In an effort to provide inspiration and resources to the community, our team likes to share books Sally is reading, stories from our community, and articles, papers, and videos that help shape our views and inform the way we work. We hope these insights spark creativity and increase effectiveness for fellow difference makers.
A stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and then relegated to a permanent second-class status—denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.
by Michelle Alexander
In this prophetic work, Martin Luther King, Jr. lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America's future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and quality education.
by Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Finnish journalist, now a naturalized American citizen, asks Americans to draw on elements of the Nordic way of life to nurture a fairer, happier, more secure, and less stressful society for themselves and their children.
by Anu Partanen
A remarkable account of growing up Muslim in America and coming to believe in religious pluralism, from one of the most prominent faith leaders in the United States. Eboo Patel’s story is a hopeful and moving testament to the power and passion of young people—and of the world-changing potential of an interfaith youth movement.
by Eboo Patel
A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time.
by Bryan Stevenson
In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
by Isabel Wilkerson
From a foremost expert on the science of emotions and consultant to Pixar’s Inside Out, a groundbreaking and essential exploration into the history, science, and greater understanding of awe.
by Dacher Keltner
Regardless of what we want to accomplish, from growing your business, creating a great company culture, championing a social cause, or affecting your habits, we can’t do it alone. The people around you define your success (whatever that means for you) and they have the potential to change the course of your life.
by Jon Levy
Discover the secret to flourishing in an age of division: belonging. In a world filled with discord and loneliness, finding harmony and happiness can be difficult. But what if the key to unlocking our potential lies in this deceptively simple concept? Belonging is the feeling of being a part of a group that values, respects, and cares for us—a feeling that we can all cultivate in even the smallest corners of social life.
by Geoffrey L Cohen
What makes a life fulfilling and meaningful? The simple but surprising answer is: relationships. The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying, and healthier lives. In fact, the Harvard Study of Adult Development reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life.
by Robert Waldinger, MD & Marc Schulz
A mind-altering journey through the new science behind humanity’s evolutionary birthright — to make and behold the arts and its power to transform our lives.
by Susan Magsamen, Ivy Ross
A groundbreaking, revelatory portrait of the six generations that currently live in the United States and how they connect, conflict, and compete with one another—from the acclaimed author of Generation Me and iGen.
by Jean M. Twenge, PhD
Boys and men are struggling. Profound economic and social changes of recent decades have many losing ground in the classroom, the workplace, and in the family. While the lives of women have changed, the lives of many men have remained the same or even worsened.
by Richard Reeves
Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern Appalachia. It’s the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. In a plot that never pauses for breath, relayed in his own unsparing voice, he braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses. Through all of it, he reckons with his own invisibility in a popular culture where even the superheroes have abandoned rural people in favor of cities.
by Barbara Kingsolver
The clear-eyed, definitive history of the modern American economy and the decline of the American Dream, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist behind The New York Times’s “The Morning” newsletter.
by David Leonhardt
Go on an amazing journey together with pastors, poets, common people, some Danish royals, and the so-called schoolmen as they lifted Scandinavia from the bottom.
by Lene Rachel Andersen
Imagine if our cities went beyond meeting our basic needs. What if they made us feel supported, valued and cared for? How would our lives change if streets weren’t just for movement but for moments of spontaneous discovery? What if our city’s public spaces didn’t simply tolerate people using them but were designed to inspire, spark social connection, and strengthen bonds between neighbors?
The folks at Gehl really get people, and they have a deep understanding of how the places and spaces around us have a deep impact on our well-being. Through our partnership, Gehl created In Awe of Charlotte, a research initiative that explores the profound connection between awe and the city. I had the pleasure of chatting with Sophia Schuff, a director and urban anthropologist at Gehl, about some of their approaches to designing with awe in the cities they’ve worked in all around the world.
Ten years ago, when I started this journey, we were worried about Instagram filters warping our sense of self. Now? We’re grappling with deepfakes that can clone our voices and replicate our entire beings. The dopamine hits we once got from notifications? They’re nothing compared to the immersive AI experiences being designed in Silicon Valley’s labs. History isn’t just repeating itself – it’s evolving at record speed.
In January, I visited the Designmuseum Denmark in Copenhagen and stumbled upon an exhibit called “Bottled Ponderings.” It’s an old-style cabinet filled with over 300 tiny “medicine” vials, each labeled with something that affects our well-being—everything from passion and relationships to narcissism and loneliness.
Over the past few weeks, I, like many of you, have been inundated with news updates and alerts that have had me more attached to my phone than I would like. I can only imagine what the digital world must feel like for the young people in our lives right now. In recognizing the broader issue of our healthy (or unhealthy) digital habits and how they may limit our ability to live a Great Life, I want to introduce Larissa May, founder and CEO of #HalfTheStory, who is leading a digital revolution for our young people and creating an online ecosystem that works better for us all.
When’s the last time you stopped to consider how much time you truly have left? Inspired by Oliver Burkeman’s transformative book, “4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals,” our CEO finally did the math. If she’s fortunate, she has roughly 884 weeks remaining. This realization has profoundly shifted her perspective on how she spends her time. Click below to read more from Sally.
Have you ever had an experience so powerful that it made you question your understanding of the world, the kind of moment that stops you in your tracks to say “wow” — in other words, a moment of awe? Recently, two very different groups of local residents had this type of transformative experience during trips that the Gambrell Foundation supported.
Click below to learn more.
The Happiness Research Institute is an independent think tank exploring why some societies are happier than others. The mission is to inform decision-makers of the causes and effects of human happiness, make subjective well-being part of the public policy debate, and improve overall quality of life for citizens across the world.
We admire the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation’s vision is to create a world where sustainable and inclusive communities thrive
The trust-based philanthropy movement is fundamentally reimagining the role funders can have in building a more just and equitable society.
ENSURING A VIBRANT & SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY
Where Everyone Has a Meaningful Opportunity to Achieve Their Highest Potential
We admire their values:
Mission Investors Exchange is the leading impact investing network for foundations dedicated to deploying capital for social and environmental change. They provide resources, inspiration, and connections to help members increase the scale and impact of their impact investing practice. Members come to Mission Investors Exchange and each other for best practices, new investment opportunities, deal partnerships, and innovations in impact investing around the world. The Gambrell Foundation is proud to be a member.
NCNG is North Carolina’s only statewide forum for sharing information and promoting cooperation among grantmakers. We admire the way they have stepped up to be leaders connecting funders across North Carolina to knowledge, resources and one another.
We admire their mission to achieve their vision:
The Aspen Institute has earned a reputation for gathering diverse, nonpartisan thought leaders, creatives, scholars and members of the public to address some of the world’s most complex problems. But the goal of these convenings is to have an impact beyond the conference room. They are designed to provoke, further and improve actions taken in the real world.
Modern males are struggling. Author Richard Reeves outlines the three major issues boys and men face and shares possible solutions.
A weekly podcast highlighting “inspirational, intimate and disarmingly-unfiltered conversations about living a fully-engaged, fiercely-connected and purpose-drenched life.
The Aspen Institute’s Sit Down with Author Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and faculty director of the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center.
New research from Raj Chetty, David J. Deming, John Friedman
TED Talk by Richard Reeves, President – American Institute for Boys and Men.
Many schools, even if they do not have specific funds set up to provide emergency aid to students, will offer small sums of money – typically a few hundred dollars – in the form of either a loan or a grant, which can often be used for things like paying an electric bill, buying food or helping out with rent. Programs vary by school.
The #RealCollege survey is the nation’s largest annual assessment of basic needs security among college students. The survey, created by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice (Hope Center), specifically evaluates access to affordable food and housing. This report describes the results of the #RealCollege survey administered in the fall of 2018 at 123 two- and four-year institutions across the United States.
Understanding Social Mobility – Richard Reeves and Brookings Institution
The Saguaro Seminar is a research initiative that brings together leading thinkers and practitioners to develop actionable ideas for civic renewal. In 2015, the Seminar launched the Closing the Opportunity Gap initiative. The initiative convened five working groups of roughly a dozen of the country’s leading experts in each of five areas: family and parenting, early childhood, K-12 education, community institutions, and “on-ramps,” like community college or apprenticeships. These non-partisan white papers distill the best evidence-based ideas for narrowing the opportunity gap.
Author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
As part of The Gambrell Foundation’s new initiative to invest in Ideas Worth Trying™, we brought Dr. Keltner to Charlotte this past May to help us explore what role awe plays in creating a great life. Together, we learned why everyday awe and wonder are so essential and how we can experience collective awe in our community more often.
