This month, my blog features Luz Vega-Marquis, president and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

What can volunteers learn from organizations – and vice versa?

Successful volunteers and organizations work in tandem to address a community’s needs, whether the community is built around a place, issue, or identity. Each can learn from the other’s unique vantage point, and each holds the other accountable to the community. Volunteers bring authentic passion to community service that keeps organizations connected to the grassroots. Organizations, on the other hand, are positioned to sustain engagement and bear the “big picture” in mind. These capacities are complementary, edifying, and mutually reinforcing: volunteers learn how their efforts fit into a bigger picture and organizations stay in touch with what’s happening on the ground. Volunteering is about giving back and building better communities.

What initially inspired you to work in philanthropy?

Philanthropy is about taking risks. It is about believing that there are solutions to social inequities. Philanthropy is inherently strategic and it is about much more than giving away money – it’s about people. As President & CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, I have been privileged to be in partnership with organizations across the country that are working toward bringing about systemic change to improve policies, social services, and public discourse. As an immigrant from Nicaragua, I understand that a society’s ability to thrive is dependent on the strength of all of its people and its investment in long-term solutions that address social inequities. When I came to this country, I believed in the American dream – only to find out years later that not everyone can achieve the dream no matter how hard they work. Philanthropy can help bring about systemic change so that every family can prosper. Marguerite Casey’s brand promise is Ask, Listen, Act. We ask families and organizations what changes need to be made; we listen to what they recommend and then we act based on their direction.  The result is communities working in true partnership with a foundation towards the greater good. This is the promise of philanthropy and what continues to inspire me.

Does our sector adequately reflect diversity across America?

Unfortunately, it does not. Like companies and organizations across the country, philanthropy has very few people of color as heads of boards, presidents, and CEO’s as well as in leadership and decision-making positions. Diversifying philanthropy will not guarantee inclusion, but it will encourage diverse opinions and increase sensitivity and awareness toward changing demographics. As a result, such positive changes could influence how we make grants, including supporting endeavors that otherwise might be overlooked. By not reflecting diversity across America, philanthropy is missing the opportunity to build authentic relationships with diverse communities. Diversity can take many forms, and include in addition to people of color, LGBT populations, people with disabilities, and women, the latter of whom are increasingly leading foundations, but who are still under-represented as board members and trustees. According to a report issued by the D5 Coalition, State of the Work 2011, less than a third of foundations have diversity policies and practices in place. Without such policies and practices, foundations will likely not make the necessary changes to look more like America, and more importantly, like the communities we have promised to serve. And that is philanthropy’s Achilles’ heel.