Janis
Janis Johnston, Janis Foster, Janis Foster Richardson, Janis Richardson
Daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, wife, friend
Big city lover - especially Memphis, Philadelphia, and Houston - but happy at home in my rural Texas community
Music lover, pie maker, old house renovator, family history researcher, dog lover, card player, seamstress, baseball fanatic, yoga practitioner, sunset gazer, brown-thumb gardener, tortured writer, possibility spotter
Student, teacher, block club member, community organizer, neighborhood group president, program officer, foundation executive, board chair, executive director, blogger, writer, trainer, facilitator, consultant, personal coach
It's complicated. But that's me.
Here's the more official version:
Interests & Expertise
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Designing, implementing, and trouble-shooting small grants programs that support groups that everyday people form for mutual aid and collective action.
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Helping funders bust out of traditional grantmaking behaviors that under-mine well-intentioned efforts to work authentically with local citizens and community groups.
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Supporting executive and front-line foundation staff in their internal and external change-making efforts as coach, momentum-builder and devil's advocate.
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Helping courageous change-makers at the intersection of philanthropy and resident-led investing learn together.
Professional Journey
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M.A. - Urban Anthropology
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President, Evergreen Historic District Association & Midtown (Memphis) Council of Neighborhoods
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Director, Memphis Center for Neighborhoods
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Grants & Initiatives VP & Executive Vice President, Community Foundation for Greater Memphis
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Faculty Member, ABCD Institute
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Trainer, Neighborworks Community Development Institute
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Graduate, Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara's Coach Training Institute
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Executive Director, Grassroots Grantmakers
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Consultant & Coach
Resume & Publications
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Community Foundations on Public Policy (Council on Foundations)
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Improving Race Relations & Undoing Racism with David Scheie & Theatrice Williams
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A Short Course on Grassroots Grantmaking (with Gabriel Works)
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Grassroots Grantmaking: A Conversation with Janis Foster Richardson