Acknowledging Time as a Resource

The Patterson Foundation (TPF) has many unique approaches with metaphors or analogies to support these, known internally as TPF-isms. I recently completed a project requiring me to get creative with how I thought about TPF-isms. When finalized, this project was a six-page memo serving as a deep dive into TPF initiatives, values, and impact to set the stage for TPF's Governing Board Budget Package. In recent years, as Fellows have received the opportunity to use creative writing in preparing this memo, there have been themes chosen to amplify the messaging.

John Ferguson, TPF Fellow 2020/21, prepared a report with a Zoo theme. Readers saw the initiatives take the shape of elephants, zebras, and alligators as a way to capture the size, focus area, and connectivity of each.

Connor LaGrange, TPF Fellow 2021/2022, prepared a report with a gardening and growth theme with insight from the 2022 TPF Immersion. Again, readers can connect with TPF initiatives' scope through comparison to pruning, harvesting, and watering.

With these great examples and knowledge of many TPF-isms, I began first thinking of TPF 5s and how these could connect and build upon describing initiative impact. However, as I started typing, I decided to dig a little deeper. Writing this memo allowed me to be creative and let my voice shine as I described much of the work I've seen throughout the past year. One of the common sayings at TPF is, "Time is our most valuable, non-renewable resource." I've known this to be true before my time at TPF, during my fellowship, and it will certainly be true as I pursue the next stage in my professional journey. When I began typing again, I knew this was the right TPF-ism to guide the memo and showcase my voice.

I hope you will find a few moments to visit my piece, "Illuminating TPF's Legacy: Reflections & Looking Ahead." Throughout the pages, beautifully crafted by Stacy Sternberg to represent the changing phases of a day, you will learn more about TPF's initiates and values, but I also hope this messaging encourages acknowledgment that time is a gift, and we each have a unique responsibility to use it intentionally.