Reflections

A culture of giving leads to a lifetime of impact.

A strong culture of philanthropy stems from offering stakeholders ample opportunities to engage with the mission in firsthand and meaningful ways. Stakeholders can include donors, partners, volunteers and staff. And when an organization designs experiences with these stakeholders and the mission in mind, a culture of giving erupts. This culture becomes a collective understanding that there is work to be done, and we all have a job to do.

First-Ever Study of Maryland Benefit Corps Released

Looking forward to following this movement.

In “Measuring Shared Value,” Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter issues a warning to companies across the country: “if companies do not rigorously track the interdependency between social and business results, they miss important opportunities for growth, innovation and social impact at scale.” Porter proposes a solution—shared value strategies. The idea of shared value goes beyond corporate social responsibility. Despite common corporate citizenship activities, the public often views for-profit companies as prospering at the expense of society.

Over the past several weeks I have been contemplating the meaning of public service in America. It’s a hot topic to be sure. Prominent political and thought leaders from Hillary Clinton to Tom Brokaw have made passionate pleas for a renewed commitment to civilian service. Exactly what public service means though, depends on who are talking to.

Last October I had the honor of speaking at Campus Compact’s 2012 Presidents’ Leadership Summit. The Summit is the second such event for Campus Compact – a national network of 1,200 college and university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. The Summit brought together leading presidents from all over the nation to discuss key issues in higher education.

It has been almost six months since my first day as an Innovation Fellow. To mark this, I thought this would be a good time to reflect back on my decision to come to ASU.

Recently, I was interviewed for an article at my undergraduate alma mater. During the interview I was asked: If I could pass on one piece of advice to current student what would it be? My response was, “don’t give up, but also don’t be afraid to pivot.” This philosophy is at the core of a new program at ASU, Sun Devil Success.

Picture 82,000 households. That’s more families than ASU has students. Now imagine that all 82,000 of these households are hungry—they do not know where their next meal will come from. Maybe you’re picturing a developing country or a distant land. However, this statistic represents our own Maricopa County; families and individuals in our communities struggle to put food on the table.

In a perfect world a classroom setting would not be a barrier to education.  Unfortunately that is not the world we live.

Some people hoard objects. Some may collect mounds of figurines, clothes, or dishes. I, however, hoard information—any tidbits I can grasp. So during my first weeks at the office of University Initiatives, I basked in the whirlwind of new faces, new names, new facts, and new details. Like a contestant in a cash cube, I collected as many valuable pieces as possible. I may not have captured everything thrown at me, but I was thrilled to catch what I could.