Nuts & Bolts: The Uses & Limits of Data as We Work in the San Joaquin Valley
In this post, we discuss our efforts to better integrate data as we try to understand the opportunities and challenges facing the San Joaquin Valley.
The Heron Blog
Heron's 2019 Presidential Podcast
In 2018, Dana Bezerra became the new president of Heron. However, Dana has been at Heron for 13 years in total, starting as a program officer in 2006. She’s seen Heron grow and change and is now sharing her guidance, leadership, and lessons learned as we focus on the intersection of communities and capital markets. In this podcast episode, we ask Dana to reflect on her first year as president, and share what’s next for Heron.
General Operating Support: The Effective Thing to Do; The Respectful Thing to Do
General operating support can provide nonprofit organizations with the flexibility to plan, innovate, and pivot in their work. So, why don’t more foundations provide general operating support as part of their grantmaking strategies? In this post, we chat with Mary Jo Mullan, a former and longtime member of the Heron team, about the importance of general operating support.
Questions We’re Asking This Week: San Joaquin Valley Edition
We’re launching a new series called “Questions We’re Asking This Week” that catalogs some of the inquiries we’re chasing in order to help people and communities help themselves out of poverty.
Questions We're Asking this Week: Pensions & Community Prosperity
Pension liabilities can be a detriment to community prosperity, while pension funds can be a source of power for workers. With those dynamics in mind, here are a few pension-related questions we’re asking this week.
Apr 30, 2016
Soundbites: The Trouble in Post-Coal Communities
In this podcast, the Northern Plains Resource Council's Teresa Erikson discusses the declining coal industry's impact on communities once dependent on their success.
May 11, 2016
Soundbites: Gender as a Screen for Public Equities
Toni Johnson joins Nia Global Solutions' Kristin Hull to discuss their use of gender lens investing and trends in the impact investing space.
May 17, 2016
Soundbites: Fossil-Fuel Dependence and Poverty Tensions
The Center on Sustainable Investment's Nicolas Maennling joins Toni Johnson in discussing improving investment transparency in fossil-fuel dependent economies and how divestment affects poverty.
May 31, 2016
Soundbites: 'The Capital We Get to Work for Good'
Cambridge Associates' Tom Mitchell discusses Sandra Urie's transition from CEO and movement into impact investing as well as lessons learned from his years of work.
Jun 7, 2016
Soundbites: Enabling Artist Social Entrepreneurs
Toni Johnson talks with Laura Callanan, founding partner of Upstart Co-Lab, on the topic of social entrepreneurship and its unexpected heroes.
Jun 14, 2016
Soundbites: The Diverse Strategies of Engagement
In this podcast, Francis Byrd of Byrd Governance Advisory discusses his experience with the shareholder activism, the major players involved and what it has to do with improving prospects for employees.
Aug 30, 2016
Soundbites: Adventures in Affordable Housing Finance
Toni Johnson sat down with the Housing Partnership Network's Tom Bledsoe to discuss HPN's work in places like New Orleans and the use of enterprise capital.
Sep 8, 2016
Soundbites: Bringing Dignity to the New Working Class
Toni Johnson spoke with Tamara Draut of Demos about her new book, the shifting demographics and conditions of the working class and upcoming work from Demos.
Sep 20, 2016
Soundbites: A New Way to Measure Success
Jennifer Tescher of CFSI discusses how the financial industry is learning to evaluate its own success by measuring its impacts on consumers’ financial health.
Oct 4, 2016
Soundbites: Investing in Your Own Backyard
The Heron Foundation’s Toni Johnson discusses building communities and growing small businesses with Jennifer Pryce of the Calvert Foundation.