The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis is offering nonprofit capacity-building grants to support one-time projects that address your strategic plan and improve the management, governance, and administration of your organization.

1000 Feathers is thrilled to announce that Heather Brandt, co-founder, has been honored with the prestigious 2023 Friend of Children Award given annually by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Studies show that social connections play a central role in fostering a sense of purpose and well-being in the workplace. But what if your workplace is not in-person? Or you are not going into an office every day? There are still things we can do to build good workplace relationships -  here are 6 tips for cultivating relationships in a virtual world.

This past year, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Healthy Palmetto, a statewide collaborative focused on healthy eating and active living in South Carolina. Summer is the perfect time to foster healthy habits and ensure our kids stay active and nourished. Keep reading for some practical tips and tricks to help you navigate the summer season.

1000 Feathers is celebrating seven years in business this month (June 2023). Sometimes anniversaries like these come and go, other times they are celebrated, and sometimes a particular year feels more noteworthy than others. This is one of those years for us. Maybe there is something about the number seven that seems lucky or even significant (see: seven days of the week, seven continents, and seven colors in a rainbow). More likely, it’s that seven years of being in business has resulted in learning and growth, resulting in significant shifts in how we approach our work.

Recently I received two iterations of a similar question, one from a partner and one from a current client and thought it would be interesting to share my responses given the different contexts. So, when you are collecting data, how many is enough?

We are resharing an interview that our president, Forrest Alton did with The Jinks Perspective almost three years ago (October 2020). Our friend and colleague Patrick Jinks interviews Forrest and as it turns out, many of the discussion topics have come into full view with the launch of this new website.

Every time I hear “but we didn’t learn anything new” on one of these projects, it’s like I am hearing it for the first time – I’m just so shocked and surprised. Then I must remember that I’ve probably said it too. So, if we aren’t learning anything new, why are we continuing to do this type of work in communities?

My word for 2023 is INTENTIONAL. I’ve struggled with putting the rationale for this choice into words, so if you’re still reading, know that this post isn’t about trying to diminish your goal-setting on day two of a new year.

1000 Feathers, LLC, has recently added Melissa Weathers to their team as Director of Operations and Marketing.

I have been part of many community and organizational partnerships, where at some point, the suggestion comes up that a “review of the literature” could be helpful to inform the work that we are doing.

At the beginning of a new year, there are always plenty of lists to go around – resolutions, commitments, maybe you’re even setting some stretch goals. Whatever you choose to call them, too often, they don’t stick. So, why am I writing out yet another new list for you to consider? Because it comes with a different frame of reference.

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. We are very familiar with two days as retailers and marketers have successfully embedded them in our minds for years. But while the Amazons and Targets of the world want us to focus on the consumerism of the season, let’s not leave the most important date off the list…

Another area that has been unprecedented is relationship building in the time of a global pandemic. And since it’s 2021, this should be an easy one, right? We have social media, Facetime, Zoom, email, text messaging, and conference calls. We should be able to maintain and build relationships easily…right? If only it were that easy.

I always knew it could happen. Military families move, on average, every three years. I was lucky that my spouse had been stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC, for over a decade and that I had experienced a meaningful and purpose-filled career. Military spouses often struggle with employment, given frequent moves across state and country lines and their role in taking care of their family.

In a recent episode of The Jinks Perspective, host Patrick Jinks chats with our co-founder Heather M. Brandt, Ph.D. about her roles as the director of the HPV Cancer Prevention Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and co-associate director for outreach in the St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center.

As you might suspect, we’re spending a lot of time with organizations working on building a positive workplace culture as they begin to plan for a post-pandemic future. The organizations in our current portfolio differ in size, location, and focus area, but a number of common themes have emerged during these conversations. It all made me reflect a bit about what I would be doing right now if I were still overseeing a large team of people.

1000 Feathers is excited to announce and welcome Melissa Strompolis and Alene Willingham to our team. Melissa will serve as the firm’s Director of Research while Alene is joining the team as an Administrative Assistant.

On this week’s episode of The Jinks Perspective, our friend and colleague Patrick Jinks interviews our President Forrest Alton.

As you know, we are in a time unlike any other. To make some sense of the chaos, we have co-authored a blog for nonprofit leaders on Leading Through Crisis. Head over to the Together SC website to read the full article or click on the this blog post to download a PDF.