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Janis Foster Richardson

Janis

Here's the more official version:

Janis Johnston, Janis Foster, Janis Foster Richardson, Janis Richardson

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Daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, wife, friend

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Big city lover - especially Memphis, Philadelphia, and Houston  - but happy at home in my rural Texas community

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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

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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

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It's complicated. But that's me.

Interests & Expertise

  • Designing, implementing, and trouble-shooting small grants programs that support groups that everyday people form for mutual aid and collective action.

  • Helping funders bust out of traditional grantmaking behaviors that under-mine  well-intentioned efforts to work authentically with local citizens and community groups.

  • Supporting  executive and front-line foundation staff in their internal and external change-making efforts as coach, momentum-builder and devil's advocate.

  • Helping courageous change-makers at the intersection of philanthropy and resident-led investing learn together.

Professional Journey

  • M.A. - Urban Anthropology

  • President, Evergreen Historic District Association & Midtown (Memphis) Council of Neighborhoods 

  • Director, Memphis Center for Neighborhoods

  • Grants & Initiatives VP & Executive Vice President, Community Foundation for Greater Memphis

  • Faculty Member, ABCD Institute 

  • Trainer, Neighborworks Community Development Institute

  • Graduate, Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara's Coach Training Institute

  • Executive Director, Grassroots Grantmakers

  • Consultant & Coach

Resume & Publications
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