It is a pleasure to listen to Dave Ellis, Community Impact Manager at the Greater Twin Cities United Way, talk about how he got started in the field. In this last video in MCF’s “What I Wish I Knew . . .” series, Dave questions whether he got started in the field or if the field started in him. In his long career of working in corrections for the state, Dave had the reputation of being able to make lemonade out of lemons, but he most enjoyed finding funding for innovative programs. He knew that some day, he wanted to be able to “write that check.” As Dave’s long and winding path in the philanthropic sector demonstrates, he says that you need to trust and believe where you are headed, and then just run with it.
Dave says the greatest lesson he learned is that “a bureaucracy is a bureaucracy is a bureaucracy.” Everything has a system and it takes time to change. But Dave also believes there is nothing that can’t be fixed. He encourages funders to be willing to take a chance. Dave thinks that he wasn’t bold enough when he started out, and hopes that new people in the field are more willing to take risks.
Dave doesn’t think that people should think outside of the box. He says, “Don’t believe in boxes”. He feels the sector constrains itself in silos. But, people don’t live in silos, and Dave sees now how the issues that funders are trying to solve are all interconnected. That means that funders not only need to see the big picture, but also that new people in the field need to rely on their connections to their colleagues to be successful in this work. Dave says to listen to “your head, your heart, and your gut. Those things will get you through this.” Thanks, Dave!
View the video of Dave Ellis on Vimeo.
View other videos in MCF’s “What I Wish I Knew . . .” series:
MCF would like to thank these members again for sharing their stories and advice. If you have an idea for another video series featuring MCF members, please contact Stephanie Jacobs at sjacobs@mcf.org.
-Stephanie Jacobs, MCF director of member services
