Stories

Introducing Grantee Stories

June 14, 2023

Today we are excited to launch Headwaters’ newest storytelling project: Grantee Stories.  Headwaters’ grantee community is made up of powerful organizers working across the state to build power in communities using…

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I’m a philanthropist and so are you

November 17, 2022

My name is Julie Vo McConnell but many people call me JVo. I am a member of Headwaters’ Development Committee and an alumni of the 2021 Giving Project program.   Participating…

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A Note to Say Farewell and Thank You: Tributaries July 2022

July 27, 2022

As this chapter in my life comes to a close, I have been reflecting on my path to Headwaters and my work over the past eight years. I am filled…

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Whole People, Complex Lives, and What Culture Eats for Breakfast: Tributaries February 2022

February 21, 2022

In mid-January I received an email from one of my staff members. I read and re-read one sentence that stuck out to me: “I feel vulnerable sharing this with you,…

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Resting with Grief: Tributaries December 2021

December 16, 2021

In November, my brother in-law passed away. His death was unexpected. He was young. He meant the world to the people who loved him. Now there is a huge gaping…

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On Stress, Sabbaticals, and Systems Change: Tributaries October 2021

October 19, 2021

“Maria, I don’t have any fight left in me,” my friend told me recently over lunch. She shared the impact that years of organizing and advocating were having on her.…

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What a Tree Taught Me: Tributaries August 2021

August 24, 2021

The tree in my front yard has started to lose its leaves. I learned recently that trees do that to survive drought conditions. A tree drops its leaves to conserve…

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A Learning Year in Review: Tributaries February 2021

February 16, 2021

Inhale through your nose. Pause and count to four. Now, exhale and blow out your breath through your mouth. Notice if your shoulders are bunched up near your ears. Relax…

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Tributaries: November 30, 2020

November 30, 2020

As I write this piece, cases of coronavirus continue to rise, both here in Minnesota and across the country. Like you, I am managing so much uncertainty. My wife, my…

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Tributaries: October 29, 2020

October 28, 2020
White letters against a black backdrop spell out the words "Racism is a pandemic"

Recently, one of my board colleagues at Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice talked about the dissonance she is experiencing between her head knowledge and her heart knowledge. As I listened…

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