News

Community challenges can spring up quickly. When an urgent need arises, the typical speed of philanthropy isn't always effective in addressing it. Recently, the Community Innovation team was able to make an accelerated grant to help tackle one such pressing situation.

The Bush Foundation awarded the 2018 Bush Prize for Community Innovation to six organizations with track records of making great ideas happen. 

The Bush Foundation has selected 41 organizations to receive Ecosystem grants, which provide general operating support to help sustain organizations that create unique and significant value for our grantees, Fellows and other organizations.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about one of the most overlooked characteristics necessary for problem solving: courage. When I look at this year’s group of Bush Prize winners, I’m overwhelmed by how brave they are to take on enormous problems and do it in a way that is full of vulnerability and partnership.

The Bush Foundation is nonpartisan. We do our work, however, in a partisan world. We recognize this in our focus on community problem solving. We recognize that solving problems in our communities requires working across political difference. And like working across any kind of difference, this requires truly understanding what we believe and why.

Published 2018

This year at bushCONNECT, I shared some thoughts on how change happens. I’ve done a lot of research the past couple of years on successful examples of social change. There are examples all around us all the time. We often don’t even notice them, much less learn from them.

Published 2018

Meet the 40 organizations working to make art and culture central to problem solving.

One of the challenges of making institutions and systems work better for everyone, is that the people who rise to leadership tend to be people who thrive in those environments. When an institution worked well for you, it is harder to see the ways it may not work for others. It is harder to see what needs to change to make it work well for everyone.

Published 2018

We talk a lot at the Bush Foundation about how you don’t have to have a “leadership role” to be a leader. You can lead from anywhere. It is a bit more awkward to talk about the corollary truth, which is that just because you have the “leadership role” doesn’t mean you are leading.

Published 2018

The question of timing when you apply for the Bush Fellowship falls into three main areas: space for your growth, knowledge and connections, and a deep understanding of what you need to grow as a leader.