Sadie Funk is transforming communities by proving that "family-friendly is business-friendly." As National Director of Best Place for Working Parents®, she leverages data to demonstrate how supporting working parents delivers measurable returns on investment. Through public-private partnerships, she is bridging the gap between business interests and family needs, creating sustainable models for workplace innovation.
In this post, we'll learn that her journey to becoming a community leader is rooted in early childhood experiences that shaped her worldview and passion for public service.
Early Roots of Volunteerism
Growing up Jewish, Sadie developed a deep interest in the Holocaust, which sparked her thinking about community responsibility and individual action. She recalls,
"A main thread throughout my childhood was thinking about how we as a community or, as individuals, can lean in."
This early contemplation of community responsibility manifested in tangible actions as a young child. She shares, “I worked on a community garden at my elementary school, loved and found that meaningful." These childhood experiences laid the foundation for a lifelong commitment to public service.
As she progressed through high school and college, her involvement in community work deepened.
"Throughout high school, I volunteered in various one-off opportunities. And then in college, I loved volunteering on the weekends where we'd go and work with friends and families at community centers."
Each new opportunity to serve taught her important lessons about how people of all ages and skill levels can get involved in public service: "There are so many ways to jump in and get involved in your community. Whatever your passion is, there's a way to get involved with that cause and not feel restricted if other hot topics aren't what speaks to you. Just dig around, I'm sure you’ll find something there!"
How Anthropology and Peace Corps Shaped Her
Her journey into professional community development began with anthropology studies at Eckerd College in Florida. This academic foundation sparked her passion for understanding diverse communities: "Anthropology opened up my interest and love for being around people and communities that were different, but similar to me. It gave me opportunities to get to know various people better."
After college, she joined the Peace Corps, immersing herself in a small indigenous community in the Amazon. This experience profoundly shaped her understanding of grassroots community development and provided invaluable insights into effective social impact work. One crucial lesson from this experience continues to guide her mindset:
“They told us early on to lower our expectations and then lower them again. Not in a bad way, but to recognize that we were coming from school or jobs thinking we’d change the world. Ultimately, you must slow down and allow that world to change you, so you can assist others in changing the world.”
This lesson in humility and patience became fundamental to her success in community work. She elaborates: "If you come from a perspective that we're just here to execute a certain plan, you won't be successful. It may work the first month, but it's not sustainable in the long term."
She also applies this principle to large-scale social projects: "I read an article suggesting that big social projects often fail because the planning period is too short, and execution becomes prolonged. The most successful projects invest more time in planning and enjoy shorter execution periods."
This approach of 'slowing down, appreciating, failing, learning, and trying again' has been crucial to her work. It aligns with an Ecuadorian saying she learned during her Peace Corps service:
“'Hoy Para mi, Mañana para-Ti,' meaning 'today for me, tomorrow for you,' embodies the idea that we work in partnership. Sometimes I'm helping you, sometimes you're helping me. That's what community is."
Best Place: Advocating for Family-Centric Policies in the Workplace
Today, Sadie leads two major initiatives in her current role in partnership with Sara Redington, of The Miles Foundation: Best Place for Working Parents and Best Place for Kids. These programs create supportive environments for families in the workplace and the broader community.
The Best Place for Working Parents initiative has grown significantly in the past few years:
"We now [have] eleven states, twenty-one regions, more than a thousand cities, and more than three million employees working for our Best Places for Working Parents businesses."
This expansion highlights the growing recognition of family-friendly workplace policies. Her work demonstrates that supporting working parents benefits both families and businesses.
She is especially excited about technology's potential to enhance community engagement. She speaks enthusiastically about the Parent Pass app:
"In 2021, we started working with a hundred parents in Fort Worth, Texas across key neighborhoods... to design and develop the first-ever super local parent app which is a one-stop resource that allows parents to search in real-time for childcare and after school, see the thousands of events happening in their community, chat with parents, ask questions, and see a variety of resources available in the area."
This innovative solution demonstrates how digital tools can be leveraged to enhance traditional community-building efforts.
Valuing Mentorship and Continuous Learning
Throughout her career, Sadie has emphasized the importance of mentorship and continuous learning. She advises:
"Take on a bunch of mentors in as many different places as you can. I don't think there can be one mentor for every aspect of your professional or personal life, but rather several you can lean on. Maybe you have a mentor to help you understand the community you're trying to work in, and another who helps you understand the management structure of the nonprofit you're trying to support or the social issue you're trying to support."
This multi-faceted approach to mentorship allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of social impact work.
Embracing Technology with Grassroots Efforts
Sadie Funk’s work combines grassroots engagement with innovative solutions and serves as a model for positive community impact. Her journey highlights the importance of genuine community engagement, continuous learning, and combining business acumen with a deep understanding of community needs.
Whether through family-centric workplace policies, innovative apps, or grassroots efforts, her work shows that effective social impact requires listening, adapting, and partnering with communities. Her story provides a roadmap for creating meaningful, sustainable change, reminding us that the most effective solutions often come from within each community.
In her words, "Today for me, tomorrow for you" - a philosophy that captures the essence of true community engagement. As we face complex social challenges, collaborative, community-centered approaches may be just the key to creating lasting, positive change in our world.
More Resources
Visit these resources mentioned by Sara:
Eckerd College: A private liberal arts institution in St. Petersburg, Florida, known for its innovative approach to education and a strong emphasis on mentorship. It offers a diverse range of undergraduate programs and is recognized for its commitment to experiential learning, including extensive study abroad opportunities and an active waterfront program that supports marine science studies.
The Best Place for Working Parents: An initiative designed to support parents in balancing their professional and personal lives. It provides resources, community support, and networking opportunities aimed at helping working parents navigate the challenges of parenting while maintaining their careers and fostering a healthier work-life balance.
The Parent Pass: A program that offers parents access to various benefits and resources to enhance their engagement with their children's education and activities. This initiative typically includes discounts, exclusive events, and information tailored to help parents support their children's development and involvement in school or extracurricular activities.
Peace Corps: A U.S. government agency that sends American volunteers abroad to assist with development projects in various sectors such as education, health, and agriculture. Their goal is to promote world peace and friendship by providing technical assistance while fostering cultural exchange between Americans and the communities they serve.