438. Assets-Based Approach: Creating New Narratives in Leadership and Philanthropy - Darren Isom

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Meet Darren. He’s an advocate for amplifying diverse voices and narratives within our sector. As a partner at The Bridgespan Group, he advises mission-driven organizations and philanthropic foundations. He’s also the host of the podcast Dreaming in Color: Creating New Narratives in Leadership, which offers leaders of color space to share how they have leveraged their unique assets and abilities to embrace excellence, drive impact, and more fully define what success looks like. He’s sharing how diversity is a critical asset to organizations and the potential impact endowments can have on long-term sustainability and growth for nonprofits. Don’t miss this conversation as we dive into the role we all play in creating more meaningful narratives in philanthropy.

💡Learn

Creating new narratives in leadership
New narratives in equitable impact
Establishing sustainable Investments by endowing Black-led nonprofits

Today’s Guest
Darren Isom, Partner, The Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco Office

“There’s nothing as impressive as giving people the space to talk about how they’ve calibrated their life experiences, and how they they actually find some degree of joy and hope in the world that we’re in.”

— Darren Isom, Partner, The Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco Office

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Episode Highlights

Darren’s story and journey to where he is today (4:45)
Creating new narratives in leadership (12:00)
How identity and leadership are intertwined (17:00)
New narratives in equitable impact (28:00)
Changing the narrative around funding (34:00)
Sustainable investments: endowing Black-led nonprofits (42:00)
A powerful story of philanthropy in Darren’s life (49:00)
Darren’s One Good Thing (55:00)
- “We seldom admit the seductive comfort of hopelessness. It saves us from ambiguity. It has an answer for every question: "There's just no point." Hope, on the other hand, is messy. If it might all work out, then we have things to do. We must weather the possibility of happiness.”

Powerful Quotes

“These are new narratives for some, but not for those who are living them.” -Darren

“These conversations have been so healing for me.” -Darren

“There's nothing as impressive as giving people the space to talk about how they've calibrated their life experiences, and how they they actually find some degree of joy and hope in the world that we're in.” -Darren

“Because ultimately, if you have a sense of belonging and a space, you will cross town, you will pay whatever the cost may be, and you will go see things that aren’t very interesting because you should be there.” -Darren

“Diversity exists for a reason. So much of our work is about how to explore the difference we bring into the world that is meaningful and powerful.” -Darren

“As funders, fund folks in unrestricted ways.” -Darren

“How do we have funders give away more money in a way that is meaningful and powerful?” -Darren

“Your voice matters. How do you use your power and positionality in the place you have it?” -Darren

“Money is a source of power.” -Darren

“If nothing else, you have to be around in the future. How do we think about giving organizations the possibility of an endowment to carry out their work for an extended period of time?” -Darren