Beyond the check: The Patterson Foundation’s approach to innovative philanthropy

We are offering a series of one-credit courses during the upcoming winter session on a variety of topics led by prominent practitioners in their fields, and we’ve been looking at each of these new courses in further detail, including this one from The Patterson Foundation.

By: Debra Jacobs, president and CEO, The Patterson Foundation

In 2009, The Patterson Foundation (TPF) Governing Board and I had the opportunity, responsibility, and flexibility to work together to formulate the guiding values of a new foundation.

Unlike so many independent foundations, we were working from a blank sheet of paper. An unrestricted charter. After 10 years of learning and evolving, it is an honor to share some experiments tried, lessons learned, and successes underway via a new one-credit winter course, Beyond the Check: The Patterson Foundation’s Approach to Innovative Philanthropy.

When TPF was first starting, there were many voices sharing what they thought should be done. We choose to focus on what could be done. This approach has led TPF to undertake philanthropic work in ways others cannot, will not, or are not doing.

With an emphasis on building trust, working across sectors, and communicating strategically, The Patterson Foundation knows things look different in our offices than in many other foundations. As part of TPF’s Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative, our team has been energized by working with the possibilitarians at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in discovering new ways TPF can share what we’ve learned with the leaders of tomorrow, as well as having the opportunity to learn from students of all levels through courses and the TPF Fellows Program.

I would encourage you to join me for this course if:

• You are interested in how philanthropy acts when it comes from a place of collective abundance rather than scarcity.
• You plan to be a leader in the philanthropic space and are interested in the possibilities surrounding catalytic thinking and creating value beyond the check.
• Network building, values-driven work, and the importance of strategic communication are intriguing topics.
• You’re not sure what the inside of a foundation looks like, but you’d like to know more.

Over the six-week course, I look forward to sharing what makes The Patterson Foundation such a unique place to create possibilities thanks to humans who embrace TPF values. We share a commitment to not arriving with the answers, but learning from and with community.

There is much I can learn from the students at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and look forward to the opportunity to create new realities together beginning in December 2020.

Interested in participating in this new class? Apply here or contact associate director of online programs Luke Bickel for more information.

View our previous course features: Jewish Philanthropy | Storytelling and Philanthropy