A Conversation with Molly Ladd from the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation
This year, the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation turns 35 and the Fellowship turns 20. We sat down with Molly Ladd, the Chair of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation, to reflect on these milestones.
The Fellowship program was originally imagined as a way to build on an incredible family legacyโtell us a little about the history of the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation.
The FAO Schwarz Family Foundation has always beenย grounded in the enduring values of education, imagination, wonder, and social awareness. Over the years, weโve supported a wide range of nonprofit organizationsโbeginning with early gifts to Wellesley College, the Museum of the City of New York, and the American Museum of Natural History in honor of the FAO Schwarz store founders.ย
Today, the Foundation continues to support high-impact nonprofits committed to meaningful social change and greater educational equity and opportunity. The organizations we focus on not only address existing social challenges with skill and innovative thinking, but also develop and implement lasting solutions that change lives and strengthen the communities we treasure. The Fellowship is a critical part of that commitment. Itโs a way we can accelerate social change and the development of the next generation of nonprofit leaders.
The Fellowship has certainly grown in the past 20 years. How do you describe the Fellowship program today?
Itโs a remarkable programโone of the few domestic Fellowships focused squarely on social change. It has grown from a small local program to 84 Alumni Fellows working in many areas of the social impact sector. My quick response about the program is that itโs an intensive, two-year experience for recent college graduates interested in social impact and leadership. But I know that it goes well beyond that and that our Fellows are motivated, inspirational, and deeply committed.ย
Take Ellie Sanchez, for example. She was a Fellow at Generation Citizen from 2015-2017, went into public service, and now serves as Chief of Staff for a Boston city councilor. That trajectory shows the Fellowshipโs power to shape change leaders. What is exciting is that every Fellow has their own version of this story.
We meet Fellows at a pivotal point in their livesโright after college, often with little to no work experience. The Fellowshipโs structure, mentorship, and peer support give them a strong start. But itโs not just about those two years. They gain a foundation and then go on to do big things, both inside and outside the organizations where they began.
That kind of long-term impact is what makes this work so rewarding. Our focus has always been on getting these talented and committed Fellows out into the world.
"It is the concept of building the future. At its core, the Fellowship is about developing the next generation of nonprofit leaders. We work to attract passionate college seniors with leadership potential and show them that thereโs a real career path in this sector."
What stands out most to you with respect to the impact of the Fellowshipโon host organizations, on Fellows, and on the broader nonprofit sector?
It is the concept of building the future. At its core, the Fellowship is about developing the next generation of nonprofit leaders. We work to attract passionate college seniors with leadership potential and show them that thereโs a real career path in this sector.
The Fellows bring a wealth of knowledge, ideas, energy and perspective to their roles. That’s incredibly valuable to a social change organization. Over the past three years, 80% of Fellows were offered permanent roles at their host organization after the completion of the Fellowship.ย
Weโve also found that the host organizations are eager to participate in the Fellowship program as it helps to attract top talent, who are young and passionate about their mission. Often smaller organizations might not have the brand recognition to compete, but the Fellowship can give them access to a strong talent pool with applicants from over 150 colleges and universities each year. This is how you start to effect change.
From the beginning, the Fellowship has emphasized the goal of developing social impact leaders. Can you talk about this particular focus on leadership?
The challenges leaders face today are immense. From the rapid rise of AI to the realities of climate change to the complexities of social division and polarization, there are multipleย issues that demand courage and clarity. Fellows might not be ready to tackle all these challenges immediately, but the goal is to prepare them for their journey by giving them a strong foundation for continuous growth. Weโre helping develop leaders who are not only capable of, but committed to, meaningful change.
Leadership is about making change happen with the tools you haveโand thatโs the spirit we cultivate. What makes a good leader today wonโt necessarily hold true in a decade. Thatโs why the Fellowship continues to evolve along with the changing needs of our host organizations. We work with host organizations, listen to current Fellows, and stay connected with alumni to ensure the experience remains relevant and grounded in real-world leadership.
Seeing where some of our Fellows started and where they are now gives me hope. Our Fellows, including our alumni, are the future leaders of the nonprofit space. And thatโs one of our most important metrics: 92% of Fellows are still working in social impact.
"We choose to partner with nonprofit organizations that can provide both a life-changing direct service experience as well as a strategically focused experience, which allows Fellows to lead."
One of the central tensions in social impact is whether we are addressing immediate needs or working towards long-term solutions. The Fellowship seems designed to explore the balance.
Yes, thatโs a question that we as a Foundation and the Fellows think about constantly. The Fellows areย the ones embedded in the work. We trust the Fellows and host organizations to explore that tension meaningfully. Itโs fundamental to achieving social impact.
At the Foundation level, we choose to partner with nonprofit organizations that can provide both a life-changing direct service experience as well as a strategically focused experience, which allows Fellows to lead. For example, a Fellow might spend one day working with preschool students and the next on advocacyโand itโs this mix of experiences that gives them a richer, multidimensional perspective.
Last year the Fellowship received applicants from more than 100 different colleges and universities. Whatโs your perspective on the growing interest in this Fellowship?
We continue to see a great deal of interest in the FAO Schwarz Fellowship program, which is, of course, exciting. Not only is the number of applications increasing, but weโre also hearing from a more diverse pool of applicantsโand from a wider range of colleges and universitiesโthan ever before. Thatโs inspiring. For a program with a relatively small footprint, I think weโre punching above our weight.
The Fellowshipโs increasing prestige has also made it possible for us to partner with a wide range of hosts, including well-known organizations like the Museum of Science in Boston, the Museum of the City of New York, and Audubon Mid-Atlantic. But the interesting thing is that a ย candidate might be drawn in by a well-known organization, but then discover a smaller organization that resonates better with them.
Overall, I think the Fellowship program proves that nonprofit work is not only meaningful, but also powerful, viable, and possible. The ripple effect is real. The more awareness we can create about what it means to lead in the social impact sector, the better. Thatโs a win, in my opinion.
Looking ahead to the next 20 years, what do you see as the biggest opportunities or challenges for the Fellowship?
Going forward, we want to continue to bring together exceptional future leaders with strong host organizations. Of course, weโd love to do more, but as a small foundation, weโre mindful of our limits. Still, we do a lot with what we haveโweโre small but mighty.
Weโll keep enhancing the program structure to allow both our hosts and our Fellows to grow and succeed. We’ll also look for ways to nurture and facilitate a community of alumni Fellows, in person and online, and support Fellows learning from each other throughout their careers.
Our Fellows are already helping write the next chapterโfounding new organizations and leading at others. As they step into new leadership roles, I know they wonโt shy away from the tough stuff. They have the confidence, passion, and clarity to lead the change we need.
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