Door County Community Foundation

January 2025

Dear Bret,

The members of a quality non-profit board are typically some of a community’s most engaged and accomplished people. Similarly, the senior staff of an effective charity are usually among the most dedicated and well-informed citizens around. Their collective efforts are rightfully focused on the routine, but critically important governance functions. Board members need to ask hard questions of the professional staff, challenging assumptions, and requiring accountability. The board also needs to adopt a strategic direction and periodically evaluate the chief executive’s ability to lead the organization toward those goals. These activities will dominate the work of the organization and rightfully consume the vast majority of time spent at board meetings.  However, there is value to be gained if a charity creates space for the board and staff leadership to simply dream. This is the goal of generative discussions.

A generative discussion is an open-ended conversation that asks participants to explore new ideas, think deeply about issues, and otherwise consider big questions rather than focus on operational functions. A common characteristic of generative discussions is that they often ignore what is practical and sometimes what is even possible. Instead of feeling the need to defend every position and respond to every criticism, participants in this kind of conversation are invited to simply explore ideas without constraint. Generative discussion can be invigorating, inspiring, and, on the rarest of occasions, even transformative.  

The reality is the overwhelming majority of ideas generated will not amount to anything actionable at all. This isn’t a flaw in the process, it’s by design. If you give people permission to explore the world of possibilities, you need to accept that most of the possibilities aren’t very realistic. It’s not that they aren’t interesting or worthy of consideration. Rather most of what comes out of generative discussions aren’t feasible, appropriate, or aligned with the primary purpose of the charitable organization.

This can be enormously frustrating for some board members. These are typically folks who thrive on action and achievement. To engage in a conversation that doesn’t produce anything actionable can feel unproductive. But it is precisely the willingness to explore ideas without the guarantee of an outcome that makes generative discussions so valuable.  It is the rare gem that emerges – the truly innovative idea or important concept – that justifies the effort.

Learn more by reading "Generative Discussions in Non-Profit Board Meetings..."

The Door County Community Foundation is excited to announce that the Educational Mini Grant program has awarded 16 grants totaling $7,198 to schools throughout Door County for the 2024-2025 school year.

The four Door County school districts receiving grants for the current school year include Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Southern Door, and Sturgeon Bay as well as St. John Bosco Catholic School and St. Peter’s Lutheran School. Awards will support the following projects:

• A School Esports club with over 80 members will receive new uniforms.
• Elementary students will have access to 44 new books in their classroom library that cover a variety of genres and reading levels. 
• Elementary students struggling with emotional regulation will have a nature-based, sensory-friendly learning environment, allowing them access to learn in natural settings.
• Every elementary student in a district will receive a free birthday book.
• 4^th grade students will collaborate with community partners to complete a community service project that benefits local causes.
• Students will gain access to tools and materials to compete in an international aquatic robot-building competition.
• Edison V3 robots will enhance sixth-grade coding lessons, providing students with hands-on opportunities to apply programming skills.
• First graders will have phonics-based decodable readers to enhance reading lessons, support remediation, and reinforce concepts for students with varying reading abilities.
• First and second-grade students will have new books for beginning readers and hands-on spelling materials. 
• A Chess Club will expand into a Game Club to increase student involvement by offering a variety of board and card games.
• Spanish III students will take a day trip to Chicago, providing students with immersive cultural and language-learning opportunities.
• Digital microscopes will enhance science learning for elementary and middle school students, allowing them to view, photograph, and share specimens for classroom activities and presentations.
• Percussion equipment will help launch a seventh and eighth-grade marching band program, enabling students to perform in community parades such as homecoming and holiday events.
• Translator pens for Elementary English Learners, will help them access grade-level content while building English vocabulary and comprehension.
• School Clubs will connect students to one another and faculty members in small group settings doing activities that they love.
• New books that promote representation and discussions about Native American history and culture will be used to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.

Door County Service Club Coalition Youth Mini-Grants:

Monday, March 3rd

Community Foundation Sustainability Grants:

Monday, March 24th

Community Investment Fund Grants:

Monday, March 24th

Mental Health Support Fund Grants:

Monday, March 24th

Women's Fund of Door County Community Grants:

Monday, March 24th