June Newsletter
I’ve recently begun exploring the writing of Ursula K. LeGuin and came across a quote from her book The Lathe of Heaven that is a grounding anchor for me right now: “The end justifies the means. But what if there never is an end? All we have is means.” This is resonant as I focus on my own growth and wellness, as I parent in these really intense times, and as I lead Root Cause. Here’s why it’s on my mind today:
This month’s newsletter includes a summary of Root Cause’s new Strategic Plan. In this moment, we have a joyous sense of being at the “end” of our planning. Of course, as we know from combined decades of helping clients with their own strategic planning, we are not at the “end” of anything. Our task now is to begin again. We have to take action in order to live into the plan itself and I’m thrilled to say that we have built a plan of clearly defined “means” that are a roadmap for that action.
It took us a while, in part because of our commitment to offer every staff member of Root Cause the opportunity to participate in planning and our commitment to giving every staff member a chance to read, reflect, and share feedback about the whole plan. Small groups got together to clearly define our services and to think creatively about how those services work best as a web of intersecting and related offerings. Every staff member contributed to defining our commitment to racial and economic equity and social justice in our work with clients and as a result, we’ve defined that more clearly for Root Cause than ever before. We also made a commitment to clearly articulate not just what we do with our clients but how we do it with each other. We carefully envisioned what values will be operationalized to ensure that we engage with a clarity of purpose, that we deliver high quality products, that we center the experience of people working with mutuality, and that our process leads to a sustainable and healthy organization.
For more insights behind the scenes of our planning, and to get to know more members of the Root Cause team, listen to our Podcast episode with Abby Alexanian and Abby Fung.
PANEL DISCUSSION: RURAL PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Join us for a panel discussion on Thursday, July 21, 1-2pm to hear Colette Stanzler, Managing Director at Root Cause, moderate a discussion about rural philanthropy and community engagement. She will be joined by panelists Chris Lemon from the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation which serves Washtenaw County, MI, and Sonya Salanti, from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, which serves Coös County, NH and its surrounding communities in the United States and Canada.
NEW: ROOT CAUSE'S STRATEGIC PLAN
In 2022, we went through the process of creating a new Strategic Plan for Root Cause. This plan sets the stage for us to make sure we are living by our Principles of Engagement and organizational values - internally and externally - for 2022 and beyond.
JOB POSTING: WE ARE HIRING
Root Cause is hiring a Manager (for Advisory Services). We are looking for someone who is passionate about social impact, skilled in project management, internal & external communications, research & analysis and more. Join our team or share this with someone you think would be a great fit!
We are thrilled that Lucas has joined Root Cause as a Project Director! He spent the last 11 years working at the Nellie Mae Education Foundation to systematically improve public education in New England. Learn more about Lucas and his passion for educational equity below.
If you are interested in learning more about the work we're doing, please contact our Managing Director Abby Fung or visit rootcause.org.
