CEO Newsletter - September 2023
By LaKisha Deon 9-19-2023
Unleashing A Sprit of Generosity
This month 4Tucson is launching a beta test to see if we can assist in sparking a spirit of generosity throughout the Christian community in Tucson, generosity in labor, influence, and expertise. This summer we asked God, “How we can see the vision You blessed 4Tucson to carry lived out in 2023? How can we see a city aligned with God’s ways so that His peace and prosperity are experienced by ALL GENERATIONS?”
He responded, “Demonstrate generosity with your labor, influence, and expertise.”
We replied, “Alright, that’s broad, God. How do we do that?” Over the next few months God began to reveal how to complete His response.
Building A Lasting Legacy
This Thursday, September 21st 7:30 – 9:00 am
Free Breakfast
Fueling a Spirit of Giving in our Community
Earlier this year, our staff began praying for ways to fulfill needs within our philanthropy and social services domains. Early in this prayer journey, we were blessed by a generous donor who wanted to help 4Tucson with fundraising. After several conversations about the expectation of the gift, the donor and I agreed to use their gift to help meet the need to unite and mobilize individuals seeking to leave a legacy in our community. As a result, his monetary gift will affect change that is aligned with 4Tucson’s vision and mission. Our donor’s desire is to see a city aligned with God’s ways by pairing people who serve with people who have resources. His gift will pave the way for 4Tucson to support God’s Kingdom in Tucson, which will leave a lasting legacy that extends beyond the value of a dollar.
How can we connect people with a servant’s heart and a love for our city to a nonprofit who shares their same passions?
Over Food of course!!
We invite you to the Building a Lasting Legacy breakfast to connect your heart to give of your LIFE – labor, influence, finances, and expertise – to local ministries and missionaries serving in Tucson.
God is stirring something great in our city and 4Tucson has had the pleasure to witness His goodness firsthand by connecting organizations with a need to organizations with the supply. We have also witnessed the struggles they encounter when their basic needs are not met, due to a lack of resources or awareness. 4Tucson would like to bless our Legacy Breakfast guests
with opportunities to hear of ways to give back outside of monetary gifts. You will hear from our esteemed speakers, Russ Crosson and Tim MacDonald.
Housing Taskforce Delegation to Austin, TX
In 2019 after viewing a video documenting a city solution for serving the homeless community in Austin,TX, 4Tucson’s leadership began to study and research various solutions occurring is several cities across our nation. God presented us with opportunities to meet with key city leaders, and to pick their brain on how they serve the unhoused and how they found solutions for their low housing inventory that faced so many of the nation’s cities.
In August 2022, 4Tucson was invited to participate in a Housing Co-Creation Forum in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Our trip was fully funded from a generous national donor. This donor’s desire is to help cities develop sustainable bottom-up solutions to city issues across the nation. They seek out organizations with a model for collective community impact with the capability and capacity to be the backbone organization that pulls together entities desiring to work in collaboration with one another.
In Florida, we experienced a true collaborative learning lab in partnership with individuals ranging from the Education, Business, Government, and Social Services domains. 4Tucson and one other organization were the only faith-forward nonprofits in the room. Over the course of three days Elizabeth Wilson (4Tucson’s City Research) and I were emersed in conversations on five different project solutions. 50 expert practitioners across the states joined as the brain trust for the Housing Co-Creation Forum. We gathered in a free flow discussion around organizations who have implemented sustainable solutions in their community. Each project was different from the other. All projects could potentially have a piece of a workable solution in Tucson.
As staff at 4Tucson, we approach every identifiable systemic issue that threatens the peace and prosperity of our neighbors with a posture of humility. We know that we do not have the answers. We know that God tasks us to research and define the issue while maintaining humility and a growth mindset for solution generating.
We lean into our culture’s core values of collaboration, partnership and unity when researching city issues. We are guided by our principles, such as these: “Data Driven and Accountable for Results;” “We do things together for best practices and influence;” and “God has answers if we ask.”
During our time in Florida when we were observing other successful city solutions from across our country, we noticed there was something very unique with the implementation teams serving each city. Every team member had distinct points of view they examined the issue. Team members represented different domains within their city. Each person displayed a level of humility with the knowledge that separately they do not have the answer. Together, though,
they are united under the cause to serve their city in a specific area, and they can develop sustainable solutions that benefit the city.
The next thing we noticed was that they each saw the value of influence, developing key relationships with every stakeholder. Each member leveraged their spheres of influence to promote bottom-up solutions at every stage of the project. We learned that teams such as these produce the most effective community impact. It is because of this that 4Tucson spent the last four years developing relationship with various partners locally and nationally as we venture out to discover sustainable housing solutions for our city.
As a result next week we are taking a delegation to observe and learn a potential solution in Austin, TX with our friends at the Community First Village. Thanks to generous donors, 4Tucson was able to cover the majority of our costs for the non-profit leaders and pastor joining us. It was our goal that the cost of this trip was covered by partners who desire to see a city aligned with God’s ways. The generosity of our donors assisted in lowering the financial burden to 4Tucson and the learning partners.
To learn more about the Housing Delegation Trip and ways to support the group in prayer and finances, click here for more information. We are still seeking to raise $3000 to cover the remainder cost for the trip. Will you consider partnering with us?