Every Tide Ebbs…
There comes a time for every founder to leave the organization he or she began. When you are the founder, it can be difficult to know exactly when that time is. One’s perspective is always skewed at the top of an organization, and this is especially true with one that is as dynamic and diverse as Tides. For a host of good reasons, I’ve decided to initiate the process of stepping down as CEO of Tides. I expect to move onto new things after the search for a new CEO and a successful leadership transition have come to completion within the next year.
For over thirty-three years, I have lived and breathed this organization. I love very inch of it, and every soul who has contributed to its remarkable success over these years. It is a gift to have been able to work with such concentration and focus for such a long period of time. With that gift, we have achieved some remarkable things.
This is not to say I haven’t made my share of mistakes. I’ve made some doozies. But I’ve been blessed with a fabulous group of mentors who have served on our various boards over this time, and we’ve nurtured a frank, truth-telling relationship that has benefited me, and, I trust, the organization. At times, this has been hard on my colleagues, for whom more support and encouragement might have been welcome. But the occasional nudge from on high has inspired us to stretch and, even more importantly, helped us resist complacency.
Tides is, at its core, a collaborative enterprise. Everything we do is a partnership with dedicated people who care about the world around them. They place trust in us, and, in turn, we work from that trust to construct the very best contributions to sustainability and justice that we can conjure. We have also been able to avoid the organizational ‘calcification’ that so often occurs as organizations grow to scale. Taken as a whole, the Tides enterprise ranks as approximately the 95th largest operating charity in the US. It’s truly hard to believe that that is the case, but the numbers don’t lie. That we have been able to do so while remaining deeply committed to purpose and mission – often in ways that make folks with other sentiments blanch – is beyond wonderful. It is a blessing.
By far the most difficult thing about this transition will be leaving behind such a remarkable and talented staff. They have been the very best of colleagues – pushing the envelope, challenging convention, and creating together this thing we call Tides. This is equally true of our many donors, funders, projects, and tenants – the people with whom we partner in so many ways. They have taken us to places and experiences few might have imagined, and they have done so out of their passions for making this world a little bit better for our collective efforts. My gratitude to them is without measure.
I am looking forward to a next chapter in my life, though its prose has yet to be written. I know it won’t be far from the commitments and passions I’ve been following throughout my life, but maybe I’ll have a few extra minutes to rekindle my squash skills, grow a few grapes, or do an extra trip in the Grand Canyon. If the past is prologue, though, (thank you, William), that may be just a pipe dream. Work when mixed with passion demands much, but returns even more. And that is simply irresistible.
Thank you Drummond for all of the wonderful work these past 33+ years.
Comment by Kim Cranston — November 12, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
Drummond, your work is legacy, your style extraordinary, your heart and passion legendary.
Thank you for all that you are and do.
I can’t wait to see what is next…
Comment by Dana Bass Solomon — November 13, 2009 @ 12:36 pm
Drummond, I think you have had a profound and ultimately immeasurable impact on progressive philanthropy in the US in the past 33 years. I think of the HUNDREDS of initiatives Tides has sponsored; the hundreds of millions of dollars devoted to causes that so often are at the END of most donors’ lists; the millions — millions! — of lives improved by your vision of a place where good progressive ideas could find a home and some hope for funding — by progressive funders who themselves needed some guidance. And you seemed to do so in such respectful and unpretentious ways.
I have been trying for years to figure out how to get you in contention for the MacArthur grants “Genius” awards, because I firmly believe you have had an enduring influence on the way social change and philanthropy work in this country, and without Tides — your innovational vision — we would be bereft of so much good we now take for granted. You materially improved the landscape of the nonprofit world, and I’m not sure many people know this.
On a personal note, the years I worked with TIdes and you in the ’80s were such a rewarding learning time for me. Thanks for showing me what the whole “nonprofit” world is about. Thanks for throwing me in the deep end many times and making me come out with a grant docket that passed your muster. You were a mentor and friend (still are) and only in retrospect have I realized how good a manager and implementer — as well as a visionary — you were. Also, thanks for showing me that Japanese restaurant on Sutter whose name I can’t remember.
I know you feel it’s time to move on and it will hurt your heart in many ways to do so. Best of luck in the transition, and in your future endeavors. Let’s see what the tides bring in.
Thank you.
Dave
“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.”
–Isak Dinesen
Comment by Dave Moffatt — November 16, 2009 @ 7:13 am
Thank you, for building the Tides Center in the Presidio– not an easy task, I know. It is where my organization, the Internet Archive, got its start. The welcoming nurturing environment was crucial at the early stages.
When there was no place at the inn 13 years ago, your organization still found a place for us by temporarily converting a conference room, then helped us get our own buildings in the Presidio.
From one small non-profit, thank you for helping give us a good start.
Onward!
-brewster
brewster archive org
Comment by Brewster Kahle — November 20, 2009 @ 7:50 am
Drummond - You are a clear and level-headed influence for more than a generation of leaders — Thanks for all you have done. Let me know if you ever need more laughter on the river!
Comment by Wendy Wilson — December 2, 2009 @ 6:29 pm