My morning started in all its usual familiarity and chaos. (Peeling myself away from my kids in the morning is something I have not yet mastered since welcoming our second kiddo into our family this past summer.) My husband and I ran around, frantically executing the diaper-clean-clothe-feed-the-kids routine, managing to make ourselves look quasi-presentable, and … Continued
A few months ago, I attended an awards ceremony at the Dale Association. It was a great event with plenty of tasty desserts. The Foundation was among eight honorees recognized for their service to the community. While we were an award recipient; it underscores the fact that nonprofits are the “real heroes.” They do all … Continued
One day a few weeks ago, Chuck popped his head into my office. He told me that he’d just finished up a videoconference with one of our grantees. They were wrapping up the first year of a grant, and the videoconference served as the formal report narrative. They talked about all the things you’d expect … Continued
Last June, I attended the American Association of Intellectual Disabilities (AAIDD) Annual Conference, held in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia is commonly referred to as the “Peach State.” Of course I made sure that I took in some southern cuisine that included a bowl of delicious peach cobbler. After dinner, I drove by the birth home of … Continued
Just a few days ago, Chuck and I stopped off for a celebration at a downtown Buffalo restaurant. The celebration toasted almost two years of hard work from a coalition of Erie County-based behavioral health providers, agencies, and funders. The group had come together to respond to the negative perceptions that so many continue to … Continued
A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence. – David Hume, Scottish Historian and Empiricist On September 16, 2014, I completed the last phone survey of an evaluation of a five-year grant initiative at the Tower Foundation. If I haven’t lost you already, I’d like to take this blog space to summarize what we … Continued
Like dandelion seeds, our four main funding categories – mental health, substance abuse, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities – have most likely drifted into your life, affecting either someone you know or someone in your own family. One of these seeds floated into my life fourteen years ago. My twin sister, who was pregnant at … Continued
As part of our strategic planning process a couple of years ago, our Trustees and staff established goals for each of our four issue areas. These goals were intended to reflect the, “desired end state” for the populations we serve in the communities we fund. When we got to the mental health category, we led … Continued
It is hard to beat a site visit for connecting with the vital work that our grantees do. But they are not always as fun as the one I made to the Cradle Beach respite weekend on a chilly Saturday morning this March. Cradle Beach is best known for its inclusive summer camp sessions, but … Continued
One of the changes we’ve made over the past few years is how we dress when we’re out in the community. Most often, people think of program officers as stern-faced foundation representatives decked out in suits, ties, and other formal business attire. When we’re out doing our work for the Tower Foundation, more often than … Continued
