Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 15 hours ago
Jane Wei-Skillern shares key principles of network leadership—an approach that prioritizes mission over individual organizations and focuses on building strong, trust-based relationships across a broader ecosystem. Rather than working in isolation, leaders can expand their impact by sharing leadership, aligning around a common goal, and mobilizing partners across sectors.
For animal rescue leaders, this session highlights how deeper collaboration among shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, volunteers, and funders can help save more animals and strengthen outcomes for entire communities.
Key Takeaways:
• Build trust and foster relationships with other before you focus on formal structure and accountability
• Make strategic decisions that serves your mission best, not necessarily serves your organizational/individual self interest
• Strive to weave constellations of trusted partners rather than be a lone 'star'
organization that outshines others
Co-hosts:
Lisa Ward, Director of Education, Maddie’s Fund
Shafonda Allen, Founder & Principal Consultant, Back to Basics Animal Welfare Leadership Consulting
Speaker:
Jane Wei-Skillern, Senior Fellow, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Center for Social Sector Leadership
To comment or ask more questions about this meeting, please visit
https://maddies.fund/communityconversations51126
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
00:00 Welcome, Question of the Day
04:25 Grant winners
06:58 Presentation
Jane Wei-Skillern shares key principles of network leadership—an approach that prioritizes mission over individual organizations and focuses on building strong, trust-based relationships across a broader ecosystem. Rather than working in isolation, leaders can expand their impact by sharing leadership, aligning around a common goal, and mobilizing partners across sectors.
For animal rescue leaders, this session highlights how deeper collaboration among shelters, rescue groups, veterinarians, volunteers, and funders can help save more animals and strengthen outcomes for entire communities.
Key Takeaways:
• Build trust and foster relationships with other before you focus on formal structure and accountability
• Make strategic decisions that serves your mission best, not necessarily serves your organizational/individual self interest
• Strive to weave constellations of trusted partners rather than be a lone 'star'
organization that outshines others
Co-hosts:
Lisa Ward, Director of Education, Maddie’s Fund
Shafonda Allen, Founder & Principal Consultant, Back to Basics Animal Welfare Leadership Consulting
Speaker:
Jane Wei-Skillern, Senior Fellow, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Center for Social Sector Leadership
To comment or ask more questions about this meeting, please visit
https://maddies.fund/communityconversations51126
About Community Conversations, hosted by Maddie’s Fund: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, animal sheltering transformed overnight. Foster-based sheltering, home-based employees and volunteers, along with collaboration galvanized our communities. The pandemic, along with social injustice, has motivated our industry to look at how we partner with our communities and confront our own biases. Shelter and rescue staff across the country began talking on a weekly basis, offering support and innovative ideas to do things differently. To learn more about these calls, visit forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
00:00 Welcome, Question of the Day
04:25 Grant winners
06:58 Presentation
