2023 has been a momentous year in many ways. Here on the foundation front, we are excited to have made concrete steps to move from our start-up, or “founder’s” phase, towards a more mature stage of organizational development.
As co-founder of Open Horizon, along with my husband Hershel Kleinberg, I had never intended to direct daily foundation activities, or even lead strategic work, in an ongoing way. Soon after our December 2019 legal incorporation as a 501(c)(3) foundation, we went through a branding process (shoutout to the fabulous Laura Sweet, our branding consultant and website designer) and had our first business cards made. From the beginning, Hershel and my cards had the title of “co-founder.”
Despite this vision and the business cards, I did act as foundation director in the first few years of Open Horizon’s young life. This involved learning about the world of philanthropy, meeting and getting to know potential nonprofit partners, developing an initial granting process, and representing Open Horizon out in the world. I learned a great deal as acting foundation director. For one thing, Hershel and I realized that we wanted to be thoughtful about ways to maximize the good work that Open Horizon could do, to find ways to amplify our impact beyond just granting funds to partners.
Thanks to this shared vision, and with the help of Maia Falconi-Sachs, we started a social media presence, and we launched Open Horizon’s first signature programs. By early 2023, not only did we have established relationships with 30 nonprofit partners, but we were the launch funding partner for the outstanding leadership development program Ignite the South, we were holding our inaugural two-day Leaders Retreat for partner leaders, and we were well into the pilot of the Parent Conversations about Race & Belonging program.
These developments made it seem natural to catapult the foundation to the next level, beyond the start-up phase, when we brought on D’Lynn Jacobs as Executive Director (ED) this past March. As our inaugural ED, D’Lynn has brought strong leadership and relational skills to the helm of Open Horizon. Her vision, care, and connections make us confident that this next phase of development for the young foundation will be one of continued advancement in terms of maximizing what Open Horizon is able to do, while also creating a culture of work that values well-being and models liberatory leadership.
D’Lynn has connected with new partners, in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors; brought us into a valuable strategic planning process, guided by Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat; and hired yet another Open Horizon staff member. This September we welcomed Courtney Wright as our inaugural Director of Operations & Program Innovation (DOPI). Already we can see that Courtney will bring further maturity and expertise to our projects. Preparing to hold the second annual Leaders Retreat, launching the Leaders Network Learning Series, and making plans for an internal learning program are some of the ways that our DOPI will enable Open Horizon to support our partners and fulfill our mission in meaningful ways.
Hershel and I are honored to work with and learn from, and alongside, both D’Lynn and Courtney. Two personal highlights of 2023 for me involved learning journeys with D’Lynn. The first was a visit to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama in April, following a visit to Jackson, Mississippi, for the second in-person retreat of the first Ignite the South cohort. While in Alabama, D’Lynn and I toured historical sites and museums that put the inequalities inherent in the US American system front and center. This history and contemporary impacts are relevant for and motivate the work that we do to uplift leaders and co-create programs that advance racial and social justice.
The second highlight I want to share is D’Lynn and my attendance at the Change Philanthropy Unity Summit in Los Angeles this October. Highlights of that conference include learning about the racial wealth gap, efforts at reparations, indigenous land back movements, and the trans community.
Our learning focus feels appropriate as the world of philanthropy and our nonprofit partners is broad and deep. The needs are many and the possibilities are endless. We hope to be doing our part to make responsible and thoughtful decisions as we listen to our partners, direct funds and other support, and continue to learn what communities find most useful in terms of support from philanthropic partners.
As 2023 draws to a close, I am grateful to have a role in this work, to be in collaboration with such talented professionals, and to be able to continue my personal learning journey as we welcome 2024.
By Lisa Cohen
