Author’s Insights 2020: Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha joined Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego for Author’s Insights 2020. Author’s Insights is part of our Leadership Reading Group program and is an opportunity for members of our Reading Group Program to delve more deeply into leadership concepts with an author whose book was read in the program. 
A 2018 New York Times 100 Notable Book, NPR Science Friday Best Science Book of 2018, and 2019 Michigan Notable Book, Dr. Hanna-Attisha’s bestselling and widely acclaimed book What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City is a riveting, beautifully rendered account of a shameful disaster that became a tale of activism and hope. It’s the story of a city on the ropes that came together to fight for justice, self-determination, and the right to build a better world for their—and all of our—children.
Recognized for her leadership, Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP serves as the founder and director of the Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an innovative and model public health program in Flint, Michigan. A pediatrician, scientist, activist and author, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has testified twice before the United States Congress, awarded the Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN America, and named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for her role in uncovering the Flint Water Crisis and leading recovery efforts. She has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, BBC and countless other media outlets championing the cause of children in Flint and beyond. She is the founding donor of the Flint Child Health and Development Fund (flintkids.org).
Dr. Mona showing us the “lead pipe” necklace given to her by Marc Edwards
During her time with us, Dr. Mona spoke about the need for leaders to work in collaboration with each other and to be mindful not to become siloed in their efforts. She reminded leaders that this work requires constant attention to networking, trust and relationship building. Dr. Mona shared her “why” and encourage our leaders to take the time to identify and understand their own “why” and then, to stay connected to it every day in a way that will propel one to do the right thing even when it is hard and uncomfortable. The conversation with Dr. Mona was facilitated by our founder, Janine Mason, and focused on many of the values of the Network, including reciprocity, trust, belonging and continual learning.
This was the first Author’s Insights that was held online. The program was carefully designed to 
create a community feel and as much personal interaction as possible. Members were able to interact with Dr. Mona and ask questions as part of the program. Much of the program feedback focused on how hopeful and inspired members felt after hearing from Dr. Mona. “This was good medicine” was the how one participant captured the event. Other leaders commented that the time was “enlightening and motivating”.
Dr. Mona and FLNSD share a practice of using poetry as a teaching tool. Featured in the first chapter of her book, she tells the story of the poem by Bertolt Brecht “A Worker’s Speech to a Doctor” (1938) and how she uses it to help her residents understand that underlying causes can harm and impact patients. Dr. Mona believes we can’t serve people or causes without first understanding history and its broad implications on the present situation. This is a key leadership capacity for both doctors and nonprofit leaders. Each Network member received a copy of this poem to remind them of this lesson. Dr. Mona also has her residents visit nonprofit organizations to further expand their community knowledge of services and challenges. As part of our discussion, the group explored ways nonprofit leaders and medical professionals can continue to work together to support neighborhoods.
Having our books signed by our guest author is a tradition at Author’s Insights and we weren’t about to let COVID-19 put an end to this practice. Much gratitude goes to Dr. Mona for generously signing book plates for all in attendance so they may add it to their own copy of What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City
In gratitude to Dr. Mona, we presented her a Fieldstone Cairn. Our hope it that each time she sees it, it will remind her of our appreciation and our support as she continues to mark a path of true, authentic and communal leadership for all.
FLNSD is currently hosting five leadership reading groups. The next group will begin in September 2021 with registration in Spring 2021. For more information, visit the program tab on our website.
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The Equity Journey – Small Group Discussions Begin
The first series of small group conversations were rich and impactful. The word cloud illustrates how people were feeling after the group discussions and reflects the hopefulness, and gratitude of those who participated. It also reflects the personal contribution each participant made to creating welcoming space which nurtured these rich conversations. Leaders’ honest participation and presence enriched the learning experience for each of us who has committed to this learning opportunity. Kristen Fogle, CEO of San Diego Writer’s Ink, concurred, “I loved partaking in the session. The small group format was wonderful for reflecting more deeply and getting attuned to where others are at. This is an amazing programming opportunity!”
Participants in The Equity Journey include individual leaders, nonprofit CEOs and their leadership teams, and leadership teams with boards of directors. The program is providing groups a share language and understanding of concepts critical to leadership in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, including the difference between equity and equality, and the concepts of intersectionality and micro-aggressions. It is serving as a first step to the organizational discussions and decisions that will be required by nonprofit organizations to address these issues in their workplaces and in service delivery to their clients.
Torrie Dunlap, CEO of Kids Included Together, is participating with her leadership team from across the country. The online curriculum makes it possible for her team to learn together remotely and then to come together for further discussion on what they are learning as they move toward implementation. Torrie credits Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego for “doing so much to to support the new and emerging needs of the field so quickly and with such high quality. Fieldstone is such a gift!”
Groups are now beginning Module 2 and will meet together during the week of October 19th for the next round of small group discussions. The second Module focuses on personal leadership and ends with each learner creating a personal plan to advance social equity.
For more information on The Equity Journey, please visit our website. You may also add your name to our interest list to be contacted about our next offering. The Equity Journey is offered as part of Project Stone Catcher, which aims to provide opportunities for nonprofit leaders to develop the skills and understanding necessary to lead nonprofit organizations in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to advance social justice issues for the broader community. Project Stone Catcher also aims to build a community of stone catchers who trust each other, offer support to one another and provide safe space for exploration and discussion of issues that have historically been difficult to discuss.
Race, Equity and Worker Power: A Community Conversation
As part of our Project Stone Catcher programming, Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego has partnered with San Diego Workforce Partnership and others to present a community conversation on race, equity and worker power in San Diego.
Project Stone Catcher aims to help nonprofit leaders develop their skills and capacities to work in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. This free learning opportunity is based on the recently released report San Diego Racial Equity Gap: How Did We Get Here .
Donna DeBerry, CEO, Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce
Ricky Shabazz, President, San Diego City College
Jerry Sanders, CEO, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
The learning event will take place on Wednesday, October 14, 2020 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. The event is free, but advanced registration is required. Leaders may register here.
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego is pleased to offer this program in collaboration with Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, Mission Driven Finance, San Diego City College, San Diego Grantmakers, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Workforce Partnership and The Nonprofit Institute.
Five Year Study on Clare Rose Sabbatical Released
We are please to share our recently completed 5-Year Report on the impact of our Clare Rose Sabbatical Program. This is an important milestone for our program, which is now entering its seventh year. To date, we have awarded 25 sabbatical/capacity building grants. Each grant is valued at $50,000.
This report would not have been possible without the participation of our sabbatical recipients, their staff and board members. Each helped us codify the impact of this program on them individually and on the organization as a whole. This work has helped us to improve the program over the years and helped us understand how to tell tell the story of why sabbaticals are important for nonprofit leaders.
Our thanks to The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego for its partnership on this research project. Specifically, to Laura Deitrick and Mary Jo Schumann who started with us over five years ago and then passed on the work to the capable and dedicated hands of Michelle Schneider and Tessa Tinkler. We have been blessed by their wisdom and dedication to researching our work. And of course, thank you to the Durfee Foundation for inspiring us with their sabbatical program and being so generous in sharing their model with us so we could bring it to San Diego.
The report can be found on our website . We have included some highlights for you below, but since we don’t want to spoil your reading experience, we have been brief. But please know, we are excited about the outcomes and the impact this program has had in the first five years of the program.
- 91% of board and staff surveyed reported the ED was more rested and rejuvenated post-sabbatical.
- 83% of Interim ls reported they gained skills and knowledge for the future.
- 82% of nonprofit board members from all 19 organizations indicated that the sabbatical redirected thinking on organizational transition and succession planning.
- 80% Board and Staff agreed that new leadership capacity was built within the organization as a result of the sabbatical.
Long-term impacts for individuals included:
And long-term benefits to organizations included:
– More autonomous and connected staff
Now, maybe more than ever, sabbaticals play an essential role in building the capacity of nonprofit leaders and organizations while sustaining executive leadership to remain in the sector. Our next application cycle begins in January 2021. This will be cohort 7! If you are interested in applying, please visit our website for more helpful information. It is full of video testimonials, studies, resources and the application.
Applications are due January 31, 2021.
FLNSD Makes GreatNonprofits List 2020
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego has been honored with one of the first Top-Rated Awards of 2020 from GreatNonprofits! This is our first year being part of Great Nonprofits.
“The Network has enriched my professional life by welcoming me into a community of learners. We help one another confront daily challenges while making space to envision a positive future for the nonprofit sector.”“As a life-long non-profit professional, I have found very few ongoing structural supports for non-profit leaders. And certainly none that go as deep and broad as the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego.”
Fieldstone is an exceptional organization both for its leadership and services. Its unique role to identify and support emerging and seasoned leaders grow and develop is critical to the nonprofit and leadership development eco-system. There are more and better leaders because of Fieldstone.
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FORTIFY: The Racial Equity Series
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego Collaborates with Rise San Diego and The Nonprofit Institute to Offer Webinar-based Certificate Program.
When COVID-19 hit, Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego and The Nonprofit Institute came together to curate a series of webinars to support nonprofit leaders as they dealt with the ramifications of a global pandemic. Now, with the country dealing with civic and racial unrest after the killing of George Floyd, Fieldstone and The Nonprofit Institute have expanded the FORTIFY family to include Rise San Diego. Together, these organizations have crafted FORTIFY: The Racial Equity Series.
FORTIFY: The Racial Equity Series is a six-week program which will feature one webinar each week. The program will begin on September 15, 2020 and run through October 20, 2020. Learners may join all six or choose specific sessions in which to participate. The program will be facilitated by Dr. Zachary Green, Dr. Roxanne Kymanni and Dr. Rodric Smith and the series will comprise the following sessions: - Creating a Common Language for the Conversation
- Being Ally, Accomplice, Accompanist, Advocate, and Anti-Racist
- Beginning Where You are As Who You Are
- Getting Ready for Racial Inquiry: Deeper Dimension of Racial Equity Dialogue
- Learning the Adaptive Racial Conversation Hierarchy Approach
- Living into Racial Equity: Intention and Action
A certificate in Foundations of Racial Equity will be offered to participants who register and attend the six-part series, read supplemental material and complete a course survey.
Proceeds from FORTIFY: The Racial Equity Series will support the work of this partnership to promote racial equity education and advocacy in the San Diego region.
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FLNSD Announces Partnership with Nonprofit Leadership Alliance to Offer Equity Course
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego has joined forces with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance to offer an online learning program focused on equity, inclusion and diversity. Learners will explore the meaning of equity and what it looks like in society, test their own understanding of privilege and how it impacts access and learn how to advance equity in their own organizations and communities. Learners who complete all components of the program will earn a certificate in equity.
“Society has always called upon nonprofit leaders and organizations to address our most important civil challenges. Today is no exception. As our communities work to address equity in our country and the world, nonprofit leaders will be at the forefront. We are thrilled to work with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance to provide our local nonprofit leaders with the opportunity to invest in their understanding and knowledge and in building their network so they can do this important work to the best of their abilities. It is the most critical leadership call at this time”, according to Janine Mason, Founder and Director of Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego.
“Our goal for The Equity Journey is to help individuals take the first step in self-awareness related to social equity. Partnering with Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego gives us a broader platform to spread the word and accomplish this goal. We are proud to work with such an engaged and committed group to begin the difficult work ahead for our communities” says Susan Tomlinson Schmidt, MPA, CNP President of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.
The Equity Journey includes three self guided modules. Learners will have three weeks to complete each module. Then, Learners will participate in an online small group discussion on the module before advancing to the next session. This enhanced program feature is unique to the Fieldstone offering.
- Enhance their understanding of equity and bias.
- Gain awareness of the structural/systemic barriers that hinder equity.
- Understand their own equity journey and create an action plan to continue their personal development.
- Develop a deeper understanding of how advancing equity can increase the effectiveness of their organization and create a plan to operationalize your goals.
- Explore strategies for aligning professional practice with social equity objectives.
- Build a community of nonprofit leaders committed to leading in the areas of equity and race relations.
- Build a toolkit of resources that will benefit the learner today and in the future.
This course works well for individuals as well as for entire teams or organizations. It is a cost effective and impactful way to train employees and leaders in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion and create a shared vernacular as a starting point to begin organizational efforts and discussions to address change in your agency.
An e-certificate for The Equity Journey will be awarded to each participant who completes the online course and participates in three online discussion groups.
Our partnership with Nonprofit Leadership Alliance allows us to offer this course at the special price of $65.
This learning opportunity is presented as part of Project Stone Catcher which is designed to support nonprofit leaders in developing their understanding and competencies to lead their teams and organizations in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.
A Community of Stone Catchers
STONE CATCHER: (n) A person with power and privilege who stands between those who cast stones and those who are daily injured by a politics of injustice, inequity, hate and violence. An accomplice in advancing social justice. An anti-racist.
Last month, Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego announced a new program called Project Stone Catcher. Created in response to the growing call for nonprofit leaders to work toward a more diverse sector and a more equitable society, Project Stone Catcher aims to nurture a community of stone catchers who trust each other, offer support to one another and provide safe space for exploration and discussion of issues that have historically been difficult to discuss so we are better able to work for social justice. The name of the program is inspired by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of the book Just Mercy.
A companion piece to this program, is a fieldstone etched with the word “CATCHER”. The stone was unveiled on June 4th as part of the premier Project Stone Catcher program, an online leadership discussion with Scott Budnick. Budnick is the Executive Producer of the movie “Just Mercy” and the founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Facilitated by Lee Ann Kim, Budnick addressed many of the leadership concepts that we use in our work—from vision to courage to self care to knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and surrounding yourself with good people. During the discussion, Scott also highlighted several organizations that are working for social justice in his comments, including the organizations that he founded: OneCommunity LLC and the Anti Recidivism Coalition. Links to these organizations and other resources that were discussed or raised as part of the chat can be found on our website.
The hope is the “Catcher” stone will serve as a reminder of one’s commitment to catching stones, especially during hard times and to help one to identify others who also working in solidarity as Stone Catchers. Leaders are encouraged to put their stone where they and others can see it. This way, it might generate curiosity from others and provide stone catchers the opportunity to share the story of the stone and invite others to join our work for social justice.
The “CATCHER” joins a collection of stones crafted by FLNSD to encourage nonprofit leaders as they work. Other stones include the words LEAD, COURAGE and GRATEFUL.
FLNSD often uses the symbol of the cairn to illustrate the work of leaders. Cairns are the rock formations found all over the world and used by travelers to mark a path, help one find their way and encourage one to keep going on their journey. With these stones, FLNSD is providing gentle reminders of encouragement to Network Members while allowing them to build personal cairns to mark the way for those they lead.
As part of the leadership discussion with Scott and in support of the work of FLNSD and the Anti Recidivism Coalition, “Catcher” stones are available for a small donation through June 25th using this link.
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Welcome Nathan Burns
Please welcome Nathan Burns to the Fieldstone Family. Nathan will be working with us as a summer intern and will be concentrating on a special project focused on codifying and celebrating the leadership efforts of our nonprofit leaders during COVID-19.
Hailing from Newtown, Pennsylvania, Nathan is entering his senior year at the University of Richmond. Nathan is double-majoring in Leadership Studies and French, and minoring in English. As a Leadership Studies major, Nathan takes a multi-disciplinary approach to studying the theories and applications of leadership at community, national and international levels. More specifically, he has recently researched local leadership concerning archival activism and public memory in the historically complex city of Richmond, Virginia. Outside of academics, Nathan is a university writing consultant, member of the university choir and president of an on-campus a cappella group. In his free time, he enjoys reading, hiking and photography.
We are thrilled to be working with Nathan this summer and are excited to see this project come to fruition. Welcome Nathan!
Project Stone Catcher
Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego is pleased to announce Project Stone Catcher, a new area of leadership development focused on providing opportunities for nonprofit leaders to develop the skills and understanding necessary to lead nonprofit organizations in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to advance social justice issues for the broader community. In alignment with our mission, Project Stone Catcher will build a community of stone catchers who trust each other, offer support to one another and provide safe space for exploration and discussion of issues that have historically been difficult to discuss.
The name of this effort is inspired by Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. Stevenson calls upon those with power and privilege to catch stones – to stand between those who “cast stones” and those who are daily injured by a politics of hate and violence. Thus, to be anti-racist, to be an accomplice in advancing social justice, requires one to be a stone catcher.
This new thread of learning opportunities will be woven into our existing programming, including Crossroads and Turning Points, Leadership Reading Groups, Fieldstone @ 4 and our leadership retreat.
Programming for 2020-21 includes:
JUST MERCY – Online Leadership Discussion with Executive Producer Scott Butnick
June 4, 2020 4 pm
At home movie viewing/Online discussion
Sponsored by Alliant Education Foundation
Race: Are We So Different? – Exhibition and Discussion
TBD
Museum of Man
The Race Card Project
Date: TBD
Searching for the Heart of Social Justice in Hallowed and Historic Places: A Leadership Pilgrimage
September 19-22, 2021
Montgomery, Alabama
More information on each of these programs can be found under the program tab on our website. All programs are open to nonprofit leaders in San Diego County.
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