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PAN DO RA' A .
UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS JIM,
to other resources, including two
grants totaling $10,000 from Rock
Venture Capital and a sizable grant
from the Kellogg Foundation.
On Fundraising
And Ethical Choices
Eitan: When it comes to fundraising
and networking, we try to be inten-
tional and mindful of where the
money is coming from. By aligning
our organization with companies
that support the things we do with
their own ethical practices, we can
better communicate our own mis-
sion.
Rachel: It's important to know
your own values. When you believe
in your mission and believe in your
work, you're going to find a way to
do it.
Amit: Another way to be
intentional around fundraising is to
be critical of the way we articulate
our mission and goals. I think it's
important to tell the story of our
work in a manner that uplifts the
young people who participate in our
programs.
Jeff: What connects us here —
and what surprises me to have in
common with so many here — is
that we're Jewish. When I first
started growing my business in
Detroit, I didn't really think much
about it. It's only come to me in the
last few years, to be honest, and it's
amazing to me to what extent that
part of my life now plays out.
On Managing
Expectations
Blair: I think there's a tension
between process and product. I'm
really process-driven. I want leaders
to emerge from the kind of work
that I'm doing. And, that takes a
lot of human resources. People
(funders) generally want to see
product. Process is harder to share.
Jen: It can be a struggle. How to
make something not just work for
us, but work for every young person
that comes after us and through us,
to make sure they can build.
Eitan: I'll drive home a bit
more on the product: Keep Detroit
Growing is charged with the mission
to work toward the concept of
food sovereignty in this city. Simply
stated, we need more people
growing food, and growing food
well.
Jeff: You've got people in
farming and food, people in
recycling, people who are talking
about the incarceration system,
about relationships and about
educating our kids.
On Mentoring
Rachel: If we're all talking about
changing Detroit, we have to start in
the schools. We aren't the ones who
are going to change it anymore. What
we must teach is behavior change.
And how do you start?
Harry: The challenge runs deeper
than the physical work. It's a
paradigm shift.
Blair: Working in a neighborhood
on the east side has been a profound
experience for me. The city has been
my greatest teacher. The blessings
aren't always wrapped the way I
expect them to be. I think there's
hope and power in what people
already are doing and in the culture
that already exists here.
Jeff: Building networks is an
organic process. We're cheerleaders
for each other.
On Partnerships
Eitan: The Eastern Market plays a
large growing role. I can't list all the
projects, but the Detroit Community
Markets initiative supports 16
neighborhood markets across
the entire city.
Amit: Neighborhood associations:
I am inspired by the folks in the
meetings, often community elders,
who fight for our parks, keep the
gates open.
Rachel: To take that one step
further, sometimes you have to build
the partnership yourself. It's not that
we need to go in and teach this
"other culture." The way recycling
happened in Detroit is that it simply
didn't exist. So we opened our doors.
We created the infrastructure.
Conclusions
Eitan: One last word to mention
here: justice. It's the underpinning
of the work we see and that we try
to orient our lives and work around.
Whether it's rooted in Judaism or not,
it's rooted in the nature of the work
that we do.
Josh: For me, as a Jewish
professional and a Detroit resident,
it is a blessing and a privilege to
be able to support this kind of
meaningful work through the Do
It For Detroit Fund micro-grant
program. Di4D has been such a
humbling, educational and rewarding
experience. The fact that there is a
demand for us at NEXTGen Detroit
to be involved in supporting these
individuals and their organizations is
a testament to our community and
our values. ❑
This was posted by Vivian Henoch in
the June issue of myJewishDetroit at
www.myJewishDetroit.org.
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