In eJewishPhilanthropy’s exclusive opinion column “The 501(C) Suite,” leading foundation executives share what they are working on and thinking about with the wider philanthropic field. 

This season in the Jewish community is traditionally a time to reflect on the past year and look forward to what lies ahead. Such reflection feels especially painful and difficult this year, with unprecedented crises in Israel and the U.S. Jewish community as well as the broader communities many of us serve through grantmaking. 

Here are just few examples from some of the places core to The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation’s mission: 

•  As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, the trauma of war is still a daily reality in Israel and Gaza. 

• The fate of the hostages and of innocent Palestinians weigh heavily on our hearts here at home, where we also have seen a disturbing rise in antisemitism. 

• The island of Maui continues to contend with the devastation of the Lahaina wildfires, which were among the deadliest in U.S. history. 

• The Baltimore region will feel the effects of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse for years to come.

The list of unexpected crises many of us have faced goes on and on. 

As funders, we seek to respond effectively to these tragedies while also focusing on our ongoing, long-term efforts to address complex problems — poverty, homelessness, unemployment, discrimination and more — with compassion and care. This is daunting and often overwhelming, yet we are called to press forward and stand with all who are committed to repairing the world. 

In the words of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: “Optimism is the belief that the world is changing for the better; hope is the belief that, together, we can make the world better.” In this moment of looking back and looking ahead with hope, I am reflecting on lessons from the past year that I plan to carry forward as we all continue the important work of striving to make the world a better place.

Take time to listen

During emergencies, listening seems like the hardest thing to do because we feel a deep urgency to act immediately. Nevertheless, periods of crisis are exactly when we need to stop, listen and try to understand what people are going through and what they need, whether we’re talking about grantees and the communities they serve or the dedicated staff within our organizations. 

My three trips to Israel since Oct. 7 have reinforced this for me, as have my conversations with those responding to the Maui wildfires, the Baltimore bridge collapse and other challenges. From community and nonprofit leaders to families of the hostages to frontline workers, the people who have shared their stories, perspectives and wisdom have helped the Weinberg Foundation direct its resources and support in ways that best meet their needs. 

Just as we take time to listen to these community voices, we cannot afford to overlook the voices within our organizations — not only to be effective grantmakers, but also to strengthen our organization and culture and surface ideas and opportunities for improvement. I have doubled down on this in recent months, meeting one-on-one with each of the foundation’s more than 70 staff members in addition to creating informal opportunities for sharing ideas.

While these conversations have provided invaluable insight and ideas to me as a leader, they also provide a touchpoint to ensure staff are maintaining balance and taking care of themselves, particularly as they continue to manage our crisis response efforts. Staff input has already led to changes in several internal policies and processes to improve how our organization operates. 

Keep learning and growing — and don’t be afraid to try new things

The more we listen to others and discover what we don’t know, the more we will see the value in remaining curious and open to trying new things. 

This year has challenged me to grow and led me to challenge others to do the same. To be intentional about learning within our organization, we are prioritizing professional development even more than in prior years by creating a specific, multiyear plan for every staff member. 

Additionally, last month we decided to try something new to make it easier for employees to share and discuss ideas to strengthen our strategies and how we work together: provide an open, informal forum where people can simply come and throw their ideas on the wall for consideration. Through these “spaghetti meetings,” as we call them, we have identified simple and meaningful changes to better support staff at work — such as spotlighting different employees to learn more about one another — while also helping people feel more comfortable about speaking up without anxiety or fear of judgment. 

You don’t know what you don’t know. Putting ourselves in the vulnerable space of listening, learning and encouraging critical feedback allows us to discover opportunities for growth and course correction.

Lead with kindness

I have always believed in the power of kindness, and by that I mean generosity of spirit, thoughtfulness and empathy — not simply being nice. The crises of the past year have only underscored how important this is. At work, a culture of kindness helps fortify a sense of purpose among staff members, fostering meaningful connection among all of us and with the organization’s mission. Indeed, research indicates that employees who feel a sense of purpose are more likely to feel motivated, go the extra mile and be more satisfied with their jobs. 

As funders, many of us have led with kindness over the past year by granting general operating support to organizations on the front lines, providing greater flexibility to respond to critical needs as they emerge. We also have tried to give grantees grace by waiving or extending grant reporting deadlines, expediting payments and simply being a sympathetic, listening ear and thought-partner as they work through an enormous range of difficulties. 

In our own organizations, we can give grace to our colleagues by setting realistic expectations as they juggle crisis response with their everyday responsibilities and encouraging time off to rest and recharge. We also can create space for people to connect, decompress and build relationships outside of our day-to-day work, whether through informal staff gatherings, happy hours to bring folks together at the end of a particularly long week or a surprise day off for some much-needed and deserved respite.

In this Hebrew month of Elul, which leads up to the Aseret Yemei Teshuva — the 10 Days of Repentance from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur — I invite all of us to reflect on how we as funders and leaders can support and encourage one another to make time to listen more, to keep learning and growing and to lead with kindness in the coming year.

Rachel Garbow Monroe is the president and CEO of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.