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.
Jul 1, 2017
In Case You Missed It: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Prosperity
In this issue: investing in manufacturing and retail; democracy and poverty in America; and the rise of philanthropy as the government falters.
Jun 24, 2017
In Case You Missed It: The Malaise and Distemper of Us All
In this issue: the impact of the uncertain healthcare fight, racial and economic school segregation, a conservative case for unions, and new questions for social capitalism.
Jun 17, 2017
In Case You Missed It: A Criminal Failure to Protect the Poor
In this issue: the commonality of the Grenfell fire and Flint's toxic water; stealing from low-wage workers; and why Jeff Bezos needs your help on philanthropy.
Jun 10, 2017
In Case You Missed It: Across the Employment Universe
In this issue: prospects for a universal basic income; ending sub-minimum wages; rising suburban poverty; and investor primacy v. social capitalism.
May 27, 2017
In Case You Missed It: Taking Potshots at the Poor
In this issue: cutting the government; putting more holes in the safety net; the fraying social fabric; investing in minority firms and philanthropy in the Trump era.
May 23, 2017
Thinking On: The Owner-Labor Tug of War
Profits and wages are often treated as a zero-sum game, but wages play a more complex role in a company’s value creation for all stakeholders, including owners.
May 20, 2017
In Case You Missed It: The Inequality Longevity Gap
In this issue, the inequality of social security, poking holes in the safety net, more on the minimum wage, and gutting shareholder resolutions.
May 15, 2017
Field Notes: Social Enterprise, Proceed with Caution
Steven Dawson offers ten tips on what it takes to be successful when launching a business for the purpose of employing nonprofit clients.
May 14, 2017
In Case You Missed It: Notes for the Civic Citizen
In this issue, the rise of the wealthy 'super citizen', why funders should avoid big bets, leaning toward unequal societies and a look at trumponomics.
May 8, 2017
Soundbites: Moving Toward A Net Contribution Framework
In this podcast, Mission OutLoud's Toni Johnson and Heron's Dana Bezerra discuss how assessing a company's broader impacts serves a more specific mission.