Join the Journey

Dear readers,

Of the many gifts our work in philanthropy has given back to us since The Patterson Foundation’s (TPF) inception in 2010, the stories of those strengthened by that work are some of our most cherished. Even more than a decade into our journey as changemakers, we never cease to be humbled and inspired by the personal accounts of the people, organizations, and communities able to turn their aspirations into actions through their participation in TPF’s initiatives and endeavors.

The opportunity to share that inspiration throughout TPF’s network and beyond has long motivated our approach to communications and storytelling. Storytelling provides a relatable way to heighten our collective understanding of the possibilities innovative, strategic philanthropy can bring to life. Finding new avenues to share TPF’s impact stories in authentic, engaging ways, therefore, strengthens our mission to create opportunities for wide participation in shaping our future through this work.

This pursuit has led to the latest evolution of The Patterson Foundation’s approach to storytelling: our new multimedia storytelling platform, entitled Beyond The Blog. In each edition of Beyond The Blog, you will find a collection of videos, podcasts, and other engaging content featuring stories of the people, organizations, and communities strengthened through the Foundation’s work. We will publish a new edition of Beyond The Blog monthly, while our legacy blog will continue to publish the posts readers have come to know and love each week.

Our inaugural edition of Beyond The Blog focuses on illustrating the approach TPF takes to strengthen those with whom we connect, which will lay the groundwork for the impact stories shared in future editions. In this month’s podcast, I had the privilege to sit with TPF Fellow ​​Rachel Hettinger and share my thoughts on how the Foundation works and how our approach continues to evolve. You will read more from Rachel as well as TPF Fellow Kellie Alexander, who have both committed tremendous creativity and dedication toward making Beyond The Blog a reality. TPF’s values and approach to philanthropy are also wonderfully demonstrated in this month’s video, which features a montage of TPF fulfilling its mission in several initiatives throughout our region and the voices of some of those it has strengthened along the way.

We look forward to sharing our stories with you as we begin our journey Beyond The Blog. I encourage you to join that journey by signing up to receive our monthly editions here.

With happy anticipation for the stories to be told,
Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation