I Am Teresa Younger, President of the Ms Foundation for Women, and This Is How I Work
“At Ms. For Foundation for Women, we believe in a just and secure world in which power and opportunity are not limited to gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age, ”says Teresa Younger, President and CEO of the Foundation. citing a vision statement from a feminist foundation. We spoke to her about her career in philanthropy and public policy, and how she runs the Ms.
Current place of employment: President and CEO of the Ms. Women Fund. Location : Brooklyn, New York. Current computer: Dell laptop. Current mobile device: Pixel 2 XL. One word that best describes how you work: intentionally.
First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.
I grew up in North Dakota and knew more about agriculture than about feminism. But as a lifelong Girl Scout, I always knew I wanted to change the world. Although my professional life has been full of left twists and turns, this value has been a catalyst for my every path.
I was a first-generation student at the University of North Dakota when I dropped out in my third year to work as a nanny in Connecticut. This experience laid the foundation for an understanding of privilege and taught me through experience the profound differences between class and race. When I returned to finish school, I knew I wanted to make an impact on the world.
My first vocation was youth development as a camp director at Morry’s Camp , where I worked to level the playing field for urban youth. My career changed again when I turned to political work as the executive director of the ACLU in Connecticut, with a focus on reproductive rights and juvenile justice. After that, I entered the government and became the executive director of the Connecticut Standing Commission on the Status of Women , which allowed me to fully appreciate the impact of politics on the lives of women.
The last and most recent shift in the world of philanthropy was when I became president and CEO of the first community women’s foundation, Ms. Foundation for Women, established over 45 years ago.
Tell us about a recent work day.
This work is similar to ADHD for a feminist: no two days are alike. One day could be focused on meeting with leaders of charities or corporations, and another day on convening a grantee or talking at a conference about investing in women and girls of color. Or I might be at our Brooklyn office checking if our audit is ready and developing strategies to raise women’s voices during the day and attend a donor cocktail reception before watching Gloria: Life by Night .
50-60% of my work is traveling around the United States, meeting the coolest feminists and activists around the country. These days are always inspiring, but they can also be tiring! Today’s days are full of personal interactions, whether it’s breakfast meetings, keynote speeches, learning opportunities, or meeting in a classroom full of college students. The evenings often end with dinner and strategy discussions on how to promote gender equality and support women of color in the community I sit in.
What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without?
I know I’m not alone in this, but if I lost my phone, I would not know where to go and what to do. Evernote keeps me organized and paperless when I’m in meetings, keeps me on top of everyone and everything with Facebook, and keeps me sane with iHeartRadio filling my ears with the rhythm of life.
How is your workplace arranged?
As soon as you enter my office, you will realize that I am a very visual person. I work surrounded by walls full of feminist art and messages, a map of the United States, a giant calendar, and a picturesque view of the East Side of Manhattan. There are three screens in front of me that are balanced by plants throughout the room to provide tranquility. When it is clean, there is a very intentional feng shui approach!
What’s your favorite shortcut or hack?
I always:
- I unpack my things when I return from a trip, even if I leave again the next day.
- Use the POP meeting agenda as a strategy to ensure that every meeting is intentional and has a clear purpose, purpose, and results.
- Perhaps most importantly, heat the cream before pouring it into the coffee to keep it warm for longer.
How do you keep track of what you need to do?
I have a calendar that takes up an entire wall in my office – this is no exaggeration! I take apart my desk calendar, tape it to the wall each month, and color-coded the days according to my travels, board meetings, fundraising, and speaking opportunities. I make sure to celebrate when my leadership team and everyone I control goes on vacation in the next twelve months. While it’s on my phone too, it’s the key to seeing the whole year in front of me.
Who are the people who help you achieve results, and how do you rely on them?
In order to fulfill our credo of fully trusting women, I am not a micromanagement and believe that the women I work with will be as committed to gender equality, the mission and vision of the foundation as I am. We are a small organization, so we all work together and rely on each other; each has a role to play. I have a highly qualified leadership team that is involved in finance and operations as well as programmatic work, allowing me to be responsible for other areas, from managing the board of directors and fundraising to building relationships and working on the ground with our grant recipient partners. …
How to recharge or relax?
Hikes and walks in the fresh air, whether it is a walk in the park near my apartment or a rare vacation in Alaska.
What keeps me alive and energized every day is that there are other amazing people, each of whom carries a piece of the problems we face. It can be overwhelming to see a patriarchy that constantly denies the bodily autonomy of women, separates children from their parents and loses them in the system, and attacks the bodies of black and brown on a daily basis. But if I do one thing every day, I know that I am doing my part to make a difference.
What’s your favorite side project?
It is a great joy for me to be a Girl Scout leader and student mentor at Ethel Walker School, where I serve as a trustee on the board of directors.
What are you reading now or what do you recommend?
Pushout by Monique Morris, Bad Feminist Roxanne Gay and Eva Ensler’s Apologies .
Can you share the music playlist you’ve created for work or somewhere else?
Who else would you like to see to answer these questions?
Our grantee partners and the Ms. Foundation.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I challenge you to be such a woman that when your feet touch the ground in the morning, the devil says, “Oh shit, she’s already up.”
What problem are you still trying to solve?
In Ms. At Foundation for Women, we believe in a just and secure world in which power and opportunity are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age. We believe that equality and inclusion are the cornerstones of a true democracy that values the value and dignity of every human being.
I believe that in order to realize our vision of the world, we need to fund more organizations led by women and girls across the United States and trust them to find solutions that will help and heal their communities. Building the collective power of women will require the financial commitment of every individual – will you join us in this struggle?