The F Word: Stories About Failure with the Kataly Foundation
In philanthropy, we use a lot of euphemisms to avoid saying the word “failure”: lessons, learnings, opportunities for growth. But what could be possible if we embraced the idea of failure? Where would that lead us?
The F Word is a series from the Kataly Foundation inviting philanthropy to share our failures publicly instead of in reports that won’t ever see the light of day, or internal meetings shrouded in secrecy.
Sharing stories about our mistakes is one small way we can show each other that failure is much less scary than inaction. Join us by sharing your own failure story.
Reach out to zaineb@kataly.org if you are interested in contributing to this series.
Below are links to all of the pieces in our failure series:
- Shouting About Failure — Zaineb Mohammed, Director of Communications, Kataly Foundation
- The F Word: I Missed the Memo on Technology as Power—Jidan Terry-Koon, Head of Ecosystem Management at One Project
- Supporting Big Leaps Without Holding the Reins: Lessons in Power and Partnership—Philip Li and Trish Adobea Tchume, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation
- I Tried to Investigate Our Foundation’s Harmful Investments—and Failed—Glen Galaich, CEO of the Stupski Foundation
- When Failure Leads to Magic—Priscilla Enriquez, President & CEO of The James B. McClatchy Foundation
- The Fastest Way to Get Communications Leaders to Quit—Mandy Van Deven, co-lead of Elemental
- Prioritizing the voices of others over our own—Edgar Villanueva, CEO and Founder, Decolonizing Wealth Project
- Building a culture of possibility instead of letting the problem be the guest of honor—Janiece Evans-Page, CEO, Tides Network
- Failure is not inherently transformative—Supriya Lopez Pillai, President, Libra Foundation
- There is no such thing as permanent relevance—Allistair Mallillin, Executive Director, Peace Development Fund
- Don’t Believe the Hype—Nat Chioke Williams, Executive Director, Hill-Snowdon Foundation
- What I Failed to Ask About Living Forever—Dr. Carmen Rojas, President & CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation
- Organizing for Movement Protection—Malachi Garza, Strategy and Innovation Director, Solidaire Network
- How I learned a lesson about power—Pamela Shifman, President, Democracy Alliance
- Embracing the F-Word at Gary—Santhosh Ramdoss, President & CEO, Gary Community Ventures
- How Our Desire to Be Seen as Good Causes Harm—Elise Belusa and Mia Reilly, Tara Health Foundation
In these video conversations, the Kataly team and our partners talk about failure, and what becomes possible when we let go of fear. You can watch all of #TheFWord conversations on our YouTube channel:
- Resisting Perfection and Pedestals—Nwamaka Agbo, CEO and Managing Director of the Restorative Economies Fund with Lynne Hoey, Chief Investment Officer
- Navigating Power and Failure — Regan Pritzker and Susan Pritzker, Kataly Board Members
- Modeling Humility and Humanity Through Failure—Iris Garcia, Mindfulness and Healing Justice Program Officer, with Aldita Gallardo, Founding Director of the Action for Transformation Fund
- Disengagement, Loss of Purpose, and the Limits to “Expediency” in Philanthropy— Iris Garcia, Mindfulness and Healing Justice Program Officer, and Danielle Royston-Lopez, Grants Officer
- Embracing Failure and Risk—Maya Thornell-Sandifor, Managing Director of Programs
- Standing in Integrity Through Failure— Lynne Hoey, Chief Investment Officer with Nwamaka Agbo, CEO and Managing Director of the Restorative Economies Fund
- Failing to Draw Boundaries—Hans How, Integrated Capital Officer
- Responding to Harm with Generosity—Zaineb Mohammed, Communications Director, with cbabi bayoc (visual artist, illustrator, and muralist) and amber l. howlett-bayoc (strategist and change artist, Dharma Management)
