Joseph Gutierrez

Every January, I set a theme for the entire year as a way for me to nicely package my resolutions, goals, and intentions for personal and professional life.  After a bit of thought, I decided that my theme for 2026 would be “get outside.”  This meant a few different things for me.  On the most basic level, it’s just a reminder to get out fishing  more often, spend more time on my bike, and to enjoy the outdoors.  For my work at Maddox, it meant focusing more on the environmental grant portfolio which I took over at the start of the year.  This theme directly led to the Get Outside Grant Program that we started this year to get more young people into nature.  I also took this as a push to make time to get out of the country on an international trip, which is something I’ve put off for a few years because I’ve been too busy.  Most importantly though, I’m trying to get outside of my current patterns of behavior so that I can start imagining something new,

The last bit has been something I’ve been reflecting on for a while as I enter my tenth year at the Maddox Fund.  Maddox has been in a process of slow transformation over the past few years.  If you look at  just this year, you’ll see that we have new staff and board members in place, a new 2-year grantmaking cycle, and a bold strategic blueprint to guide us over the next three years.  In a lot of ways, this all has left me feeling like I’m the oldest thing at Maddox, so I’m grateful for this opportunity to take a sabbatical to find time for rest, reflect on my work, and reconnect with nature.

 I will officially be on sabbatical starting September 16th and will not be back in the office until January 4, 2027.  Here is a rough itinerary of my trip:

• Finding some time to rest and meeting my wife’s extended family in Indonesia
• Cycling around Taiwan while fishing off the coast and some of its mountain streams
• Reflecting on professional life while riding across South Korea, where I began my career as an English language teacher
• Thinking about the future and my own role in making the world a place where people and planet flourish together while making a Buddhist pilgrimage around 88 temples in Japan

While gone, please reach out to my colleagues at the Maddox Fund:

• jen@maddoxfund.org for environmental grants and inquiries
• shun@maddoxfund.org general grant administration, including MOUs and reporting
• or call the Maddox office at 615-385-1006

I am looking forward to coming back in 2027 with a renewed perspective on work and continuing to support our partners as they tirelessly fight to  improve the lives of young people and protect the natural environment. If you’re interested in following me on my journey, you can find me on Instagram. Be forewarned though, it’s mostly going to be pictures of my bike in different places and fish I caught.

The Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund is hiring a Senior Program Associate. The Senior Program Associate is an integral member of the small Maddox team, serving as a relational anchor for our community partners and the engine for our grants and data operations. This role primarily supports the Executive Director and is dedicated to managing the majority of the Fund’s portfolio (Youth), ensuring operational excellence across the Youth program area.

The full job description is linked below. Interested candidates should submit a brief cover letter and
resume to careers@maddoxfund.org by Friday, January 9, 2026.

In our commitment to equity, we aim to be fully transparent in our operations. In the spirit of accountability and accessibility, we offer full financial disclosure. Our 2024 990-PF is available on our website. Our grants, recent financial audits, and ways to report concerns can be found on our transparency page.

In 2024, the Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund brought together a community group of composed of young environmental professionals and activists to distribute $100,000 in grants to Middle Tennessee organizations working to protect the natural environment. This was our first participatory grantmaking initiative to focus specifically on the environment. Previous years had focused on high school youth, HBCUs, and LGBTQ+ youth. This year’s group met regularly over the course of six months to learn about grantmaking and different nonprofit organizations to make the follow grants:

• $30,000 to The Tennessee Aquatic Project
• $30,000 to Brooklyn Heights Community Garden
• $20,000 to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
• $10,000 to Recycle Reinvest
• $10,000 to Tennessee Ancient Sites Conservancy

This Advisory Board wanted to fund organizations and initiatives focused on increasing access to green space, climate justice, and food justice. When looking at the applications, they prioritized applications that embodied Indigenous and racial justice, intersectionality, advocacy & direct service.

Since 2008, the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund has partnered with nonprofit organizations in Middle Tennessee to improve the lives of young people across Middle Tennessee.  Core to this work is our commitment to addressing the systemic injustices that have marginalized communities and continue to leave many behind.  School vouchers will be a detriment to ensuring that all children can access high-quality educational opportunities.

School vouchers divert resources away from already underfunded public schools and further burden families facing poverty.   Public schools in Tennessee lack the resources they need for students to thrive and vouchers would magnify the problem. It is expected that the voucher proposal will cost the state of Tennessee over $1.1 billion over the next five years. 51% of public school students will get less in state funding than voucher recipients will.

Private schools are also not accountable for serving students and families with the greatest needs.  Private schools are not required to offer the same protections and services that guarantee safe environments and equitable education opportunities for all students  including students with disabilities, English language learners, and LGBTQ+ students. Vouchers also fail to benefit rural students where private school options are limited.

Most importantly, data shows that vouchers do not lead to better academic outcomes. MNPS students outperformed voucher users in Nashville. ESA/voucher participants in Nashville.

Here are some resources from our partners to learn more about vouchers:

The Education Trust

Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment

Nashville Public Education Foundatoin

Rev. Jen Bailey is ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a public theologian and leader in the multi-faith movement for justice. She was the founding Executive Director of Faith Matters Network, an innovative Womanist-led organization accompanying spiritually grounded leaders on their journey to heal themselves and their communities.  She has been an Ashoka Fellow, New Pluralist Field Builder, Aspen Ideas Scholar, On Being Fellow and a Truman Scholar.

Jen has served on the boards of the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, The Fetzer Institute and was recently the chair of The Healing Trust board in Nashville.

“We are thrilled to have Jen lead the foundation into the next season of justice and liberation work in Middle Tennessee,” said Indira Dammu incoming board chair. “Jen brings a wealth of nonprofit and foundation experience to Maddox.”

“We believe Jen’s understanding of the Beloved Community is expansive and includes our sacred obligation to care for the planet that nurtures us,” said David Esquivel, chair of the search committee. “She is the right leader to help us live into our vision of people and planet flourishing together.”

“I am so honored to step into this role. Our focus on youth and the natural world are a public declaration of our unwavering commitment to work toward building for the better future and leave this world better than we found it. My deepest gratitude to Rev. Kaki Friskics-Warren and the Maddox team for the incredible foundation you have laid. And my heartfelt thanks to the Maddox Board for your trust in me. I am so excited to help shape this next chapter of our work alongside our partners.” Rev. Jen Bailey

Jen assumes the role as Executive Director on February 3, 2025. Jen will oversee the vision and operations of the foundation.  She succeeds Rev. Kaki Friskics-Warren who has served the foundation since 2009.

About the Maddox Fund

Maddox Mission: We seek a world in which people and planet flourish together in regenerative systems free from oppression and threat.  The Maddox Fund supports youth and environmental work in Middle Tennessee through program and advocacy grants.  Information on our grantmaking can be found at maddoxfund.org. For more information:  kaki@maddoxfund.org; 615-385-1006

The Maddox Fund Environmental Participatory Grant Advisory Board, composed of young environmental professionals and activists, seeks inquiries from Middle Tennessee nonprofits regarding environmental grants available Q4 of 2024.

Grants of up to $30,000 will be made in the following areas:

Access to Green Space—including but not limited to, environmental equity-focused activities and programs, liberatory outdoor teaching practices, preventing loss of natural space, access to natural space.

Climate Justice—including but not limited to, reparations for communities impacted by climate change including community resiliency, just transition from fossil fuel to renewable, safe and affordable energy, mitigation of invasive insects and diseases caused by climate change, mitigation of flooding caused by climate related severe weather.

Food Justice—including but not limited to addressing agricultural land loss, advancing food justice for marginalized communities, land justice for marginalized communities.

Schedule 

• November 4: Inquiries due
• November 15:  Notification of next phase
• December 5:  Full proposal due (not to exceed xxx pages or composed of xx questions)
• December 20:  Anticipated announcement

Format for Inquiry: One page, including program/organization description, area of interest (green space, climate justice, and/or food justice), skeleton budget, and requested amount

Send to:  participatory@maddoxfund.org by November 4

Total Funds Available:  $100,000

Inquiry Evaluation Lenses: Indigenous and racial justice, intersectionality, advocacy & direct service

Who is the Maddox Fund:  The Maddox Fund is a Middle Tennessee foundation that works to better our community through partnerships that improve the lives of young people and protect the natural environment.

What is Participatory Grantmaking: PGM a shift in power. Participatory grantmaking processes engage those who are directly affected by the issues at hand in the decision-making process.

Composition of Environmental Participatory Grant Advisory Board

Members of the advisory board were recruited from Maddox partner organizations and environmental advocates.  The advisory board includes:

• 5 African American Females
• 1 African American Male
• 3 White Females
• 8 Cis Gender
• 1 Agender

Send letters of inquiry to participatory@maddoxfund.org.  If you have any questions about the grant opportunity, please email kaki@maddoxfund.org or call the Maddox office at 615-385-1006.

The Maddox Fund believes that real expertise lies within the community. We have lived that out in the past through participatory grantmaking with LGBTQ+ high school students making funding decisions or HBCU students guiding our priorities. Shifting grantmaking power to those connected to issues gets dollars closer to community-led solutions.

This year, the Maddox Fund has set aside $100,000 for environmental causes in Middle Tennessee.  We are seeking advisors to guide how to direct those funds to area nonprofits.  Each participant will be paid $1,000 for their time and expertise.

The ideal advisory committee member:

• Is a middle Tennessee student or young professional, ages 15-35
• Has a demonstrated commitment to environmental causes
• Has knowledge of Middle Tennessee environmental nonprofits & their work (participants may be employed by an area environmental nonprofit, but will be required to abstain from voting if there is a conflict of interest)
• Has the desire to learn about and participate in democratizing of philanthropy
• Is available for opening session on September 14 (required)
• Is able to attend 75% of all virtual meetings (required)

10 advisors will be selected.

Application

Apply by August 19^th. You can access the application here.

Timeline

• July 8—Application announcement
• August 19—Applications for fellowship due
• August 21—Participants notified of application (accepted/declined)
• September 14, 10:00-3:00—Opening Session (required for all participants in person)
• Wednesdays, September 18-November 5, 6:00-7:30 via Zoom (required to attend 75% of sessions)

Email kaki@maddoxfund.org with any questions. Visit our environment page to learn more about our environmental grantmaking priorities.

The Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund is pleased to invite applications, expressions of interest, and/or nominations for the position of Executive Director.  This position is responsible for strategic leadership as well as administrative and managerial oversight of a $56M endowed foundation located in Nashville Tennessee.

Salary $160,000-200,000 annually

Starting 4^th Quarter 2024

All inquiries should be directed to our search partners at NPAG

Full Position Description Available Here

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Maddox Fund commits to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination. It is the policy of the Maddox Fund that all applicants and employees are entitled to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion or creed, sex (includes sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), gender (includes gender identity or expression), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or other protected characteristics as required by local, state and federal law. As such, the Maddox Fund does not discriminate in employment decisions, including with regard to hiring, termination, promotion, transfers, leave of absence, compensation or training. The Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund is an equal opportunity employer.

Salary: $160,000 – $200,000 annually

Starting 4th Quarter 2024

All inquiries should be directed to our search partners at NPAG.

The Maddox Fund commits to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination. It is the policy of the Maddox Fund that all applicants and employees are entitled to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion or creed, sex (includes sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), gender (includes gender identity or expression), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or other protected characteristics as required by local, state and federal law. As such, the Maddox Fund does not discriminate in employment decisions, including with regard to hiring, termination, promotion, transfers, leave of absence, compensation or training. The Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund is an equal opportunity employer.