What If the Best Leadership Move Is Knowing When To Leave? feat. Kate Levin Markel

How long is too long to lead a foundation? In this episode, Glen sits down with Kate Levin Markel, President of the McGregor Fund, to break a fake rule philanthropy rarely talks about: once foundation leaders get the job, there is very little incentive for them to leave. Kate explains why she made herself a promise to step aside after roughly a decade. As she demonstrates, staying too long can lead to stagnation and disconnection from community, while new leadership can expand our view of what is possible.

Kate also shares how McGregor responded when its grant partners faced an increasingly uncertain political environment by doubling their payout from roughly 5% to 10%. For Kate, both decisions come back to the same question: are foundations willing to evolve when the communities they serve need something different from them?

💡Kate Levin Markel: “I think the longer many of us are in these roles, the more disconnected we become from the community we are serving.”

Learn about the McGregor Fund and how it is evolving its grantmaking and leadership to stay responsive to the communities it serves.

Order your copy of Glen’s book, CONTROL: Why Big Giving Falls Short.

Learn about the Stupski Foundation.

Hosts: Glen Galaich

Guest: Kate Levin Markel

Executive Producer: Claire Callahan

Production Team: Podfly

Video Editing: Edith Belmont

Graphic Design: Middle MGMT