Endowment Launches Staff Blog To Enhance Openness and Transparency

As one of the newest not-for-profits in the forestry sector, we at the U.S. Endowment have been running at full speed to build a a new organization with all of its moving parts (offices, staff, board, policies, bank accounts, fund managers, website, etc.) on the one hand, while charting a sound course for programmatic engagement and investment on the other. We've tried to do all of this with the leanest staff model in our peer group -- only three full-time employees.


Among the values we've espoused and tried hard to implement is a commitment to openness and transparency in all that we do. One of our Stewardship Principles is, "We value transparency, welcome public interest and communicate openly." We've tried to set the standard by posting "nearly everything" on our website. You'll find not only copies of our IRS Form 990 but also quarterly "plain language" stewardship reports penned by our Board Treasurer and President. These reports explain how we are doing in meeting our financial obligations -- something few not-for-profits share beyond their annual financial statements.


Additionally our two professional staff members have tried to make themselves readily available by attending conferences, "getting out" to hear directly from the field, or simply by responding to emails or phone calls. In short, we want to hear from all who share an interest in sustainable forestry and the needs of America's forest-reliant communities. For some time we've been thinking about how we might go even further. This "staff blog" is one such attempt.


Through periodic posts we plan to share deeper insight into the Endowment's thinking and decision-making processes as relates to programmatic investments and what's going on at the Endowment. It as a two-way street. We seek your thoughts, ideas and reactions.


One of our greatest challenges is to manage expectations. We get requests to attend dozens of conferences and appeals to support a wide range of projects and initiatives. While the Endowment is instantly the largest foundation in America dedicated solely to sustainable forestry and forest-reliant communities, our resources pale in comparison to the needs and challenges. Yet, we want to do all that we can to make a real and lasting difference.


In coming months we want to engage you in a better understanding of what we think we can do as well as those things that we can't.


We hope you'll join us in the discussion as well as the important work ahead.