It was my Junior year of high school, the Brown Invitational cross-country meet. I was never the fastest runner--usually number 7 or 8--so I straddled the JV and Varsity team. This time, the coach put me in the JV race, counting on me to place. The pressure was on. In the first quarter mile loop of these races, hundreds of runners are jam-packed together. At the start, one of them stepped on the back of my sneaker--and off it went. I was out in front, where I wanted to be, had to be. If I stopped for my shoe, I would fall back in the pack. So, I just kept running without it.

The path, rutted with rocks and roots, was brutal. My thin sock offered little padding or protection. When my coach spotted me, he didn't look hopeful, but hollered encouragement anyway. I kept running. Soon, everyone I passed was pointing at me, shouting something about the shoeless runner. It could have been humiliating. I found it motivating. Exhilarating! I ran the entire 3.1-mile course with a lopsided gait--and placed! My coach said I had true grit.
 
True grit. It's part of our everyday language. There's probably a thousand words to describe it. Passion. Resolve. Tenacity. Determination. Perseverance. Resilience. But it's much more than a bunch of adjectives. It's a mindset. People with grit set goals and stick to them. They embrace challenges, overcome setbacks, and rise from failures. When the going gets tough, grit keeps them going. People with grit know they can take care of themselves, make something of themselves-- even when others seem to have given up on them. People with grit finish the race.  READ MORE

NONPROFIT LEADERS GRADUATE FROM AWARD-WINNING LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Twenty-two leaders from nonprofit organizations across Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard recently graduated from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice's (INP) award-winning Core Certificate Program.  The program is designed to equip nonprofit leaders with the skills, knowledge, and networks they need to make strategic, mission-driven decisions that will positively impact their organizations and the communities they serve. This is the third year the academic year-long management and leadership program has been held on Cape Cod, and the first year that there was a Martha's Vineyard specific cohort. This year's program was made possible by a collaboration of funders, spearheaded by The Cape Cod Foundation and the Martha's Vineyard Nonprofit Collaborative, who believe in strengthening the local nonprofit sector through education.  PRESS RELEASE 

FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH JOSHUA A. NICKERSON SOCIETY
The Cape Cod Foundation and The Joshua A. Nickerson Society have formed a new partnership to continue to honor individuals who have made a positive impact within the Cape Cod community. The  Society was established in 1982 in memory of Joshua A. Nickerson 2nd, a Chatham native and businessman, who played an integral part in the development and preservation of many local institutions, such as the Cape Cod Hospital, Cape Playhouse, and Cape Cod National Seashore. F or more than three decades, the Society has presented its annual award to an individual who embodies Joshua Nickerson's commitment to the well-being and welfare of the people of Cape Cod.  Thirty-two recipients, who have made lasting contributions in the areas of conservation, arts, science, education, health, and democracy, have received this honorary award to date.  The Society will now become a permanent program of the Foundation; the Society's current trustees will serve as the Advisory Council that will review and recommend recipients annually. PRESS RELEASE

GRANTEE UPDATE: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF CAPE COD
In 2018, the Foundation awarded an $11,000 Strategic Focus Grant to Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod to support start-up costs for a second ReStore in Falmouth.  As of mid-April 2019, this new revenue source has netted over $500,000 for the nonprofit, which builds affordable housing on Cape Cod.   This year, the organization is finishing 7 homes in Marstons Mills and Dennis and will begin construction of 11 homes this summer and fall in Brewster, Wellfleet, and Mashpee.  Plans for more homes in 2020 are underway.  In a previous column, Smart Homes, President and CEO Kristin O'Malley explained why these capacity-building projects are critical to nonprofit organizations and why the Foundation supports them. We wish them continued success.

CAPE COD 2020: A NEW VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY
The Vision 2020 initiative is part of the Foundation's civic leadership strategy to make our community stronger. We are actively building discretionary funds to strategically and significantly impact two areas of the Cape: Youth Development and Nonprofit Organization Capacity-Building.  Our goal in funding capacity-building initiatives is to help  nonprofit organizations reach the next level of operational, programmatic, financial or organizational maturity. We also invest in nonprofit leadership development opportunities, partnerships with broad regional impact and projects that bring vital, shared resources to the nonprofit community. 

If you would like to be part of this vision, please contact: 
Kristin O'Malley, President and CEO 
508.790.3040 or [email protected]

 
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