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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.

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

REGISTER HERE

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.

JUST MERCY Leadership Discussion with Scott Budnick, Executive Producer

Originally scheduled as an in-person event, we have redesigned this event for the current day. COVID-19 has heightened our awareness of social inequities across our community, making this exclusive leadership discussion more important than ever. Join us as we begin a concerted effort to respond and recreate our future by participating in this learning opportunity. Leaders are invited to watch the movie Just Mercy at home and then join us online on June 4th at 4 pm for an exclusive and inspiring discussion on the courage necessary to work on issues of social justice.  Register Here

As it is with books, movies provide a unique opportunity to study leadership and how it is or is not exercised in response to society’s challenges. “Just Mercy,” is an inspiring drama that brings one of the most important stories of our time to the big screen. A powerful and thought-provoking true story, “Just Mercy” follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice. After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or who were not afforded proper representation. Equally inspiring is the movie’s Executive Producer,Scott Budnick. Scott is an American film producer, Founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), and is currently CEO of One Community, LLC – a film, television, and new media co-financing company that uses the power of storytelling to encourage and inspire positive global change. Since 2004, Budnick has been a fierce advocate for social justice and a fairer judicial system. In 2003, he began volunteering with InsideOUT Writers (IOW), a program that brings creative writing into juvenile halls. In 2014, Budnick founded ARC, whose mission is to reduce incarceration, improve the outcomes of formerly incarcerated individuals, and build healthier communities. ARC provides formerly incarcerated men and women with direct services such as housing, counseling, job training and opportunities, mentoring, and education. The organization also empowers and mobilizes its members to play a role in justice reform efforts through direct policy advocacy.  For his work with youth in the criminal justice system, Governor Jerry Brown named Scott the 2012 California Governor’s Volunteer of the Year. He sits on the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) and was selected to serve as a Board Member for President Barack Obama’s foundation, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. Scott will share his experiences in making Just Mercy, provide insights about crafting his job into a vocation and discuss the personal leadership and courage required to work toward social justice. Open to members of the FLNSD and the greater nonprofit community, this leadership discussion will be facilitated by Lee Ann Kim. Kim, a former broadcast journalist, is the founder of Pacific Arts Movement.  She is an active member of Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego and will be co-facilitating the Network’s leadership retreat in Alabama in September 2021. This leadership development opportunity is offered as part of Project Stone Catcher, a program 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. Our thanks to Alliant Education Foundation for their sponsorship of this learning opportunity. REGISTER HERE

 

FORTIFY: A New Program for Nonprofit Leaders

2020 Clare Rose Sabbaticals Announced

Congratulations to this year’s Clare Rose Sabbatical recipients:

CASA DE AMISTAD and Nicole Mione-Green

Established in 1997, Casa de Amistad, has served children and families in coastal North County San Diego through education and mentoring programs. Its academic mentoring program has grown from serving 3 children on its first night to serving over 260 children and their families annually.

ELDER HELP and Deborah Martin

ElderHelp is a dynamic, values-based agency dedicated to improving the lives of seniors and their families. They provide community-based solutions through professional staff and nearly 500 volunteers committed to helping older adults live independently in their own homes.

The Clare Rose Sabbatical program aims to replenish the stores of energy and inspiration for our community’s most gifted leaders and build the capacity of our local nonprofit organizations.  The program is part of Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego’s annual offerings and is valued at $50,000! Each Clare Rose Sabbatical includes:

• Individual stipends and expenses of up to $40,000 to cover salary, benefits, and travel to reflect or otherwise renew themselves in whatever manner they propose.
• Additional support of up to $5,000 is made available to successful candidates’ employing organizations that are willing to establish a permanent, revolving fund for professional staff development.
• A fund of $2,500 to appropriately compensate or reward the leader or team that filled the role of the Executive Director during the sabbatical.
• Up to 12 consulting hours to aid in the preparation for, to be on-call during, and assist in the re-entry from the sabbatical.

In the spirit of reciprocity and as is our tradition, past Clare Rose Sabbatical-Takers joined our interview and selection committee this year. Thank you to Tonya Danielly, Ivey Ranch Park; Krisitianne Kurner, New Village Arts; Scott Larson, HomeAid and Margie Wakeham for serving along side Clare Rose and Fieldstone staff this year. While site visits to each organization were done in person in early March, final interviews had to be conducted via Zoom to complete the process in early April.

In light of the dire situation so many nonprofit leaders find themselves in due to  COVID-19, we decided to make the announcement earlier than usual and share the joy now rather than wait another month.  Since were were not able to make the announcement in person as we usually do, we gathered our Clare Rose Sabbatical community members from both San Diego and Orange County and made the announcement on Zoom.  We had cow bells, pom poms, special virtual backgrounds, roses, hand made signs and glasses for toasting.  It was fun and silly, just as a celebration should be!!  Best part is that we were still able to surprise our 2020 recipients!!

Our Clare Rose Sabbatical Community now numbers 25!

Applications are due each January 31st. Two sabbaticals are awarded annually to San Diego nonprofits and their executive director.

Applications and more information are available on our website.

Clare Rose Sabbaticals Announced

Introducing the Nonprofit Resource Exchange

The Nonprofit Resource Exchange is a place for nonprofit organizations to ask for what they need and to offer what they have to other nonprofit organizations as we navigate through COVID-19. The Exchange is built on the value of reciprocity with the goal of sharing resources to help the nonprofit sector as we all work together to lead our teams, serve our clients, re-imagine how we work, and sustain our organizations for the future. 

Nonprofit Resource Exchange San Diego is brought to you as a pilot program through a partnership between FIELDSTONE LEADERSHIP NETWORK SAN DIEGO and THE NONPROFIT INSTITUTE at the University of San Diego.

Within its first few days, the group had grown to close to 500 members.  Nonprofits have asked for supplies, equipment and consulting services.  In turn, nonprofits have offered a variety of spaces for new uses to address emerging needs, refrigeration/freezer space, fundraising, financial planning and legal assistance.  From unique asks for phone chargers for medical professionals and patients to the necessary work of doing scenario planning and writing emergency funding appeals, members of the nonprofit community are stepping up to support each other and offer what they have to pull each other through these unprecedented days.  If you have ever wondered how we would survive, scrolling through the Exchange, gives you a sense of how we will not only survive, but thrive together as a vibrant, cooperative, community.

The Nonprofit Resource Exchange is hosted on Facebook and can be found by searching Nonprofit Resource Exchange San Diego.

Nonprofit Event Calendar Now Available

When Jen Nation was confronted with cancelling the annual fundraising event for Olivewood Gardens, one of her first thoughts was how and when to reschedule. She understood that nonprofits across the county were contemplating the same thing. And she understood that soon, each would be working to reschedule. The question would became how how to avoid conflicts with each other, especially given the reduced dates that would be available after the shelter in place orders were lifted . Fortunately, Jen, a member of our Network and a graduate of our Executive Learning Group program, reached out to share her concern with us. In response, we have created a calendar to assist nonprofits throughout San Diego in avoiding critical conflicts as they consider new dates for their important events.

Our goal is to create a central location which will serve as a resource to our local nonprofit community as we recover from the impacts of COVID-19 and into the future. The calendar will showcase fundraising events of local San Diego nonprofit organizations. It will be updated on a continual basis.

To participate and add a fundraising event to the calendar, nonprofits may email [email protected] with the following information:

Organization Name
Contact Person
Date and Time
Location of Event (venue name)
Type of Event (gala, dinner, auction, sporting event)

The Nonprofit Event Calendar is available on our website under the RESOURCES tab.

The Nonprofit Event Calendar is an outward symbol of our partnership with the nonprofit leaders in our community.  If you have an idea you believe will help you to lead more effectively, please let us know.

Together we will prevail through this unprecedented time.

Fieldstone @ 4 ONLINE

Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego has always been about creating community and providing space for leaders to come together for peer support. As we are all adjusting to a new normal and in-person gatherings are not possible, our commit to connecting leaders and creating community has not changed.

Recognizing the increased need nonprofit leaders are feeling to connect and share resources we have redesigned our Fieldstone@4 program to a virtual platform so nonprofit leaders have an  opportunity to get together on a weekly basis for fellowship and peer support. Fieldstone@4 ONLINE will meet together every Wednesday from 4 to 5 pm on Zoom.  It will serve as our virtual living room for leaders to come together and to talk about the challenges, successes, joys and struggles that come with leading in the time of COVID-19.  It is offered an open canvas to address whatever issues leaders are holding on their leadership journey, to offer support to each other and share wisdom during this unprecedented time.

Our Online Living Room will be hosted on Zoom from 4 to 5 pm each Wednesday, beginning March 25, 2020. Please register so we may send you the link to join the gathering.
Register here for March 25th

If you can’t make it at this time, you can join our interest list for future e-gatherings by e-mailing us at [email protected].

COVID-19 Rapid Response – Online Learning Now Available

In alignment with our values, two new learning opportunities–Leading Remote Teams and Fundraising in the Era of COVID-19–were crafted in response to recent requests and feedback from our Network Members.

They are offered as free learning opportunities in support of our Members and the broader community of nonprofit leaders who are being challenged to lead and work in ways never before expected.

Monday, March 23 – Leading Remote Teams 9 am to 10:30 am

Register for Leading Remote Teams

  Torrie Dunlap, CEO, Kids Included Together

• Communication Strategies, including meeting frequencies, and a “check in” template you can use with your team
• Ideas for working collaboratively and managing workflow among team members
• How to support employee morale and maintain organizational culture when you are not together and
• Technical tools available to support you and your team work as you work from home

Thursday, March 26 – Fundraising in the Era of COVID-19 9 am to 10:30 am

Register for Fundraising in the Era of COVID-19

We are offering an online discussion with local fundraising coach and consultant Kathy Drucquer Duff. Kathy will share tips and tools to support relationship building and outreach to critical stakeholders. The call will provide an opportunity for dialogue and questions.