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Reflections on Independence
Winter 2004 In This Issue:
 As 2004 winds to a close, we at REDF have been reflecting on just how full, rich, and rewarding a year it has been for us. On January 1 we became an independent 501(c)(3) organization; though we have supported social enterprise using a highly-engaged approach since 1997, our work was conducted under the umbrella of a family foundation until this year. Our first year of independence has been a busy one — in 2004, our accomplishments include:
 Our independence came hand in hand with a brand new opportunity to engage new investors in our work, and I’m delighted to share that so far this year, we’ve received the generous support of 34 foundations and individuals who have joined George Roberts in funding REDF’s proven approach to reducing poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area. With gifts from major foundations including Hewlett, Packard and Rockefeller, as well as from individuals, corporations and family foundations, we have been able to diversify our funding base, increase the ways in which the local and national philanthropic communities can be involved in REDF’s work, and continue our commitment to providing supportive job opportunities for those with significant barriers to employment. As a newly independent nonprofit, we’ve also had the chance to create a Board of Directors from scratch. It’s rare for an experienced organization to have this opportunity, and we’ve dedicated much thought to building the most appropriate board structure, composition, and processes that will best serve REDF’s needs now and in the future. Please see below for more details about our newest member, Talbott Simonds, who joined us this Fall. Even with such change afoot at REDF this year, several critical elements remain constant: we continue to be committed to creating opportunities for individuals to move out of poverty, through employment in social enterprises. We believe that our grants to our portfolio organizations are most effective when paired with business assistance and access to tools that build their own capacity to serve people in need. We are as committed as ever to measuring the effects of our work. And we feel certain that the five nonprofits we currently support are doing an outstanding job of restoring opportunity, dignity, and hope to those individuals in our community who need it the most.Talbott Simonds Joins REDF’s Board of Directors
We’re delighted that this Fall, Talbott Simonds joined George Roberts (Chair), Stuart Davidson (Secretary/Treasurer), and Kristen Burns (President) on REDF’s inaugural Board of Directors. Talbott is the Director of Tondern Capital, the New York affiliate of The Hillman Company. He has worked with early-stage companies at Trident Capital in Palo Alto, California and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in June. Talbott has served on the boards of Juma Ventures and SMART(Schools Mentoring And Resource Team) in San Francisco. He currently acts as an advisor to New Sector Alliance and RISE (Resources for Indispensable Schools and Educators) and is a founding partner of Social Venture Partners Bay Area. “REDF’s reach extends far beyond the Bay Area,” says Talbott, “and I was attracted by the chance to become involved with an organization whose lessons and approach can be applied for broad impact. It’s exciting to be part of a well-established organization that is, in many ways this year, also new at the same time.” A New Farber Fellow Opportunity
Know someone with business experience who’d like to spend a year with REDF, helping to move individuals out of poverty? We’re in the midst of searching for our next Farber Fellow — visit our newly redesigned website for more details. REDF In the News
REDF has been featured in several recent publications and online forums, including The San Francisco Business Times, the newly-launched Social Enterprise Reporter, and The Skoll Foundation’s SocialEdge online discussion forum. In Closing
Looking back over the last year at REDF only adds to our reasons to celebrate this season. All of us at REDF wish you much success, happiness, and peace in the new year ahead! Was this forwarded to you? If you would like to become a friend of REDF, please click here to receive regular updates (like this one) about the REDF community. If you would like to be removed from REDF’s distribution list, please email newsletter@redf.org. We’ll miss you, but wish you well!
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