Articles from Our Executive Director
Garden of Brightmoor
Garden of Brightmoor Brown eyes inquiring Beneath barely formed eyebrows Winding to corkscrews of indelicate hair Letting her know she must tend To this emerging mind Emanating from disregarded city streets Forming broken tree limbs from last winter’s storm In the Garden of Brightmoor. Homes stricken with the debris of racism And decay of human compassion Distract from determined women Dedicated to caring…
Gratitude for Lessons Learned and Shared, Part II
The moments when we learn together with our partners create some of the most powerful and impactful tools for us to align around and act upon. Our partners include the family we work with; fellow staff at the Foundation; our professional partners in the field who have dedicated their lives to changemaking; and our neighbors who live closest to the issues we hope to face together,…
Gratitude for Lessons Learned and Shared
The moments when we learn together with our partners create some of the most powerful and impactful tools for us to align around and act upon. Our partners include the family we work with; fellow staff at the Foundation; our professional partners in the field who have dedicated their lives to changemaking; and our neighbors who live closest to the issues we hope to face together,…
Words of support in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis
This time of deep uncertainty has reinforced for us the importance of maintaining strong connections and reaching out to those around you to understand how we can help each other. And so, we are reaching out to you today with words of encouragement and support as we work through this crisis together. To our grant partners: We remain committed to working alongside you throughout…
Douglas Bitonti Stewart Shares His Gratitude for Scott Kaufman
Leadership transitions are happening at an increasing rate throughout our region. With the sheer number of senior leaders in the for-impact sector on the verge of retiring or rewiring their careers, the longer we can hold on to vibrant, engaged, lifelong-learning, humble and optimistic executive directors the more likely we’ll be able to experience durable positive social and environmental impact. At the same time, long-serving…
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation Leaders take Safety Respect Equity Standards to Wall Street
By Douglas Bitonti Stewart and David Warrington As members of the Jewish Funders Network (JFN), we were excited to witness the launch of the Safety Respect Equity (SRE) coalition to ensure Jewish workplaces reflected the highest ethical and procedural standards to prevent sexual harassment and the abuse of inequitable power dynamics. Before signing the commitment and attesting we would meet the standards, we went…
The power of words and the value of listening
In Detroit we talk a lot about the critical value of residents' voices in the region's success. However, what we don't talk nearly enough about is how transformative real listening can be when we're willing to act on what we hear. At the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, a lesson learned while listening to early childhood education leaders in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood…
Rebutting the Case Against Impact Investing
Published March 13, 2019 in The Chronicle of Philanthropy Rebutting the Case Against Impact Investing To the Editor Thanks to Larry Kramer for his critique of impact investing, as it will certainly make the field stronger ("Hewlett Foundation’s Leader Makes a Case Against Impact Investing"). His comments are worth our collective time, and his willingness to listen to all arguments makes his positive intentions…
A New Look & Refined Focus for Fisher
Over the past decade, the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation has granted more than $130 million to partners on three continents. In every impact area, our grant partners are making significant and transformational change in their communities. We feel honored to be a part of their work. With ten years’ of shared experience, we are ready to move onto the next chapter…
Impact Investing and the Development Professional: Learning to Ride the Wave
As he studied the financial report and listened to the executive director describe the need for a loan to upgrade facilities, Phillip scratched his head and frowned at the interest rate being offered by the local bank. The organization had a good history of fundraising, but not at the magnitude that would support both annual needs and this capital expansion. Additional funds were needed.…
