The nonprofit sector is in a time of extreme stress, and environmental factors such as high inflation, supply chain challenges, donor fatigue and increased costs are stressing the system, said Patti Habeck, president and chief executive officer of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
“As the leader of one of the largest nonprofits in the state, with over 550,000 individuals and 400 other pantries relying on the decisions I make, it is imperative to stay ahead of these challenges and set forth a forward-looking and ambitious agenda to address the needs head-on,” said Habeck.
In the upcoming year, in addition to the expected goals of increasing outputs to meet a larger percentage of demand, Habeck has also set a goal to use 35% of the nonprofit’s resources to address the underlying conditions that are driving up the increase in demand. Her initiatives include controlling the primary produce food stream by establishing the fourth largest hydroponics farm in the country, diversifying revenue models to include national brokering between Wisconsin farmers and national food security organizations, and establishing new direct-to-consumer distribution methods.
In addition to these efforts to pursue growth for the organization, Habeck and her team were recognized by the Food Leaders Lab program and recognized for their work with the 11 federally recognized tribal nations in Wisconsin. In the last year, under Habeck’s leadership, the organization increased food distribution to meet demands despite sizable headwinds and challenges.
To stay passionate about her work, Habeck said that she spends time in the community, talking with neighbors, visiting with donors and engaging with others in the sector. “Being face-to-face, sharing time with others is what fills my cup,” she said. “I am also a storyteller – I like to see, share and lift up the extraordinary stories of ordinary humans.”
Uplifting future titans is also a key part of Habeck’s leadership style. At Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, she has an expectation of inverted leadership. “I require that our leadership team looks at every opportunity as a way to include and coach up (mentor) team members to their next opportunity,” she said. “I ascribe to the belief that if we’re going to do the work, let’s include the next layer of leaders so they can have the opportunity to learn as well.”
As a result, the organization developed a formal mentorship program and a strong culture of internal promotions. “My personal ‘walk the walk’ is to get to know our team at all levels and sit down and actively encourage team members to talk about and experiment with their next level,” said Habeck.