Page 3 - May JSF Report

LOOKING FOR FISH
E li considers himself a fisherman. He’ll tell you himself. His angling skills are primarily restricted to reeling in his Snoopy pole until you tell him to stop. Eli is my 3-year-old grandson.
This past weekend we spent some time on a dock. A school of bait fish wandered past. He doubted me when I pointed them out from across the canal. From where we sat, all you could see was a disturbance in the glassy water. It looked like light raindrops in an area about the size of an automobile. “I don’t see the fish,” he said. I was vindicated when they got close enough for him to see.
Moments later, the water’s surface was disturbed again. It was a very small V ripple that moved steadily toward the bait fish. Eli remained skeptical when I told him, “Here comes a big fish.”
Looking for fish—or anything, for that matter—is much easier with experience. At JSF, we are always looking for grantee partners. Over time, we have learned to recognize some qualities that are common throughout our most productive partnerships.
While all of our partners are unique, they often share common qualities. Some of these qualities include:
• Strong leadership that’s stable, but not static • Humble and curious
• A healthy organizational culture
• A clear vision of where they want to go
• A desire to keep learning and growing
• A mission-driven approach
• A demonstrated commitment to their programs
Recognizing promising partners, like seeing fish, is as much of an art as it is a science. Experience matters. Paying attention and learning from others helps us improve delivering on our mission.
Robert A. Krause
Page 1 HORIZONS