\Li 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. Free Gift with Purchase • July 8-15 Receive a PANDORA single strand leather bracelet (a $40 USD retail value) with your PANDORA purchase of $100 or more.* *Good while supplies last, limit one per customer. Upgrades are available. Charms shown on bracelet are sold separately. See our store for details. 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