What I did this summer

Jennifer and her intern Lauren "Lo" at an event for Center For Child Counseling.

By Jennifer LaFrance, COO, LaFrance Project

In previous summers, I’ve had the luxury of a little downtime before the season began again. This year was very different, for many reasons.

While Lisa was in Nantucket continuing the LaFrance Project’s mission there, I took on a few new missions of my own here in Palm Beach County. One of them was a summer series I called Pass the Mic.

The concept was simple: I would interview a nonprofit, and at the end of the conversation, they would choose the next nonprofit for me to interview. There was only one caveat: the organization they chose could not be one the LaFrance Project already supported.

I wanted to put the power in the hands of the nonprofits.

I believe that far too often, funders and large grant-making organizations overlook some of the nonprofits doing truly exceptional work in their communities. There can be any number of reasons why, they may be smaller, less visible, have fewer resources for marketing and development, or simply haven't found their way into the right rooms yet.

But do you know who often knows exactly who is doing great work? Other nonprofits.

So instead of deciding who I thought I should meet, I wanted to learn from them. I wanted the people doing the work every day to tell me, “You need to know this organization.”

Because as funders, we should always be learning. We should be listening to the people closest to the work, not assuming we already know where the best work is happening.

And learn I did.

Through Pass the Mic, I was introduced to some wonderful nonprofits I had never been aware of and had the opportunity to get to know others I knew by name but had never truly understood. Each conversation expanded my knowledge of our nonprofit community and, in many ways, reinforced why Lisa and I created the LaFrance Project in the first place.

Sometimes the most valuable thing a funder can do isn’t speak. Sometimes, it’s to pass the mic and listen.

Then I took on an intern.

Originally, the idea was simple: I needed some help with the technology I had been using. As we all know, the younger generation is far more comfortable with technology than many of us, they have practically grown up with it from the crib. I thought I knew exactly what Lauren would bring to the table.

What I didn’t realize was what I would get out of the experience.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed passing along what I have learned and, even more importantly, how rewarding it is to watch someone from the next generation become genuinely excited about philanthropy and nonprofit work.

Lauren has now been with me for three months, and the growth I have seen in her has been remarkable. It is a testament not only to how she was raised, but also to her willingness to listen, learn, ask questions and step outside of her comfort zone.

She has attended meetings with me, accompanied me to events and interacted with nonprofit leaders and members of the philanthropic community. If you met her in one of those settings, I am quite sure you would never guess her age. She carries herself with confidence and professionalism, and she has even attended a philanthropic event on her own, something that made me incredibly proud.

But perhaps what has meant the most to me is seeing her begin to understand philanthropy as something much bigger than simply giving money away. She is learning about relationships, community, responsibility and the importance of showing up.

I started this internship thinking Lauren was going to teach me a few things about technology. Instead, she reminded me how much I love teaching, mentoring and sharing what I have learned with someone who genuinely wants to absorb it.

And she has given me something else as well: hope.

Hope that the next generation will not simply continue the tradition of generosity and philanthropy, but will take what generations before them have learned, make it their own and ultimately surpass us.

Maybe that was another lesson from my summer: sometimes you bring someone in to teach you, only to discover how much you still have to teach and how much you can learn from each other.

Lastly, I stepped even further outside my comfort zone and filmed two podcasts: Get Wealthy With Me and The Authenticity Journey. Both gave me the opportunity to talk about philanthropy, the LaFrance Project, my story and some of the lessons I have learned along the way.

But perhaps the most important thing I did this summer had nothing to do with the LaFrance Project.

I took a little time for myself.

I got back in the water. I dove again.

Thank you, Diane.

It was something I had not done since my health issues began, and if I’m being truthful, the reentry has not been easy. There were moments when my body reminded me that things are different now. But different does not mean impossible.

The best things in life are often hard. And if there is one thing I have proven to myself over the years, it is that I can do hard things.

Looking back, maybe that is what this summer was about. I listened. I learned. I taught. I stepped outside my comfort zone. I met new people, discovered new organizations, mentored someone from the next generation, told our story in new ways, and somewhere in the middle of all of that, I reclaimed a little piece of myself.

I went diving again.

So, another season in Palm Beach is upon us, and instead of wondering what comes next, I find myself genuinely excited about it.

If this summer taught me anything, it is that growth doesn’t always happen according to plan. Sometimes it comes from passing the mic. Sometimes it comes from teaching someone younger than you. Sometimes it comes from being willing to tell your story.

And sometimes, you just have to dive in.

Here’s to the season ahead. I can’t wait to see what’s next.