A Vision of Caring Leadership
At the heart of our work at the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities lies a simple yet profound vision: “We imagine a society where leaders have the skills and courage to care.” This vision is not merely a statement; it’s an aspiration that fuels our purpose. We are committed to fostering a world where each leader, irrespective of their sector, leads with empathy, authenticity, and a deep sense of care.
Our belief is firm: leadership is less about authority and more about service and care. We’ve dedicated countless hours to creating transformational learning experiences that equip individuals with the necessary skills to lead with care, empathy, and authenticity.
Changing The World, One Relationship At A Time
While fully understanding our exponential impact may be challenging, we can celebrate the work we’ve accomplished with our partners and alumni. Our mission is not just about words and ideas, but tangible, transformative action. Using geographic information from our alumni database, we’ve plotted a map showcasing the Chapman Foundation’s widespread impact on communities across the United States. But this data tells us much more than just numbers and locations.
It tells us that we have been a beacon of hope, an engine of change, and a catalyst for progress. We have demonstrated that caring leadership can indeed bring about transformational change within our families, workplaces, and communities. With every leader we inspire and every relationship we improve, we get one step closer to our envisioned society.
Today, we stand more confident than ever in our potential for even greater contributions to the world. We have the people, the passion, and the potential to create a future that aligns with our vision – a world where leaders have the skills and courage to care.
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But don’t take our word for it, see what these participants had to say.
““My key takeaway from (Our Community Listens) would have to be reflective listening and understanding the value of listening more and speaking less. It allows (the other person) to feel like a human being, to be heard, and isn’t that what we all want? What I really hope is to see an army of people who can communicate better and spread the word across the community. I love every interaction I’ve ever had with the Chapman Foundation.””
– Erin Wojkiewicz
Assistant Vice President in Learning & Development Capital Credit Union Green Bay, WI
““If you think about conflicts that people have, most of those conflicts happen because of poor communication. So if you can understand your own style (of communication), be a better listener, and have skills to work through conflict; who wouldn’t want to take that class?””
– Maureen Donker
Mayor of Midland, MI
““I would tell any leader of any organization that’s working to benefit their community, nonprofits or otherwise, that oftentimes, we get so focused on working out in the community that we forget to pay attention to the essentials of building a culture that is self-sustaining, that is nurturing of people’s gifts, skills and abilities. Sometimes, we’re so busy working outside the organization that we fail to listen to one another, build the skill sets to have effective communication with one another, to share with one another clearly. We have found the Chapman Foundation courses to be really essential in building that kind of culture among our team, which makes us that much more effective in the work that we do out in the community as well. And so it builds skill sets within our team that we can share and use together as we build our own sense of teamwork.””
– Bill Stanfield
CEO of Metanoia Charleston, SC
