Wondering what happened with our Butterfly Bash this year? Read more below.
Co-CEO, Ann Miles, Outgoing Co-CEO Gretchen Vanderveer, Incoming Interim Co-CEO, Jeff Franco, with Board Chair, Jim Myers.
Dear Fair Chance Community,
In August, I announced my decision to step down as Co-Chief Executive Officer (I will be sticking around though as a part-time Senior Advisor to aid in transition) and Fair Chance announced Jeffrey Franco as the new Interim Co-CEO. So, the Co-CEO model will remain in tact for Fair Chance, and finding the right future Co-CEO is now on the Board’s agenda.
But why the Co-CEO model? This is part of a growing trend in the non-profit sector. As reported in The Chronicle of Philanthropy in an article titled “No Longer Lonely at the Top,” more organizations are adopting Co-CEO structures. Leading a nonprofit today, especially with limited resources and growing demand, can be incredibly challenging for one person to manage alone. Sharing responsibilities helps ease that burden, promote sustainability and reduces the risk of burnout.
Co-leadership also allows for complementary strengths. In our case, Ann Miles, Co-Chief Executive Officer, is focusing on internal operations, while I am concentrating on external relations (as will Jeff when I step down next week. In addition, shared leadership can be particularly valuable during periods of transition and change -- when a broader range of perspectives can lead to more thoughtful and resilient decision-making.
Leading Fair Chance over the past 12 years has been an honor and the privilege of my life. I will take with me so many memories of early morning coffees with Fair Chance friends, enthusiastic gatherings with nonprofit partners, passionate staff discussions, joyful graduation celebrations, and dancing at our annual Butterfly Bash.
I am not leaving yet, just not in the thick of things anymore and passing the baton to Jeff, who I hope you will warmly welcome. I want to thank every one of you for the role you have played in supporting and encouraging Fair Chance’s work and for believing in our mission. We have come so far – together!
Yours in hope and gratitude,
Gretchen Van der Veer, PhD
Co-CEO (until Oct. 3!)
Fair Chance Partner Graduation Event!
On June 12, four nonprofits graduated from the Pathways Partnership, an 8-month cohort program. Fair Chance Capacity Building Specialist (CBS) Sawida Kamala (far left) had the pleasure of working with Lori Pitts and Jusna Perrin of Ally Theatre/Voices Unbarred and Loreal Latimer and Marcus Wilson of The Village Network, while TL, Capacity Building Specialist (not pictured here), was paired with Marva Berry and Michael Kaspar of The Learning Tree, Inc., and Barrie Moorman and Pamela Talkin from the Abramson Scholarship Fund.
At the ceremony, each CBS paid tribute to the hard work of each of the Executive Directors and Board Chairs and identified some of the areas each worked on such as leadership & management, board development, and program evaluation. Each leader then shared about their experience with Barry Moorman reflecting,
Capacity Builder, TL, Barrie Moorman and Pamela Talkin from the Abramson Scholarship Fund
At the end of the ceremony Co-Program Director Valerie Ashley inducted the leaders into the Fair Chance Alumni Network with a toast, followed by a roof-top reception where donor Mike Kimsey was also recognized for his support of Fair Chance’s Capital “Campaign for Our Future.” Our next Pathways Cohort of nonprofits is currently being selected, with orientation scheduled for October 15. For more pictures, click here.
Left Picture: Fair Chance Friend Mike Kimsey with Board Members Steven McCullough, Jim Myers and Georgia Gillette. Right Picture: Aspen Institutes Sylvia Kalley with Capacity Builder Saiwda Kamara.
Wondering what happened with our Butterfly Bash this year?
This Year, instead of dancing at the Butterfly Bash, we are standing with nonprofits challenged by funding reductions!
Instead of gathering for the Butterfly Bash this year, we have channeled staff efforts into on-demand consulting and other supports to assist the many nonprofits in our area impacted by federal and local government funding cuts.
These are perilous times for service providers and the communities they serve. As a result, we are asking our many supporters to channel your generosity to directly support our recently launched Nonprofit Resource and Resilience Center. Having already served 35 nonprofits since late spring with challenges ranging from financial analysis, potential sunsetting, engagement of boards in risk assessment, etc. and exploring new revenue models – we project demand will exceed current funding for this work by the end of November -- we need your help to keep services in our communities!
If you have given to the Butterfly Bash by buying a ticket, donating through text to give, or sponsoring, please consider giving the same amount this year by using the QR code here. We are so grateful for your support!
Left Picture: Board Member Marcus Coleman introduces Marcus Wilson of The Village Network. Right Picture: Board members and Friends at Purposeful Pours.
Purposeful Pours: An Evening with The Village Network
On September 24 at the Gathering Spot, Fair Chance Board members Marcus Coleman, Victor Carraway, & Anthony Rodell hosted an intimate gathering that perfectly embodied our mission: bringing together passionate individuals to support transformative community work.
Approximately 40 friends and supporters of Fair Chance gathered for an evening of fine wine, artisan cheeses, and meaningful conversation. The highlight of the evening was hearing from Marcus Wilson, Executive Director of The Village Network and recent graduate of Fair Chance's Pathways Partnership program.
The Village Network is building a foundation for student success through three programs. We've been doing work with Ron Brown High School, which is the All Boys High School here in Washington, DC. And next year we are launching an internship called the Young Kings’ internship, where we're training and hiring juniors and seniors at Ron Brown to be after school program instructors at our elementary school partner, Bishop T. Walker, School for boys, which is in southeast DC.
In January, The Village Network is launching the Young Kings Internship partnering with Ron Brown High School to train and hire juniors and seniors as after-school instructors at Bishop T. Walker School for Boys in Southeast DC. They are also building a pipeline of male educators through intergenerational mentorship and creating pathways to teaching careers with partners like Morgan State University. Their third program, the Compass Program, was recently awarded a grant through Prince George's County and creates transformative travel experiences for students.
We invite your voice in every newsletter—sharing updates from the communities Fair Chance serves, highlighting nonprofit issues and trends, and letting us know your preferred ways to engage with and learn about this work. Email us at development@fairchance.org.
