As a VC, I have the opportunity to build relationships with people who have tremendous financial resources and connections. I often hesitate to ask my network to support philanthropic causes, because I want to respect our business relationship. After seeing the devastating impact of COVID-19 on our community in Vail, Colorado, however, I decided it was time to ask.
I invited four Vail nonprofits to present to my network. I’m sharing the recording of the event in hopes that it will inspire others to leverage their connections for good. I organized this event prior to George Floyd’s death, but I think this idea can easily be translated to support efforts to achieve racial equality. I am thinking about how I might implement that myself and welcome any of your ideas or opportunities for collaboration.
The presenting organizations are below.
Eagle Valley Community Foundation (link to donate)
Eagle Valley Behavioral Health (link to donate)
The Vail Valley Foundation COVID-19 Community Response Fund (link to donate)
Walking Mountains (link to donate)
I learned far more than I expected from this presentation. Here are just five of my takeaways:
Despite these dire statistics, I also heard many signs of hope in the presentation. You can hear more in the podcast episode.
Thanks for listening.
While holidays are designed to help people rest, I almost always feel exhausted after them. I’ve started to take a completely different approach. Especially if you are a type A entrepreneur, this approach may work for you, too.
Read more ➞I receive far more requests for help than I can possibly fulfill. I am much better at saying no than I used to be, but it is something I am still working on. A friend recently modeled how to say no in a way that was actually more helpful than a yes. I’m going to try her approach going forward.
Read more ➞Asking for a referral can be a delicate request to make, so I am sharing some tips on how to ask for them.
Read more ➞I have been asking for feedback more than usual. I have found that I receive better feedback when I share some context upfront. In case this will help you when you ask for feedback, here is what I've been sharing.
Read more ➞