen, though, when you’re doing meaningful work that you enjoy. Time is supposed to go by quickly and at the end of the day, you look around and wonder where the day went because you were so invested in the work that you were doing. That’s pretty cool.

So Week Four got me working quite a bit on the IGNITE Back-To-School Retreat that LeaderSpark is hosting during the beginning of August. So most importantly… If you know any 14-17 year olds that want to start the school year off right with a retreat… You know where to go!

Here is one (of about a million different styles of flyer) that I made for the event- so act fast and get all of those really awesome and empowered youth that you know to sign up! Or maybe you don’t know any youth from 14-17 that you’d like to come, you can always donate to the cause so we can help youth afford this really really incredible experience.

You can donate here: igfn.us/form/O18bYQ

Anywho, working on IGNITE with Kay and Solomon, our July newsletter (which I need to get out today or tomorrow… yikes!) has kept me more than busy! I’ve thought of a few different ways to start spicing up our newsletter a bit, so hopefully I can implement that this month and get the ball rolling for months to come after I’m gone! Speak of the devil, Kay is calling me into her office now. Guess that means it’s time to sign off!

Until next time, my friends!

Sam

PS Here is a picture of Kay and Solomon in case you’re curious who I’m working with. They’re good humans; I’m a big fan. 🙂

This week started with the quarterly meeting at the City of Columbus Department of Development. It was exciting to see how the city works with Homeport, especially since I take an interest in local government. I got a sense of how Homeport’s work fits into the Columbus community as a whole, and how Homeport and the city work together to achieve some of the same goals.

My main task for the week was to read through the letters that Gifts of Kindness applicants wrote explaining their hardships. The goal was to figure out some of the main causes that residents fall behind on rent and utilities, as Gifts of Kindness applicants are typically able to pay their bills on time, but have experienced a hardship that suddenly makes them unable to do so. These hardships were not as easy to sort through as expected—some were related to employment, while others were medical or family related. Reading through the stories of each applicant helped me understand the need for the Gifts of Kindness fund in the Columbus community, and the impact that it can make to help people get back on their feet.

Towards the end of the week, I had the opportunity to visit some of Homeport’s property developments with the real estate team. We visited Hilltop, Milo Grogan, and Hamilton Crossing. Each site provided a different perspective—construction has not yet begun at Milo Grogan, while Hamilton Crossing is in the mid-stages of construction. Hilltop is a neighborhood in which Homeport has finished building houses scattered throughout. Since I’ve been working more with the resident services side of Homeport, seeing the development side was fascinating. I’ve been thinking about trying to learn more about real estate since starting at Homeport, and the visits showed me how important it would be to learn more about it if I want to go into development.

Hamilton Crossing, located in Whitehall, will be an affordable housing facility for seniors. It consists of 64 units and is set to open this fall.

Next week I will begin making calls to Gifts of Kindness recipients to learn more about their experiences with the program and how it has impacted them. I’m looking forward to talking to and learning from the residents, and hope to gain an even better understanding of how Gifts of Kindness and Homeport make an impact in our community.

The other day I was sitting Ohio Wildlife Center, casually chatting with my co-workers when I suddenly came to the realization that this environment felt different to me somehow. It wasn’t until I consciously looked around for the answer, when I realized that almost all of my co-workers are women, far from the 50/50 ratio to which I’m typically accustomed. I also recalled that almost all of our Columbus Foundation summer fellows are women as well. This is an interesting phenomenon and led me into looking into the female/male gap in the nonprofit sector.

The shocking reality is that while 75% of volunteers and workers in nonprofits are women as of 2011, only 45% of leadership positions at NPOs are held by women (Nonprofit Center of North Central Florida, White House Project). The problem is clearly not unique to the nonprofit sector, women are struggling to make it to top positions in every field. The interesting aspect of non-profit sector female leadership is that it is not for lack of desire or motivation that these discrepancies exist The Chronicle of Philanthropy found that of the 650 women interviewed, 57% said they aspired to lead a nonprofit and 62% of these participants had more than 10 years of nonprofit experience.

Per usual, there is also a significant wage gap between female leaders in the nonprofit sector and their male counterparts with women earning on average 66% of a male CEO’s salary given equal qualifications, according to the same report. Women are also more likely to become CEOs of smaller nonprofits rather than larger ones.

I am proud of my cohort of empowered women and men as well as the inspiring female leaders at Ohio Wildlife Center. These statistics have been important for me to recognize as I learn more about the nonprofit sector and the challenges we face as a community but I also find it extremely motivating. This is a conversation that we can continue as we grow and progress in our careers and raise women to follow.

Olivia Adkins