In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, a 30-year veteran of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Dr. West-Scantlebury shares her powerful journey, from a 7-year-old who knew things could be better to a leader committed to shifting power and changing systems.
She offers essential wisdom for anyone looking to make a lasting impact. You'll learn what truly sets successful candidates apart in mission-driven work—it's not just about what you've done, but how your unique skills and lived experiences will move the mission forward. Dr. West-Scantlebury reminds us that you don't need permission to do good and that in a world full of challenges, there's only one path forward: “See something, make something happen.”
For Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury, CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and 30-year veteran of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors, successful candidates succinctly articulate how their contributions will advance the mission. Candidates with staying power join the sector with a social justice heart and are not driven by ego. They are self-aware of their own power, biases and growing edge to serve the mission instead of their individual needs. The best interviewees are those who get to know the organization before the interview and understand how the role they are applying for is pivotal to the organization. They ask questions that are thoughtful and curious, not to impress but to truly understand the work and the people it impacts. They include their accomplishments as well as their lived experience to showcase how they will use their skills and perspective to further the mission.
As early as age 7, Dr. West-Scantlebury – then she went by Sherece and was unimpressed with the broken playground, among other things in her neighborhood – knew things could be better. She started her career in policy and advocacy and grew to become an influential nonprofit and philanthropic executive. After thirty years in the non-profit and philanthropy sectors she knows that lasting change requires a shift in power that leads to a change in systems that hold back the disenfranchised. Listen in to hear about her impactful journey which began in housing advocacy and led her to becoming the founding CEO of the Foundation for Louisiana, the current CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and a founding board member of the Women’s Foundation of the South. She shares more about the policies and systems that affect housing, how underinvestment in communities is a policy choice that spans generations and how people working 2-3 jobs are still economically insecure. Insights from her journey will benefit anyone interested in joining the sector.
Looking at the sector as a whole. At this moment, Dr. West-Scantlebury encourages those new to the sector not to be deterred by the current chaos. In addition to providing necessary services in our communities, the nonprofit sector is a notable portion of our local economies.
She reminds listeners that you do not need permission to do good, to impact systems and to positively impact change. As she puts it, there is only: “see something make something happen. Instead of complaining about the change you want, be the change you want it to be.”
In the future she hopes to see funders and nonprofits working together as co-creators where funders build trust with grantee partners so they are comfortable with community-defined impact and make unrestricted, multi-year gifts. She wants to see nonprofits being leaders instead of lagging behind when it comes to technology or innovative ways of work. This requires that all in the sector hone their craft; she encourages listeners to read, A LOT…alot, alot, and make regular space for thinking and planning.
