Sheena Solomon; The Gifford Foundation

*Note: The following text is the output of transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors.

Bill Berthel:
Welcome to another episode of Driving Leadership. I’m really excited today we’ve got

Sheena Solomon, the executive director of the Gifford Foundation here in Central New York, right here in my building in Syracuse. This is gonna be so awesome. Sheena is a dynamic leader. We’re gonna learn so much. We’re gonna take a ride in the community today. Come on. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. Hey, Sheena.

Sheena Solomon:
Hi, Bill. It’s good to see you.

Bill Berthel:
Awesome to see you too. Thank you for doing this with me today.

Sheena Solomon:
I’m excited.

Bill Berthel:
Me too. I’m really looking forward to our conversation. And we’re going to get to ride in the community a little bit and check out some of the wonderful organizations you all support here at the Gifford Foundation Yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
Yes, sir.

Bill Berthel:
Awesome. And we have a beautiful day outside. And I brought the MINI Cooper today. You’re my first guest in the MINI Cooper.

Sheena Solomon:
Oh, my.

Bill Berthel:
And you know why I chose that today for you?

Sheena Solomon:
Why?

Bill Berthel:
Because I think the Mini Cooper is a little bit like you. Yeah. Yeah. So, so really capable, fun and just a little bit of attitude. So, Sheena, tell me a little bit about the Gifford Foundation and what you all do.

Sheena Solomon:
So the Gifford Foundation is a private foundation and the reason why I say that, because foundations are a little bit different. Like, we have the Central Native Community Foundation the Allen Family Foundation, Gifford is a private foundation and what makes us private is that we have no family members on the board and we don’t have, have any donors. We completely live off the endowment and depend on the stock market. So that makes us a little bit different.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah. Yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
and it also provides us a little bit more flexibility. Right. On our grant making and how we decide to do it. It was built in 1954 when Rosamond Gifford passed away and left her estate to become a foundation instead of, allowing the IRS to get the funds.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
And all she said was do good with my money. So that’s what we do. we do good with her money. It started off really focusing on brick and mortar, like buildings, rooms. So you’ll see Gifford’s name on lots of different things like the Rosemond Gifford. Zoo that we talked about. Right. but we’re not connected to. The zoo. It’s just named the Rosemond Gifford Zoo because we gave them a significant amount of money about 20 years ago.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah. Yeah. So you’re sharing your love for giraffes, and you haven’t gotten a giraffe in that zoo yet.

Sheena Solomon:
Right.

Bill Berthel:
But there’s a lot of support

Sheena Solomon:
There’s a ton of support there. We love the zoo. We believe it’s a great asset in the community and want to make it accessible to all community members.

Bill Berthel:
Absolutely.

Sheena Solomon:
So, yes, it’s really important that we support and build their capacity.

Bill Berthel:
That’s awesome.

Sheena Solomon:
And that’s what we do here. We build the capacity of nonprofits and individuals. We give out grants to nonprofits only. So they’re 501C3 and I’m Dagger Madison. I see them.

Bill Berthel:
Oh, wow. Okay. I didn’t realize the reach. Yeah, that’s really cool. So tell me about your path in leadership. How’d you wind up in this leadership role?

Sheena Solomon:
You know, sometimes the path is not the path that you create. Right.

Bill Berthel:
I think almost always. Keep going, keep going. Yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
it’s the path that was meant for you. I truly believe that. I’ve worked in nonprofit, for several years. So I actually worked at home headquarters. It’s a local nonprofit here. I’ve worked there for six years. And I was teaching home ownership there. And one of the people that went through the program of home ownership worked for the Central New York Community Foundation and then came here to The Gifford Foundation and came and said, you know, we have an opening at the Gifford Foundation. Would you be interested? And I’m like, I don’t even know what The Gifford Foundation is.

Bill Berthel:
Right. It wasn’t hitting your radar yet, right.

Sheena Solomon:
But I was on the other side of the railroad track of, grant making, right. Asking for grants, not giving them out. And I applied for the job was like, all right, I’ll apply for it. And they ended up giving me a program associate job here at the Gifford Foundation And I swear, for the first year, Kathy Gifford Finley, who hired me, I asked her for the first year, like, I don’t understand why you hired me. Like, I don’t really know what I’m doing. And she said, you know, you have more potential than, you know. You have this very interesting grassroots street credibility that the foundation needs to do the work that we’re trying to do in our community.

Bill Berthel:
That’s awesome.

Sheena Solomon:
And I look at things from a very fresh perspective. I guess you can say, looking at a proposal and just giving your opinion, lots of jobs are not interested in your opinion. Right. They just want you to do what they want you to do. And your opinion, you can kind of keep it to yourself. They might listen or they might not. But that was completely different when I started working here. It was different to have someone actually care about what I thought.

Bill Berthel:
That’s amazing, right? We all want that. We want to be able to contribute our voice, contribute our ideas. This gives you a place to be more creative. I have to imagine having been kind of on the other side of grants also gives you, maybe an empathy or an understanding of what it’s like to be on that receiving side.

Sheena Solomon:
Absolutely.

Bill Berthel:
That’s got to serve you in this role.

Sheena Solomon:
Yeah. And also, I don’t think that you will find an executive director that runs the foundation that has actually used the services that we now fund.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah. right.

Sheena Solomon:
Because life wasn’t, you know, it wasn’t the best path. It’s not a path that I would suggest people to take. quite frankly,

Bill Berthel:
can’t wait to learn more about that.

Sheena Solomon:
Yes. I would suggest to people, but I’ve used Salvation Army services or, you know, PEACE Incorporated and things like that way before I ever knew that I would be in this type of role or position.

Bill Berthel:
But that’s so much of the credibility I hear. Right. That you were talking about. That’s so much of the ability to connect and understand. Right. That not just a cognitive, but an experiential understanding.

Sheena Solomon:
Yeah. I actually used to think that empathy was a weakness in a leader. Right. Because we were like, why do you care so much?

Bill Berthel:
Right.

Sheena Solomon:
And I feel like, actually, empathy should be a number one quality for leaders, because you need to not just talk, but to listen. I do a lot of listening in this particular role and trying to do my best to put my foot in someone else’s shoe. Like, what exactly are you experiencing? And so we are really good at accepting organizations from where they are because I want to have a better understanding of, who are you? What do you want? Not where Gifford believes you should be.

Bill Berthel:
Absolutely right.

Sheena Solomon:
So it’s a different spin on philanthropy.

Bill Berthel:
So are you measuring the impact of that investment somehow? How do you work with the organization? more sustainably or afterwards? What’s the role there for you?

Sheena Solomon:
Well, so, you know, life is all about relationships.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
So we build relationships with these organizations. We’re out in the community and can actually see the impact. Right, right.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah. You’re here. It’s not like you’re serving. Yes.

Sheena Solomon:
Right. It’s not like we’re sending the money to Chicago. We don’t live in Chicago. Right. So we’re physically here. We can see it, touch it, feel it, use all our senses. Right. In addition to that, we also get it through storytelling. So We don’t do typical reporting, like where we say, so how was it? You send us a report, we read it, and we file it away.

Bill Berthel:
Right.

Sheena Solomon:
Instead, me and my Team, we interview organizations and have a conversation like we’re having now.

Bill Berthel:
That’s awesome.

Sheena Solomon:
So how are you doing? How did the program, did the program work? How’s the board working? Did things turn over? Just have a conversation.

Bill Berthel:
That’s awesome.

Sheena Solomon:
We enter the information, we share it with our board, but we also put it in our newsletter on our website.

Bill Berthel:
Right, right.

Sheena Solomon:
Feature those organizations and show and use them as an example for other organizations to see.

Bill Berthel:
That’s awesome. So we’re gonna take a ride in the community.

Sheena Solomon:
All right.

Bill Berthel:
We’re gonna check out some of the places that, your work, your staff’s work benefits. Right.

Sheena Solomon:
Yeah.

Bill Berthel:
I’m really looking forward to that. But before we go, what makes you get up in the morning? Why do you do this? This is not easy work. Some, some of it you called not so sexy work. What gets you up in the morning? What makes you do this?

Sheena Solomon:
Well, first waking up is a blessing because another day, everybody didn’t wake up this morning.

Bill Berthel:
That’s right.

Sheena Solomon:
Right. So I see it as a blessing, and I believe that I was blessed to wake up this morning on purpose.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
Right. So I have a purpose to get up. And do what I do because somebody has to do the work. I find that there’s not a lot of people who look like me at decision making table, particularly in the community in which we reside. Right. So it’s important for me to get up. And continue to move things forward for those grandbabies of mine.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah. You’re serving such an important model. Right. For so many other people. That’s our mission in this show, is to really demystify leadership and just show real people doing real work in our community. And it’s important to have models that look differently, behave differently, think differently. For real, I think holistic leadership in our community. So where are we headed?

Sheena Solomon:
So we are headed to Bellevue. that’s the street. And we’re going to go see tiny homes.

Bill Berthel:
Awesome. And what is it about these tiny homes and Gifford?

Sheena Solomon:
So, Tiny Homes for Good is the organization that builds them. Andrew Lunetta is the Executive Director.

Bill Berthel:
Okay.

Sheena Solomon:
And I am a true believer that leadership matters.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah, yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
I met Andrew Lunetta when he was just in college doing bike rides for the homeless. And if you went on ten bike rides consecutively, he would give you the bike so that they would have transportation. And now he’s evolved into his own nonprofit that builds tiny homes for people who have chronic homelessness issues. So Tiny Homes for Good has gone through, one of Gifford Foundation’s capacity building programs. Embracing Disruption is what the program is called. And it’s a program designed to help organizations see where they are and then figure out where they want to go through consulting and then, workshops with a cohort of other nonprofits. Then they’re not all going through the same thing,

Bill Berthel:
So it sounds important.

Sheena Solomon:
These are the tiny homes, right?

Bill Berthel:
Oh, awesome. Oh, look at this. Yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
So I find the tiny homes project very interesting all in itself, because Andrew is. He’s very young. He’s young and he’s had this leadership and wanting to give back. Right. Like, you have an idea, and we consider it like a startup. An organization starts as an idea, then they get into startup. And now he’s gotten the organization into growth. And that’s when you have to start to put structure around things. Right? Figure out fundraising, have a board. you know, you need an administrative assistant. Like, you’re no longer worried about the toilet paper, you’re more worried about the program.

Bill Berthel:
Well, it starts to get real. Right. And not that an idea isn’t real, but it goes from idea to manifested creation.

Sheena Solomon:
Yes.

Bill Berthel:
Am I straight or turning?

Sheena Solomon:
Yeah, we’re gonna go straight.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah. And most people need guidance and help and support and. Right, And then you start to build a team.

Sheena Solomon:
Yes.

Bill Berthel:
Right. You start to build a team around you.

Sheena Solomon:
Uh-huh.

Bill Berthel:
That is awesome. That is awesome. So where we head now?

Sheena Solomon:
So we are headed to The Northside Learning Center.

Bill Berthel:
Northside Learning Center, what happens there? They teach new Americans English, support families, help them with housing, and help them become acclimated, like, to the culture, but also how to preserve their own culture.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah, yeah.

Sheena Solomon:
Right. How to preserve their own culture. Like, you don’t have to do everything just because, you know, you’re in America. You can still preserve your own.

Bill Berthel:
Identity and your culture. Absolutely.

Sheena Solomon:
Right. Keep your identity.

Bill Berthel:
how long has this been in existence?

Sheena Solomon:
Oh, my goodness. They’ve been in existence for quite some time. I would say maybe 15 years, if not more than that. you can come to the north side and see just about every culture, anything on the north side.

Bill Berthel:
That is awesome.

Sheena Solomon:
Yes. So they’re rehabbing this house here.

Bill Berthel:
Very cool.

Sheena Solomon:
Because a lot of times when new Americans come here, they don’t have somewhere to live. They have a certain amount of time to, like, find some, get things together, find housing and all that. And places like Northside Learning Center, Interfaith Works, Catholic Charities have services, specifically for new Americans. Right. So, they have this. They’re rehabbing this housing, they redid, the mosque.

Bill Berthel:
Okay.

Sheena Solomon:
Right. And then this building is like a school and a gathering.

Bill Berthel:
Very cool. Very cool.

Sheena Solomon:
So, the next place we’re gonna, go by is. I’m sure that you know this organization. It’s Vera House.

Bill Berthel:
Oh, yeah. Yep. I do know Vera House.

Sheena Solomon:
Yes. Vera House has a new leader.

Bill Berthel:
Yes.

Sheena Solomon:
She’s definitely a change agent. Her name is Daquetta Jones.

Bill Berthel:
Yes. Yes, I’ve met her.

Sheena Solomon:
She has not. I don’t think she’s been in a role for a year.

Bill Berthel:
probably not.

Sheena Solomon:
Yeah, I don’t think it’s been a year. Just.

Bill Berthel:
Where we going here?

Sheena Solomon:
But like I said earlier, that I really do believe that leadership matters. Because leadership can make your organization strong, or it can weaken it.

Bill Berthel:
Right.

Sheena Solomon:
Because it is possible to sink the Titanic.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah, absolutely.

Sheena Solomon:
If you’re making bad, decisions, or if you’re treating staff some kind of way. Or if you’re not listening.

Bill Berthel:
Totally agree.

Sheena Solomon:
You know, to your team, you know, you gotta be a good listener. You have to be.

Bill Berthel:
I completely agree. And I think all of us, no matter at what level, and capacity we’re at, needs to continue to cultivate listening and connecting skills. And it. I mean, the research shows that you can keep learning that throughout your whole life. Different than IQ, which is kind of actually a little bit preset.

Sheena Solomon:
Right.

Bill Berthel:
But the EQ. Right. The emotional intelligence, listening empathy, you can develop that through your whole lifespan.

Sheena Solomon:
You sure can.

Bill Berthel:
So there’s. I mean, this sounds a little cold, but there’s sort of no excuse not to.

Dequetta Jones:
So the Vera House mission is to prevent, respond to, and partner to end domestic and sexual violence and other forms of abuse. we have been in this community for nearly 50 years. We are a certified rape crisis and domestic violence, shelter program agency. we provide clinical services, prevention, education. We serve our, elders. So, abuse in later life. We have our advocacy department. We have our same program, which is our sexual assault Nurse examiner. So we are the only ones currently in, Syracuse that’s responding to sexual assault by way of having our same nurses respond to four of the major hospitals in our community.

Bill Berthel:
Wow. Wow. Ah.

Dequetta Jones:
And we. So we have a 27-bed domestic violence shelter, as well as a nine bed safe dwelling.

Bill Berthel:
Yeah. So your organization becomes more and more essential in our community.

Dequetta Jones:
Absolutely.

Bill Berthel:
What are you doing to sustain? What are you doing to keep it going?

Dequetta Jones:
Absolutely. So, for one, I have to thank our funders, as well as our supporters, those that make contributions to our organization to continue doing what we’re doing. It’s also being innovative and creative. You have to think of doing things a little different. We can’t always do it the way that we’ve always done it to make sure that we’re sustainable. The goal is to work ourselves out of a mission.

Bill Berthel:
So why, do you lead? What’s your drive? What’s your motive?

Dequetta Jones:
So I have had, the honor of serving in the nonprofit world for over 20 years. And for one, either looking at leadership that’s effective or ineffective, has really led me to make sure that I am leading in an effective way, because leadership impacts the services in the programs that you provide. It impacts your team. It impacts the community. So I believe in being an effective diplomatic, as well as compassionate, leader.

Bill Berthel:
Well, you’re fighting a good fight here. Yeah. How can we help?

Dequetta Jones:
so, for one, you know that Sheena, as well as our Mayor, Ben Walsh, is serving as the honorary chairs of our New Beginnings Gala.

Bill Berthel:
Awesome.

Dequetta Jones:
that is taking place on October 19. We’re looking for sponsorships. We’re looking for honorary committee. We’re looking for. If you can’t come but you want to sponsor someone else, that’s another way.

Bill Berthel:
All right. That’s awesome. Count us in.

Dequetta Jones:
Perfect. I’ll make sure you get the information.

Bill Berthel:
And then more sustainable than that outside of that event.

Dequetta Jones:
So I would say making a reoccurring contribution to. The organization every month. I would say, even as low, if you can afford $10 a month, provide $10 a month to. The organization reoccurring. We also have a foundation that was created back in 2005 that is really about helping to advance fairer housing. So we’re always looking for contributions to be able to build that fund up.

Bill Berthel:
Awesome, Sheena. Thank you.

Sheena Solomon:
Thank you.

Bill Berthel:
So awesome.

Sheena Solomon:
It’s been a pleasure.

Bill Berthel:
Appreciate all your time.

Sheena Solomon:
Thank you.