Overcoming Barriers to Change: A Crossroads and Turning Points Program
The Gift of Coaching
“One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement. When someone encourages you, that person helps you over a threshold you might otherwise never have crossed on your own.” ~John O’Donohue
This year, The Fieldstone Leadership Network will coach 30 nonprofit leaders from Orange and San Diego Counties. This month, we have spent time together getting to know each other and sharing information to get them ready for the year ahead. The goal of the orientation meeting is to lay out the road map for their leadership development experience and empower them with knowledge to make the most of this unique opportunity. Each coachee is currently participating in a 360 Degree Review and will spend personalized time with a certified feedback facilitator to understand the results once they are returned. This process will be completed by February. Combined with our own personal and professional assessment tools, the 360 will complete a library of instruments which will serve to guide the coach and coachee in their work together. We are so excited to welcome them and excited to see the gifts that will unfold as they receive the encouragement and support from a Fieldstone Coach.
Fieldstone Coaching has been serving nonprofit leaders for more than 20 years and has coached over 260 nonprofit leaders. Applications for the program are available on our website and accepted each September. The program begins in January each year.
2018 San Diego Coachees: Ana Melgoza, San Ysidro Health Center; Anahid Brakke, SD Hunger Coalition; Kasey MacNair, Girls on the Run, Kathy Wilder, Pro Kids/The First TEe of SD; Kim Bauman, The One Love Movement; Kristen Fogle, SD Writers Ink; Mia Roseberry, Wounded Warrior Homes; Barbara Reuer, Resounding Joy; Carolyn Griesemer, Children’s Legal Services of SD; Jessica Munoz, Voices for Children; Sarah Carter, Urban Life Ministries; Patrick Stewart, Words Alive; Carolyn Zollars, SD Botanic Gardens; Fabienne Perlov, SD Diplomacy Council, Jesus Gonzales, SDSU, Wesley House; Mona Terry, Identity Theft Resource Center, Megan Storer, 211 San Diego; Megan Blair, SD Public Library Foundation; Judi Holder, RI International.
2018 Orange County Coachees: Chris Baiocchi, Habitat for Humanity, OC; Ellen Roy, Mary’s Shelter; Greta Nagel, Museum of Teaching and Learning; Helen O’Sullivan, Neighborworks OC; Stephannie Bobadilla, The Muckenthaler Cultural Center; Bonnie Sala, Guidelines International Ministries; Bret Babos, The Ecology Center; Jessica Hubbard, Girls Inc of OC; Kareem Marashi, Chapman University, Dodge College; Lynn Dobosy, International School Project; and Michele Wanner, Chapman University.
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Evidence Mounts on Value of Sabbaticals
As 2-1-1 San Diego and John Ohanian begin their Clare Rose Sabbatical experience this week, evidence is mounting on how sabbaticals positively impact the leader, the organization and the community it serves. According to an article in the New York Times, “One recent study found that 34 percent of the executive directors and half of the development directors at nonprofits questioned anticipated leaving their current jobs in two years or less. Worse, the 2017 Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey, published last month by GuideStar and Nonprofit HR, found that 81 percent of nonprofits have no retention strategy whatsoever, though such strategies are common at corporations.” Sabbaticals have been shown to re-energize leaders leading them to change their minds about needing to leave their organizations for their own well-being. This stability has a direct impact on the rest of the organization and the clients it serves.
The Clare Rose Sabbatical, offered by the Fieldstone Leadership Network, is currently accepting applications for the 2018 sabbatical cohort. Four sabbaticals are available this year to nonprofit leaders in San Diego and Orange Counties. To date, 15 sabbaticals have been awarded by Fieldstone in the past four years. Applications are due January 31st, 2018 and can be found on our website under the program tab.
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Four Learning Groups Start in January
Joining a Network of over 2,000 nonprofit professionals, the 45 new members of in our 2018 Learning Groups represent agencies focused on youth, environment, health, faith, arts and culture, literacy, homelessness and housing, drug prevention and treatment, community development, peace building, education, and military veterans. Their reach is wide and deep, and it is almost impossible to find an area of the nonprofit sector they do not impact. We are hopeful about the trusted relationships that will be developed and the natural collaborations that will occur as a result.
Learning Groups, which start each January, are designed as a six-month peer learning experience. Each group of between 10 and 12 leaders participate in a curriculum developed to support dynamic and candid exchange and provide access to cutting edge tools for nonprofit management and leadership. The program also includes the study of real life case studies guided by a problem solving methodology that empowers participants to envision feasible solutions and craft action plans while providing an intimate and confidential environment to learn and developed trust relationships with other leaders. The program starts with an energetic experiential learning component which gets the group out of the conference room, jumpstarts the team building process and enlightens the participants on their own leadership styles.
In 2017, the University of San Diego concluded a five-year study of the Fieldstone Learning Group program and found that the program is providing critical leadership development for both executive and senior nonprofit leaders. Five years of data show consistent positive impacts in 1) strengthening leaders, 2) building organizational capacity and 3) sustaining a vibrant nonprofit sector. In addition, the study found that 98% of participants would recommend the Learning Group to their peers, which may account for the program operating each year with full cohorts and a waiting list. To see the full report please visit the IMPACT tab on the website.
Welcome to our 2018 Learning Groups:
Orange County Executive Group:
Dawn Price, Friendship Shelter; Natalie Julien, Thomas House Family Shelter; Amy Lakin, Casa Youth Shelter; Lina Lumme, The Youth Center; Heather Miner, North Long Beach Christian Church; Tim Rogers, Boys Hope Girls Hope; Sheila Romanski, Crystal Roses, Inc.; Cathy Seelig, Friendly Center, Inc.; Andrew Simone, Providence Speech and Hearing Center; Clyde Taber, Visual Story Network; and Lisa Wood, Casa Teresa.
Orange County Nonprofit Leaders Group:
Jessika Ahlberg, My Safe Harbor; Alex Del Castillo, Families Forward; Erika Enz, Scholars’ Hope Foundation; Sarahi Franco, CIELO; Christina Garcia, Casa Youth Shelter; Gladys Hernandez, Habitat for Humanity Orange County; Sally Lawrence, CFRE, Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America; Kathleen Mellon, Jewish Federation & Family Services; Jazmin Monterrosa, Laura’s House; Angie Rodriguez, Taller San Jose Hope Builders; and Katie Russell, Ronald McDonald House-Orange County.
San Diego Executive Group:
Patty Cowan, Coronado Schools Foundation; Laura Ann Fernea, City Heights Community Development Corporation; David Gereghty, Recreational Music Center; Shaina Gross, Susan G Komen San Diego; Margarita Holguin, Chula Vista Community Collaborative; Kristianne Kurner, New Village Arts, Inc.; Keturah Lane, Emmaus Today, Inc.; Claire O’Leary, STAR/PAL; Molly Puryear, Malashock Dance; Brian Richter, Special Olympics Southern California-San Diego; and Katie Sawyer, San Diego Women’s Foundation.
San Diego Nonprofit Leaders Group: 
Vanessa Davis, Just In Time for Foster Youth; Jeremy Haman, BAME Community Development Corporation; Javier Islas, Accion San Diego; Kristine Jansen, Mama’s Kitchen; Alexander Kim, KPBS; Kirsten Kinney, Kids for Peace; Tomoko Kuta, The New Children’s Museum; Joe McLeod, Outdoor Outreach; Christina Meeker, Words Alive; Danielle Prince, Access Youth Academy; Susan Quinn, Alzheimer’s San Diego; and Marisa Varond, McAlister Institute for Treatment & Education, Inc.
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Fieldstone @4 Video
Ever wonder about Fieldstone @ 4 and how it helps our nonprofit leaders do their work? We are thrilled to share a short video, produced by FLN member Lee Ann Kim, that provides a framework for the program and gives the viewer an opportunity to hear directly from Fieldstone @ 4 participants on how these gatherings help them as they lead.
This month, we will host two Fieldstone @ 4 gatherings:
On March 23rd , San Diego will host a conversation on how leaders in key nonprofit subsectors are “Leading with an New Administration”. Panelists include:
Barbara Mandle, Champions for Health;
Pauline Martinson, I love a Clean San Diego and Paulina Lis, San Diego Green Building Council;
Andy Carey, Border Philanthropy Project and
Kathi Anderson, Survivors of Torture and Walter Lam, Alliance for African Assistance.
On March 29th, Orange County will be discussing “HR that Impacts Your Bottom Line” with Kathleen Buehler and Mindy Weinheimer of the Blind Children’s Learning Center.
Fieldstone @ 4 is a component of the Fieldstone Leadership Network and provides a “living room” experience for nonprofit leaders to come together for fellowship and knowledge. Based on the concept of a “third place”, Fieldstone @ 4 provides the space for Members to use this time in whatever way will best serve his/her leadership needs each time we come together. As Fieldstone @ 4 is an open canvas for leaders to design and use as part of his/her personal and community leadership development, Members are welcome to meet with colleagues for personal discussions, simply enjoy each other’s friendship over a glass of wine or cup of coffee or join a peer facilitated conversation on topic’s relevant to today’s nonprofit leader. Fieldstone @ 4 is open to all members of The Fieldstone Leadership Network.
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