Power Dynamics In Governance With Jessamyn Shams-Lau & Jane Leu

What Donors Want

Rachel Stephenson Sheff speaks with Jessamyn Shams-Lau and Jane Leu all about power dynamics in governance - particularly in family foundation structures, but also more broadly across the non-profit world. Following a decade of leading a family foundation, Jessamyn shares her powerful story of navigating these power dynamics during the #BlackLivesMatter protests of June 2020, when her foundation Board let go of the entire staff team overnight. Jane was with her through the experience, and while the particulars of this situation are shocking - the fundamentals are highly resonant across so many different governance contexts in the sector. This is a hugely important story and episode you won’t want to miss, where we discuss: 🟡 Jessamyn’s experience when her entire staff team was let go overnight 🟡 Why it’s important not to overly blame individuals in situations like this - but rather the systems that enable problematic practices 🟡 Navigating Board collaboration when some people engage in philanthropy as a hobby, whilst others are full time career professionals 🟡 Why it’s important for donors to engage in these conversations, too 🟡 What a ‘dream’ state of governance might look like in future This episode is sponsored by Segal Family Foundation, and our Media Partner is Alliance Magazine. Head to www.alliancemagazine.org and get 50% off your Alliance subscription with the code ‘WhatDonorsWant’ at checkout.