What role can community foundations play in solving the challenges facing their communities – beyond important contributions of grant funding? In a new episode of our podcast, Forever Forward, President Isaiah M. Oliver sits down with Mary Thomas, President and CEO of CFLeads, and Rose Bradshaw, President and CEO of the North Texas Community Foundation, to talk about the role of community foundations in community leadership. For the last two years, Isaiah has served as the chair of the board of CFLeads, which represents the country’s national network of community foundations committed to community leadership. The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida recently hosted a meeting of the board here in Jacksonville. “I believe in community foundations – it’s in my DNA,” Mary said. “Once folks hear about the value proposition of community foundations being trusted partners in their own communities, the magic will happen.”
Transcript
Welcome to Forever Forward, the podcast where we explore the people, places, and possibilities shaping the future of philanthropy and community leadership. I’m Isaiah Oliver, President and CEO of The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida, and for the past two years, I’ve also had the privilege of serving as Chair of the Board of CFLeads.
For those unfamiliar, CFLeads is a national network of community foundations working to advance community leadership—helping local philanthropic institutions move beyond grantmaking to tackle the complex challenges facing our communities.
On this episode, I’m joined by two incredible leaders and dear friends: Mary Thomas, President of CFLeads, and Rose Bradshaw, President and CEO of the North Texas Community Foundation and incoming Chair of CFLeads beginning January 1. We just wrapped our CFLeads annual retreat here in beautiful Jacksonville, Florida, and before everyone headed home, we stepped into the booth to have a real conversation about what’s next for CFLeads, for community foundations, and for the broader movement to center community leadership in philanthropy.
So let’s jump in. Mary Thomas, Rose Bradshaw—so excited to have you here with us in Jacksonville. Mary, let’s start with you. Could you talk a little about CFLeads?
Mary Thomas:
Thank you for having us. CFLeads has been around for a little over 20 years. It began after several community foundation leaders came together to consider what role CFLeads could play in shaping the future of community foundations, following the release of the Monitor Institute paper On the Brink of New Promise.
Few people know that CFLeads was originally the Coalition of Community Foundations for Youth, an intermediary organization focused on out-of-school-time programs for young people. That’s when I first became involved—when it was housed at the Kansas City Community Foundation.
After On the Brink of New Promise was released, CFLeads was formed to serve community foundations through a community leadership lens. At that time, community foundations were determining how to move from being charitable banks to being more than grantmakers.
We define community leadership as the work of community foundations acting as partners—anchored in their local place—uniting individuals, institutions, and resources to focus on the critical issues of our time. CFLeads helps build stronger communities by equipping foundations with tools, resources, and peer networks to do their work more effectively.
Every day, we’re energized by helping community foundations deploy all of their philanthropic capital—not just financial, but also social, intellectual, reputational, and moral capital—to do what’s right for their communities.
Isaiah Oliver:
Thank you, Mary. You probably know a little bit about Jacksonville, where you are right now—one million people in the city, two million in the metro area. We serve 13 counties and have been around for about 61 years. My predecessor, Nina Waters, and even her predecessor, Andy Bell, were engaged with CFLeads in one way or another. I’ve been engaged for a number of years, and I’m now rounding out my term as Chair.
If you were to describe CFLeads to our audience, how many community foundations are part of this network, and what benefits does that bring to communities like ours?
Mary Thomas:
I’m glad you mentioned Nina—I actually met her through CFLeads, and she’s been a wonderful friend, mentor, and colleague. We probably have upwards of 300 to 400 community foundations connected to our work in different ways—through webinars, our Executive Leadership Institute, or peer cohorts.
At my former foundation, the Spartanburg County Foundation—the oldest community foundation in South Carolina—we benefited from CFLeads’ Racial Equity Network, which truly transformed how we approached equity in our community. That experience helped diversify our board; at the time, we’d never had a person of color serve. CFLeads helped awaken our board to what we call the “moral imperative” to make the board more reflective of the community it serves.
So, about two or three hundred community foundations engage with us daily. We aim to meet foundations where they are—large or small, rural or urban—because CFLeads is for everyone.
Isaiah Oliver:
We’re honored that The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida is part of that network. And within that network, we also have Rose Bradshaw at the North Texas Community Foundation. Rose, tell us about your CFLeads experience—and what you’re most excited about as you prepare to step into the role of Chair.
Rose Bradshaw:
I sure am—following in the footsteps of Isaiah Oliver! My first experience with CFLeads actually involved Isaiah. Back in 2013 or 2014, I participated in a program for vice presidents and soon met Isaiah. It’s been amazing to watch his leadership.
And I have to tell everyone in Jacksonville—you couldn’t have a better ambassador than Isaiah and his team. They’ve hosted all of us from across the country, representing a wide range of community foundations.
For me, the value of CFLeads begins with the privilege I have at home in Fort Worth: sitting at the intersection of generous people and community leaders who care deeply about our region. When we bring together leadership to solve tough challenges and people with financial resources to fuel solutions, it’s incredibly powerful.
When I gather with peers through CFLeads—under Mary Thomas’s leadership and her wonderful team—we share best practices, strengthen one another, and have a lot of fun. This network helps us lift up what’s working locally and reminds me every time that there’s tremendous hope across America. Things are getting done locally, and when we can help each other accelerate that work, it makes all the difference.
Isaiah Oliver:
Mary, earlier you talked about waking up every day excited to do this work. What gives you hope that CFLeads can truly help community foundations meet the challenges facing our country?
Mary Thomas:
What gives me hope is that we’re working with community foundations that are proximate—they’re close to the people whose lives we’re trying to improve. Our mission is about creating a world where all people can thrive, and CFLeads helps make that possible.
We have the privilege of supporting foundations deeply rooted in their communities. Knowing that our work can help strengthen them at scale—that’s what fuels me every day.
Isaiah Oliver:
Rose, you represent one of those proximate communities. How does CFLeads’ support show up in your day-to-day work?
Rose Bradshaw:
For us, the rubber meets the road locally—and the issues are urgent. CFLeads gives me access to best practices and peer learning that I can bring right back home. We’ve seen real results: improved college and career readiness, progress on maternal mortality, and donors who are more deeply engaged in addressing pressing issues.
I can directly point to my engagement with CFLeads as helping me become more effective. Like Mary, I jump out of bed every morning excited to do this work because I see its impact—and CFLeads is one of the most valuable tools in my tool belt.
Isaiah Oliver:
Mary, could you share a bit about your team? CFLeads staff are based all over the country.
Mary Thomas:
Absolutely. I’m so grateful for our team. We’re 14 strong, representing 11 states across the country. I often describe us as an orchestra—we’re all in harmony, each person playing their role beautifully. We work with community foundations of all sizes and regions, meeting them where they are.
Isaiah Oliver:
Looking to the future, what do you see for CFLeads and its role in the field, Rose?
Rose Bradshaw:
As Mary mentioned, we’re currently reaching two to three hundred community foundations—but there are over 900 in the U.S. There’s so much potential to learn from and support one another. I see an activated network lifting up community voices, driving outcomes, and ensuring every community is thriving—one place at a time.
Isaiah Oliver:
Mary, what are you most excited about as you look ahead?
Mary Thomas:
I’m excited about telling this story to anyone who will listen. I believe deeply in the value of community foundations—they’re in my DNA. Once people understand their role as trusted partners in community transformation, the magic happens.
If you’re talking about community change without involving your community foundation, the journey will be long and hard. But once you engage that local anchor, real transformation begins. Being part of CFLeads and helping to make that happen—it’s incredibly exciting.
Isaiah Oliver:
Well, I just want to take a moment to thank you both—Mary and Rose—for joining us today. I appreciate your gifts of time, talent, and treasure.