Luz Vega-Marquis - Ask, Listen, ACT: A New Model for Philanthropy

More Praise for Ask, Listen, Act

Twenty years ago, Luz blew into my life with her deep compassion, amazing creativity, and heart the size of a washtub. She stood philanthropy on its head, asking grantees what they needed rather than telling them what they needed. This book about her incredible life is a must-read.

Representative Pat Schroeder, Colorados 1st District (19731997)

Over the course of her forty-year career, Luz Vega-Marquis has charted her own path in philanthropy by taking her lead from low-income communities of color. Now, as those communities face unprecedented challenges, she offers an urgent mandate for philanthropy to return to its roots in the love of humanity, support for grassroots organizing, and the necessity of developing new leaders, especially women of color. Anyone whose life or work has been touched by philanthropyand everyone who has confronted poverty, racism, or inequalityshould read this book.

Dorian Warren, president of Community Change

Luz Vega-Marquis is a bold leader who joined philanthropy with a vision to reinvent it. Her journey from a Nicaraguan village to becoming the first Latinx leader for a large philanthropy shows why reflective leadership matters. This book is a must-read for anyone who cares about racial and economic equity.

Nichole June Maher, president and CEO, Group Health Foundation

Luz Vega-Marquis taps into her immigrant background and the struggles of her family, channels her experiences in social justice, and asserts deep and meaningful listening and engaging of community leadersto lift a new way forward for organized philanthropy. Her message: if philanthropy is to be successful in addressing structural inequality, remember that heart, courage, storytelling, and humility will carry far more impact value than intellectual rigor and clever analysis.

Robert K. Ross MD, president and CEO of the California Endowment

Ever since I met Luz about fifteen years ago I became enthralled by her personal story of womanhood, activism, and leadership. I asked her to talk about herself more often but Luz said no, the attention needed to be on working families. I am thrilled that now Luz has finally shared her story of power-hood with the world. On many occasions I would ask myself what would Luz do? This book provides many answers and lessons. Luz taught me, and this book reinforces, the concept of power and humility existing in leadership at the same time.

Maria Hinojosa, anchor and executive producer, Latino USA on National Public Radio

In this timely new book, Luz Vega-Marquis shares her powerful personal story and shines a light on Americas working families and their struggle for survival and empowerment in a time of rampant inequality. By highlighting the growing family movement to achieve voice, power, and policy change, Vega-Marquis challenges policymakers and philanthropic leaders to address systemic inequality, now.

Jess G. Chuy Garca, U.S. Representative for Illinoiss 4th District

Luz Vega-Marquis is the founding president and chief executive officer of the Marguerite Casey Foundation. She is the founder of Hispanics in Philanthropy and has served on numerous boards of directors. She lives in Seattle, Washington. This is her first book.

ASK, LISTEN, ACT

ASK, LISTEN, ACT

A NEW MODEL FOR PHILANTHROPY

LUZ VEGA-MARQUIS

JACQUES BOOKS

Bottom row, left to right: Luz Vega-Marquis in the arms of her mother Susana Vega Solorzano, sister Claudia, father Octavio Vega Pasquier. Top row, left to right: brother Eduardo, cousin Elena, sister Belkys. Photo taken in Rivas, Nicaragua. Photo courtesy of the author.

To low-income families all over this country who are working toward a better life for themselves and their communities

To my dear family:

My loving parents and siblings. I was blessed to be born in Rivas, Nicaragua, an abode of love and the best town in the world

Dr. Bill Marquis, my soulmate and sweet husband, mi amor

Andres Vega, my rock and precious son, and Divina, my lovely daughter-in-law

My beautiful granddaughtersAmanda, Alynna, and Adrianaand my precious grandson Andres Bret, whose love keeps me young and who I pray will live in a safer, more just and loving world

Traveler, your footsteps are the road, and nothing more; traveler, there is no road, the road is made by walking.

Caminante, son tus huellas el camino, y nada ms; caminante, no hay camino, se hace camino al andar.

Antonio Machado

Contents

by Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski III

Foreword

DR. FREEMAN A. HRABOWSKI III

I first saw Luz in a hotel elevator, though I did not know who she was at the time. It was 2001, and the Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF) board was holding one of its first meetings. The woman in the elevator impressed me as someone who was friendly and yet clearly on a mission. I could tell she was preparing for something important.

Several minutes later, as I sat in the board meeting, to my surprise, she entered the room and was introduced as Luz Vega-Marquis, a candidate for the foundations CEO position. Although I had not met her in person before, we had studied her professional background and we had talked with her references. Everyone had said what we quickly found to be true: Luz understood our mission and was intensely committed to poor families. She brought impressive professional experience in philanthropy and demonstrated a deep understanding of what families of color and poor people experience in America every day. Shortly after that meeting, the board voted unanimously to invite her to lead the foundation. As impressive as she was, none of us could have imagined how transformative her visionary leadership would be.

Ask, Listen, Act weaves together two special stories. The first describes the journey of a Nicaraguan child who came to this country at the age of thirteen. Frightened, separated from her parents, she was unaware of the numerous challenges she would experience as a Latina immigrant growing up in America. She describes her experience sharing a bunk bed with five of her siblings, and she tells us what it was like having to leave her food desert neighborhood to walk to Safeway and back, struggling for two hours on the return trip carrying bags of groceries. One teacher told her she would fail in life. Another teacher believed in her and helped her attend college. All of these experiences, combined with a strong education, are at the center of her development as a leader. Luz understands the devastating impact of poverty on children and families. At the same time, she knows the importance of family. She has always found strength from her parents, siblings, and extended family and now her husband, children, and grandchildren. Family is at the center of her life.

The second story chronicles the evolution of a foundation, the crafting of its vision, and the development of a new model for philanthropy. In developing MCFs approach, Luz and her colleagues led a series of listening sessions in communities across the nation. The lessons they brought back from these sessions shaped our philosophy and strategies for working with families. That approach involves asking, listening, and then acting based on the experiences and voices of the families. Our belief in families and their ability to know what they need is at the core of the foundations philosophyunderstanding that supporting children means investing in families and attacking poverty.