Moving Towards Social Justice Philanthropy: One Family Foundation's Journey

The Social Innovation Forum's mission is to create positive social change in Greater Boston. We do this by engaging leaders, strengthening organizations, and building networks. We describe our work as “a marketplace approach” to social change – one in which SIF engages diverse stakeholders in collaborating to accelerate purposeful, positive social change. Since 2003, the Social Innovation Forum has directed more than $59 million in cash and in-kind services to more than 120 portfolio organizations.

Social Innovation Forum

Engage in an honest and intimate dialogue about the Surdna Foundation's journey towards social justice philanthropy.

The Social Innovation Forum (SIF) and Philanthropy Massachusetts invite you to join us for a virtual event on Tuesday, June 30th. Please note this session is intended for foundation staff, donors, trustees, and advisors.Five generations after being established, the <a href="https://surdna.org/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Surdna Foundation</a> has been intentional about honoring founding vision and legacy, while remaining relevant to current needs and issues in society. In 2009, the family trustees took a bold step in naming social justice in its mission statement and have continued to evolve by explicitly centering racial equity in the Foundation&#x27;s current strategy. The result has been an ongoing transformation in the operations, governance and culture of the institution; a refinement of next-gen philanthropy programs that now explore power, privilege and equity; and a public controversy within the family around donor intent.In a candid look at multi-generational family philanthropy, you&#x27;ll hear directly from two family members from the 5th and 6th generations of the Andrus family about the lessons and challenges in honoring legacy, while embracing a commitment to social justice. Kelly Nowlin, 5th generation Surdna Board member, and Sam Downes, 6th generation family member and participant in Surdna&#x27;s next-gen programs, will share their personal and collective stories, and engage the audience in an interactive session to explore common challenges, concerns and reasons for making progress towards justice and equity. Kelly and Sam will also share and respond to questions about the foundations response to COVID-19. Kelly Nowlin is a fifth generation Andrus family member who has been actively engaged in her family&#x27;s philanthropy for nearly 20 years. She serves on the board of the Surdna Foundation, a family led social justice foundation started by her great, great grandfather, John Emory Andrus over 100 years ago. Kelly chairs the Andrus Family Program Committee which is responsible for outreach to, and engagement of, nearly 500 Andrus family members and works closely with staff to help guide the Foundation&#x27;s program, investment and communications strategies.Sam graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2017 with a Bachelor&#x27;s in Mathematics and a minor in Chemistry. In May of 2019, Sam completed his Master&#x27;s in Environmental Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Sam balanced academics and research with a new found hobby of joining the Division One Track and Field team where he threw Javelin. As a research assistant, Sam had the opportunity to investigate emerging wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery processes. This past September he started a position as a water environmental engineer at Tighe &amp; Bond, an engineering consulting firm in Westwood, Massachusetts. Sam resides in Brighton where he enjoys running and exploring the city.

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Moving Towards Social Justice Philanthropy: One Family Foundation's Journey

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