Blog post by Michelle Miller, CEO, Philanthropy Missouri
Dear PhilMO Members & Community Partners,
With grateful hearts and hope for its possibilities, we have officially started our 2022 journey. Philanthropy Missouri is ready to navigate this year with you, understanding — while we each move forward carrying our own experiences — we can accomplish greater change together. In my third week as CEO, I want to say hello, share two upcoming events, and ask you to join Philanthropy Missouri in a new year challenge.
Funder & Community Coffee Break: Meet Michelle Miller
For me, this new year feels particularly rich with potential – including opportunities to meet (or reconnect with) you. The first such opportunity will be on January 20 from 10:00 to 11:00am. Please prepare yourself a delicious cup of coffee or tea and join me in Zoomland for a short interview followed by time for you to ask questions or even request a sidebar room to visit with a colleague. The meet & greet will be casual and conversational; any interested Member, grantmaker, or community partner is welcome to join for all or part of the hour. Register here.
Becoming is better than being.
Carol Dweck
Annual Meeting
For Philanthropy Missouri, 2021 brought sustained transition: on-going response to the pandemic, launching implementation of our strategic plan, celebrating Deb's contributions as she started her next chapter, and onboarding four new staff members (Amanda, Amy, Carla, and me). As we launch into 2022, we are committed to embracing ongoing change with a growth mindset, a topic we invite you to explore with us at our Annual Meeting. The meeting, held virtually from 10:00am to Noon on January 28, is open to all Philanthropy Missouri Members and non-Member funders. Together, we will celebrate and reflect upon our first year of cross-state expansion and consider how to apply a growth mindset as individuals and philanthropy professionals forwarding important work. For early registrants, there will be an exciting virtual gift, sponsored by Light A Single Candle Foundation, to help you be in-action with topics from the meeting throughout 2022. Register here.
Do your little bit of good where you are;
it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
Desmond Tutu
New Year Challenge: Pursue Progress, Not Perfection
As we start a fresh year, Philanthropy Missouri continues to envision a thriving, equitable Missouri served by a collaborative, purpose-driven, and effective philanthropic sector. In our pursuit of equity, in particular, we are committed to letting go of “perfect" – the perfect statement, the perfect policy, the perfect program. Perfection can be paralyzing. Instead, we welcome you to join us in pursuing progress. This means we forward the work imperfectly, we give and receive brave feedback to support improvement, and we are confident our “little bits of good put together” will bring the change we seek.
On behalf of the Philanthropy Missouri team, I wish you a 2022 of good health and meaningful impact. We hope to see you virtually this month and look forward to working and learning with you throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Michelle Miller (she/her)
CEO Philanthropy Missouri
michelle@philmo.org | 512.787.5111 (cell) | 314.621.6220 (office)
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