Carrie+Shoda-Sutherland

** Carrie Shoda-Sutherland ** Hawaii Community Foundation Senior Program Officer 808.566.5565 (t) csutherland@hcf-hawaii.org [|www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org]

** Network Work ** My experience with networks has largely been through a W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded initiative, Youth Matters, to strengthen systems that support older youth transitioning to adulthood. In this initiative, HCF has built and continues to support a network of youth serving organizations to develop and implement projects to benefit the overall youth development field in Hawaii. I’ve played multiple roles as funder, convener, and partner to network organizations. Over the last year, this network has transitioned from being funder-led to one that has leadership within its membership.

My other responsibilities include managing the Hawaii Children’s Trust Fund, a fund dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect through grantmaking and public awareness, as well as reviewing competitive grant proposals in HCF’s organizational capacity building program.

** Big Questions ** For Youth Matters, I’d like to learn how to effectively support this existing network. Specifically, how do I balance HCF’s desire for progress and deliverables with the complexity of network dynamics and collective leadership model? How active/passive is too active/passive for a funder of networks?

In my other work, how do I use what I’ve learned in our network conversations to support the more traditional-style grantmaking in those programs? I’ve made a much more intentional effort to close triangles between grantees and other organizations, but what other actions can I take? Should/how should I have these network-inspired practices infuse the work of other staff in our foundation?

** My Life Beyond Work ** Beyond work, I just basically try to balance a full home life. Married to an elementary school teacher, Duncan, and have two rascal toddlers, Aubrey (4) and Griffin (3). I have become an unwilling expert in kid shows and can easily identify characters like Oswald, Maggie, Geo, Brobee! Love to read fiction during my spare time, to counter all the nonfiction of the workday.