Looking Back, Moving Forward: Heather Allender

Courtney Wentz, Communications & Marketing Director, spoke with current Executive Director, Heather Allender, to see how the past has influenced our present and will shape our future.

The following transcription has been modified for clarity.

Courtney Wentz: Hello. I'm Courtney Wentz, Communications and Marketing Director at Marietta Community Foundation. Today I am sitting down with Heather Allender, our President and CEO, talking about her time as executive director. So, we are looking back and talking about how we're going to move forward. So, Heather, you recently celebrated your 15th work anniversary. That's really exciting! You first started as an administrative assistant and now you're President and CEO. When you first applied in 2007, what did you think your career path was going to look like?

Heather Allender: Definitely not what it is today. I applied for the position while I was in school. I needed a job. It seemed like an interesting job, but that's all it was. I didn't envision a future at the Foundation, and I didn't think I was going to go into community foundation work or charitable giving. It was all foreign to me at the time. I did not think that it was my path at all.

CW: What did you think your path was going to look like?

HA: I was really interested in psychology. That was something that I stuck to in school, especially the research aspect of it. I was always interested in why people did things the way that they did them or why they did them, period.

CW: Yeah. I think that research is really relevant to what we do anyway. It's relevant in all aspects of our life. At least you get to use that background a little bit!

HA: It is, yes. That's the great thing about psychology — it does touch every aspect of every career. I think psychology is a good base, really.

CW: Yes. So, thinking about your anniversary... 15 years! I know it was on September 10th and that was a Saturday, so none of us were in the office to celebrate, but you still celebrated in a different way. What did you do?

HA: Yes. My daughter now shares a birthday with my work anniversary! I welcomed my second child, Madelyn, on my 15th work anniversary. So that was really unique. I'll never forget her birthday now!

CW: Does having two kids change your perspective of the needs in our community?

HA: I don't know if it necessarily changed my perspective. Being in this line of work, especially for 15 years, you get to know the nonprofits that are here, you have a good handle on the needs in the community. But now that I have kids, I experience some of the local needs first-hand, such as the availability of child care. It’s something I knew was an issue, but actually experiencing it makes it feel a bit different.

CW: That makes sense. So, thinking about how you have grown and developed over these 15 years, are there any big takeaways, or any big life lessons that you've learned throughout this whole time?

HA: I’ve learned a lot. It has been an interesting journey. As I said, initially, this was just a job. I was an administrative assistant. I did not intend on taking anything away from this experience, except for the money that I needed to live. So, when I had the opportunity to really start a career with the Foundation, it was a big decision. The director at the time, Bill Thompson, was a wonderful mentor and I would not be here today without his help. He saw something in me, I suppose, and wanted to nurture that. I remember when he asked me to start a career, to take the next step, to work full time, to become the office manager. And I remember a couple of nights sitting and talking with my fiancé about it since it was such a big decision. Today, looking back at that moment, I'm glad I made the decision to become the office manager. But it's definitely been a learning process. I didn't know anything going into it, except that I didn't want to disappoint Bill because he saw something in me and wanted me to do it. So, I learned everything that I could possibly learn through YouTube videos and resources in the community. There are so many people in this community that helped me at that time, and I'm so, so grateful.

CW: Where do you see the Foundation in the next 15 years?

HA: Well, I hope to still be with the foundation in the next 15 years. I love working with the Foundation. I think that we are the best organization in Washington County. Not that any organization is bad, but I know the impact that we make in the community. We have grown so much in the last 15 years, not just in asset size, but also in staffing. It was a two-person shop for years, and we are now four.

CW: At times, I feel like we could easily be five.

HA: Absolutely. We could probably be six or seven! We’ve grown in so many different ways. We've become more sophisticated with the way that we operate. We used to be a small community foundation giving out $500 or $1,000 grants using QuickBooks. Now we have better technology that makes us more efficient, and we're giving out $5,000, and $20,000 grants. Those are huge amounts! So, I want to continue that momentum and continue making an impact.

CW: Is there anything that you wish more people knew about the foundation?

HA: Everything, basically. I don't know if people truly realize the services we offer, and what we can do. There are so many to explain, and it's a very individualized service. By having individual conversations, we can cater to each person’s specific needs and charitable intentions. We know that what “Family A” is doing works well for them, but “Family B”’s needs will be different and we can still help them carry out their philanthropic goals.

CW: Money can be a difficult conversation for a lot of people, especially when somebody is asking you to give some of it up. It's a very personal decision. How does it feel to be the leader of an organization that yields such a personal stake in it?

HA: I wish people knew how serious we are when it comes to the donor’s intention. It is such a personal decision, so we investigate every grant that we make. And every decision that we make is weighed heavily based on the intentions of the donors, even those that have passed. We devote the same amount of time making decisions for a deceased donor as we do for a living donor. It is a lot of responsibility to take on. Each person in our office feels personally responsible for every dollar within the Foundation, and sometimes that can be a little heavy. But, I know that I'm doing all that I can to make the best decisions, and our Board is too. I feel blessed to be able to do that for people.

CW: It definitely is a position where you're constantly asking yourself, “What would this donor do? Would they want to give to this? Would they think that it's worthy or a good investment?” It’s interesting to put ourselves in so many different people’s shoes.

Before we wrap this up, is there any advice that you would give to someone who cares about our community and wants to make a difference?

HA: Come and talk with us. We are truly here to help. I know people receive fundraising appeals all the time, but if you care about Washington County and want Washington County and our nonprofits to thrive, then you need to work with Marietta Community Foundation because that is what we do. That is who we are. That is our reason for existing, and we're here to help you. Our success over the last 50 years proves that our intentions are true. So, my advice is to learn more about Marietta Community Foundation, then come talk with us to see how we can help you.

CW: Visit us at 100 Putnam Street.

HA: Corner of Front and Putnam in downtown Marietta!

CW: Thank you so much for sitting down with me. I really appreciate it. And thank you for all that you do. I think you've been a wonderful leader for our organization. I definitely see your passion come through in your work, and we're very thankful to have you.

HA: Thank you, Courtney.