Beyond a Comeback and Into a Breakthrough

Happy New Year and welcome to the first Foundation Friday of 2021! 

Shifting our mindset

One thing I’ve been hearing from friends, colleagues, and partners is a reference to the first quarter of 2021 as “Quarter 5 of 2020.” This reflects a mindset and state of being that many are feeling – cautious optimism with the recognition that we still have a long way to go.

While we can respect and appreciate this approach, does it really serve us?

People-power is the key

At the Best Year Yet Foundation, our focus goes way beyond a comeback and into a clear vision of a people-powered breakthrough. 2020 had many gifts to give us, including upheavals that required review and innovation, clearing away of some of the old to make room for better and stronger ideas, creativity, and ways of operating that could otherwise have taken decades or more to reach. It also exposed many challenges from our systems and institutions, giving us additional opportunities to stop and think about what was working well, what could work better, and what wasn’t working at all. What became blatantly clear were the gaps where people – our most important and valuable resources – were slipping through.

People are and always have been the key – both those who need our support right now and those driving the solutions.

Last year we shared how the nonprofit community is a powerful platform for innovation, encumbered less by the drive for profit and more about measuring impact in the world. This year, we are doubling down on our commitment to people through:

• Innovations that will help us connect at a human level and improve what have been revealed as points of highest importance in the aftermath of last year.
• Focus on people as the engines of our organizations, our economies, and ultimately, the livelihoods for each of us and our families.
• The next generation of leaders that are driving conversations, new and more effective programs and approaches, and shifts for our communities and our world.

2021 and the breakthroughs ahead

Stepping into the new year, we are excited to share stories from our grantees, groundbreaking innovation from our partners, thought leadership, and opportunities for you all to share in the breakthroughs we know are possible for each other and our planet.

Despite challenges from so many directions last year, the Best Year Yet Foundation continued to build partnerships with other businesses and foundations, launched the Jinny Ditzler Legacy Fund targeting teens and those who serve them, and added multiple new grantees to our roster of clients who are making such an incredible impact all across the globe – the kind that ripples through multiple generations and into the future.

Imagine what we can do moving forward – together – to extend our reach and bring the tools of success to an even wider audience. We hope you’ll reach out and join us in our mission.

And as always, we wish you health, happiness, and prosperity in this new and exciting year.

Aaron Cohen

Executive Director

Best Year Yet Foundation