Project Redwood’s latest round of grant reviews (grant cycle eight for anyone counting) was a real record breaker! We are supporting more projects this year, 13 (a new lucky number), and distributed our highest funding level to date; a total of $262,600. In addition, we gave $10,000 to again support the efforts of Stanford’s Design for Extreme Affordability program (fondly referred to as the d.school).

Kudos to the entire partner base for the financial support that made this possible. And, another nod to the board who works diligently to manage the entire process and keep the rest of us in line. But, it’s the project sponsors who are on the front line, connecting our collective good intentions and monies with deserving grantees.

So, I wondered about what being a sponsor is all about. First, a few facts about the Grant Cycle eight sponsor class:

• 16 classmates are sponsors this year, almost double the number we have had in the past.
•  There are 10 sponsors who “re-upped” this year. Consider them the pros. For most, they remain involved with projects that are making great progress and have earned our continued support. To those folks we all owe big thanks, and that’s a call out to Bill Westwood, Ann McStay, Kirk Renaud, Ken Inadomi, Dave Blenko, Jorge Fernandez, Rick Agresta, Kristi Smith-Hernandez, Jon Hamren, and Martha Parry Clark.
•  There are also several other classmates taking on this role for the first time. Welcome to sponsorhood (or whatever you call it) to Amy Minella, Mary Pruiett, Rich Jerdonek, Connie McCann, Gail Schulze, Bill Barnum and Kermit Eck.
• Several classmates, among them Randy Blair, Kristi Smith Hernandez, Martha Parry Clark, Jorge Fernandez, Mike Watt and Phil Jonckheer also provide ongoing support to the Stanford d.school and its students efforts to develop prototype products that also help alleviate poverty.

As to what does a sponsor do; well, for starters, he or she makes a commitment to devote more time and energy to Project Redwood and a specific grantee. Initially, they help a prospective grantee navigate through the application and review process. Once a project is approved, they typically find themselves more involved in advising on operational issues. And, as each grant cycle winds down, sponsors help grantees complete a final report and project assessment. Along the way, most sponsors find themselves quickly becoming something of an expert on the grantee and its local market. So, it’s no surprise to hear that many of them end up making a site visit to the project and gain incredible firsthand experience. (Note: Consider this a blatant plug to check out some of the earlier blogs on the Project Redwood site and read some amazing stories of these visits.)

Now…why become a sponsor? Right away, everyone talks of their passion for Project Redwood. In saying that, they refer both to the opportunity to get closely involved with a meaningful project and the opportunity to collaborate with classmates they know, respect and like. It’s gratifying to use those GSB skills and a lifetime of experiences to directly shape how programs can alter the effects of extreme poverty. And, as many of us transition to a new life stage (do I dare call it retirement or merely a reinvention of a busy life?), there is now more time and energy to devote to such a good cause.

For many, there are also highly personal motivations….

Sponsors like Jorge Fernandez and David Blenko find their professional pursuits lend themselves nicely to Project Redwood efforts. David, as Chief Governance Officer of Hope Worldwide, is leading another project for HOPE Worldwide, this time in Bolivia. Jorge has been in the water industry for many years and brought Compatible Technology International to our attention. He wanted his “intimate knowledge of global water issues (lack of clean drinking water and related health problems) to help a program succeed in addressing this basic poverty dimension. Personal satisfaction comes from contributing my skills to create opportunities for grantee improvement and participating in a program that is growing.”

Rick Agresta has found a way to combine Project Redwood with his long-running personal involvement supporting high risk inner city students in New York. As he describes it, Cristo Rey New York High School is a “worthy grantee with whom I have been involved for several years.” Tapping Rich Jerdonek as a co-sponsor, Rick added that he “hopes a grant reflects our appreciation for the successful model they have created for lifting kids out of poverty and on to becoming net benefactors to society.”

For Martha Parry Clark, reconnecting with an old college friend led to her involvement with Haitian Educational Initiatives; a sponsorship role she has held for three years now. “I was so impressed by what she was doing. It felt like a natural fit with Project Redwood; the personal connection to the founder was the initial motivating factor, but I have continued because I have come to believe deeply in the merit of its work.”

Amy Minella, never one to sit still for long, recently retired and was ready to take her involvement in Project Redwood beyond the financial contributions she has always made. Our projects have fulfilled her desire to include international efforts in her philanthropic portfolio, and she loved the idea of being more hands-on with her investment. So when asked to get involved with miraclefeet and support its expansion into Tanzania, she quickly agreed.

Mary Pruiett is Amy’s co-sponsor. A founding partner and long involved in grant reviews and project support, this year the stars all aligned to set her up for this new role. As she explained, “After several years’ active participation in both grant review and project support, I understand the importance of lining up help from other classmates.” So, when Jim Patell (yes, that Jim Patell from our GSB accounting days) suggested that the founder of miraclefeet contact Project Redwood, and it turned out that she lived in the same zip code as Mary, “everything all just fell into place.”

A project with strong roots at the GSB is what motivated Kirk Renaud to step into a second sponsor role (his first project was during the initial grant cycle to support Playpumps). To him, “Earthenable healthy floors was a perfect project for us to support; it was born at the GSB and led by a passionate GSB alum willing to move to Rwanda to make her vision a reality.”

These are just a few of the stories motivating our classmates….funny how so many of them connect Project Redwood’s mission with their personal lives and activities. How cool is that! We’ll share more stories in coming months. And, if you have your own story and personal passions to bring to Project Redwood, let us know.

Maybe there is a sponsor role in your life…..