Stone Foundation Reports and Publications

This document were created based on the “2024 Convening: Leadership Shaping the Narrative” presentation delivered by Trabian Shorters on September 16, 2024.

Some of the content includes direct quotes, while other parts represent paraphrased or summarized key points from the presentation.

Recognizing that in our daily work we are so often bombarded with negative narratives about the populations with which we work and the work we do, our annual equity convening focused on providing time and resources to build asset-based narratives. Our goal was to have peer-to-peer conversations, share stories, and reflect on the work of communication experts in order to build the “muscle” necessary to shift the public narrative.  By pivoting toward asset-based stories and positive frames, we can help advance racial equity goals and increase public trust in early childhood, K-12, and youth development systems.

The convening conversations included many “aha” moments about frames that prevent us from furthering our missions, and we began the journey of creating new asset-based narratives. However, only one or two members of each grantee could attend. Recognizing that a narrative is many voices repeated over time, we are sharing the slides, resources, and guiding questions in an effort to create a resource that can be replicated for others in your organization, department, or team.

We hope you find it empowering.

Report on Stone Foundation Youth Development Convening In 2006, the Stone Foundation convened its youth development grantees from New York and San Francisco so they could learn from each other and develop connections that would strengthen their work with young people. Capacity-building was a key issue echoed throughout the day. Participants underscored the need for help with strategic planning, financial systems development, fundraising and other areas that are central to their organizational health and sustainability. Read about the themes and recommendations that emerged from this Convening, as well as steps the Foundation has since taken to launch a capacity-building grants program.

Grantee insights on their work, the field & philanthropy We believe it is important to document and share what we are learning from our grantees — to add to a body of knowledge that informs our thinking and aids the work of our grantees and other grantmakers. With this in mind, in early 2007, the Stone Foundation contracted with a consultant, Perry Chen from Pear·e Consulting, to conduct a series of in-depth interviews with eight of the foundation’s Education and Youth Development grantees. The purpose of these conversations was not to evaluate each grantee’s work, but rather to distill lessons about effective practices and strategies that could benefit the field and inform the Foundation’s grantmaking. Program leaders embraced this opportunity to reflect and candidly share their perspectives on their work and their sector. This report highlights their observations about successful strategies, trends in youth development and educational reform, and thoughts for philanthropy. While these reflections will be valuable to funders and grantees alike, as the report notes, . . . the most valuable result may be simply opening this space — to continue these conversations and to keep learning from the field.

In October 2008, the Stone Foundation convened its Education grantees from Chicago, Boston, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area to explore what they are learning from their work and how these lessons inform future practice and policy opportunities. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago facilitated the Convening and documented outcomes of the day in this report, which summarizes discussions that took place and highlights common themes that emerged: the challenges of taking individual programs to scale; meeting the needs for organizational capacity and development in order to implement reforms; and undertaking meaningful assessment and evaluation of education reform efforts. The Convening was a starting point for articulating and advancing grantees’ collective knowledge. The experiences of the grantees both during and following the Convening validate the idea that the candid exchange of information is empowering to programs as they seek to gain the most benefit from and to sustain their innovations. Given the success of the Convening and the high level of interest in urban school reform, the Foundation will be exploring a number of ways to facilitate continued grantee collaboration and shared learning.

Scaling up in the nonprofit sector was the topic of the Foundation’s second convening of its education grantees. Twenty education leaders from the Foundation’s four grantmaking cities came together for this one-day session focused on the challenges and considerations involved in scaling up their organizations’ work. Themes that surfaced included the importance of organizations understanding their impact before going to scale, the applicability of for-profit strategies to nonprofit growth efforts, and the complexities of the education sector that make going to scale especially difficult. Education First Consulting Group helped plan and facilitate the meeting and prepared the convening report, which includes grantee growth stories and key lessons from the day’s discussions.

For the third year, the Stone Foundation convened its education grantees for a one day session to discuss challenges, compare lessons and develop strategies for strengthening their organizations. The 2010 Convening focused on best practices for using evaluation to improve programs and increase impact. Twenty education leaders from the Foundation’s four grantmaking cities participated in discussions on the link between impact and scale, the value of formative evaluation and the role of a theory of change. Education First Consulting Group helped plan and facilitate the meeting and prepared the Convening report, which provides ideas and advice that can help nonprofit organizations as they work to quantify their impact.

The Stone Foundation hosted its fourth annual convening of education grantees in the fall of 2011. Representatives from grantee organizations in Boston, Chicago, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area gathered for a day-long session to discuss common challenges they face as they attempt to grow their work and scale their impact. Case studies of two grantees—Partners in School Innovation and the Boston Plan for Excellence—served as the centerpiece for the day’s deliberations and anchored the meeting in real-life organizational growth and management issues. Discussions focused on change management, organizational development, evaluation and relationships to school districts. The report synthesizes key themes and ideas as these education leaders shared and learned from each other.

The Stone Foundation hosted its fifth annual education grantee convening in Chicago, October 16-17, 2013. The meeting continued the foundation’s efforts to support a robust learning community among its education grantees, all of whom work toward improving the effectiveness of educators. The foundation designed the meeting to probe the specific challenges and possible paths forward that education organizations face as they grow, expand their reach and work to deepen their impact—themes the foundation has helped its grantees explore in annual meetings since 2008. At the 2012 convening, grantees candidly discussed change management strategies, organizational sustainability, evaluation and measurement, and communications.The report synthesizes key themes and ideas as these education leaders shared and learned from each other.

The W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation is committed to improving the healthy development of children by supporting innovative programs, initiatives, and policies that benefit children and families. In July 2015, the Stone Foundation reaffirmed this commitment and provided an opportunity for its early childhood development grantees to come together to discuss specific early childhood topics and foster cross-grantee connections. Recognizing that the field can make significant progress with many funders acting together, Stone invited foundation colleagues to join the discussions. The abundant opportunity for growth and progress in the early childhood field was evidenced by the rich and collaborative discussions. This report offers a synopsis of key issues that emerged and highlights grantee work that addresses some of the significant challenges currently facing the early childhood field. The meeting focused on the teachers, leaders and other adults in early care and education. This focus was chosen because it allowed for cross-sharing among Stone grantees, each of whom had made important contributions in this area. The topic was timely due to the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council of the National Academies April 2015 release of Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation. And, last, leaders at the Stone Foundation and in the field agree that the teachers and leaders are a key to improving outcomes for the youngest children, particularly those most in need of supports to ensure school success.

The W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation is committed to improving student outcomes in urban schools in the United States. In order to advance this mission, the Foundation has identified several levers for change and has chosen to fund organizations that have made important contributions to the levers. In 2016, twenty organizations were invited to a cross-grantee convening from early childhood and k-12. The focus of the groups work spanned policy, practice and research.

This report synthesizes key themes and ideas as these early education and k-12 leaders shared and learned from each other.

The W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation values equity across its portfolios. In order to advance its mission, the Foundation has identified several levers for change and has chosen to fund organizations that have made important contributions to these levers. Twenty organizations representing early childhood, K-12 and youth development were invited to a cross sector convening. The group’s work spanned policy, practice, and research.

The W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation turns 60 in 2018. That’s 60 years of doing what W. Clement Stone instructed “make the world a better place for this and future generations.” Recently, four Executive Directors, current and former, reflected on their tenure with the Foundations and its impact.

The W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation values equity across its portfolios. In September 2018, the Foundation hosted a convening of grantees from its early childhood, education, and youth development portfolios to discuss equity, reduce silos, and create a learning community. The convening was focused on deconstructing the process of specific practices, tools, and strategies that advance equity in grantee work and identifying opportunities for application of these to the work of grantees. Authentic engagement is critical to achieve equity, and it was at the core of the practices, tools, and strategies presented and explored during the convening.

The W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation hosted its annual Grantee Convening in September 2019. Grantees from of the Foundation’s portfolios, Education, Early Childhood Development, and Youth Development, gathered to discuss equity in their work. They recognized that regardless of where they work and what age group they work with, they all face histories of oppression and systems that were designed to sift and sort, rather than achieve excellent outcomes for all. To get to a place where outcomes are not determined by race, the organizations must adapt to and overcome environments shaped by personal biases and structural racism. As context, attendees heard from Chicago’s newly appointed Chief Equity Officer, Candace Moore.

Stone’s grantee partners approach the issues in different ways – through research, practice or policy, and work with a diverse group of stakeholders- our youngest learners, K-12 students, teens, families, educators, policymakers, etc. And regardless of their difference, all the organization grapple with some common questions: How do we build organizations that are staffed and funded to authentically engage the communities we serve? How do we raise and sustain funding that allows us to be nimble and address the shifting landscape that presents obstacles to equity? How do we create a message that can be heard by all in an environment that is polarized and where deficit language predominates? How do we nurture leadership internally and externally that is prepared to advance equity? Together grantees explored these questions. And having heard clearly that this is a priority for its grantees, Stone will continue to explore how we can support efforts that insure every child has access to opportunities for success.