Positive Sum

CHAPTER SEVENHOW TO CONQUER ROADBLOCKS AND CONVINCE THE SKEPTICS: STRATEGIES FOR FINDING YOUR WAY TO POSITIVE SUM

Sure I am that this day, now, we are the masters of our fate. That the task which has been set us is not above our strength. That its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our cause, and an unconquerable willpower, salvation will not be denied us.

—Winston Churchill¹

On a typical Tuesday morning in late 2020, I answered the phone. We'd been making great progress with the launch of our new MRI Program, but it was still early days. Every one of its believers was having to defend it, sometimes multiple times a day.

On the other end of the line, the president of another foundation sounded weary. “Roy,” he said, “I need to talk to someone who understands. The CIO just told me to stick to what I know best—grantmaking—and leave the ‘complex’ investment decisions to the professionals.” He paused. I could hear the frustration building in his voice as he went on. “Remember that TV commentator who told basketball players to ‘shut up and dribble’ instead of speaking out on issues that affect their communities? That's what this feels like. Except, in my case, it's ‘shut up and make grants.’”²

While I have been fortunate to work with supportive investment colleagues at Ford, I've heard variations of this story dozens of times from executives at other institutions. Foundation presidents, public pension fund leaders, family office directors, ...