Tina Tinen: A Student Becomes a Grantmaker
After 20 years of service, one thing we at CCF are particularly proud of is the way our community fosters strong bonds and networks. Within our programs, women can build social capital in a way that opens opportunities; many of them could never have imagined. This story focuses on our student Tina Tinen, who made her way through multiple CCF programs, finding entry points into philanthropy and her chosen career along the way.
As a child, Tina never dreamed she would go to college. Bright but easily distracted, Tina didn’t finish high school yet still managed to earn her GED without studying. In her young adult years, Tina supported herself through a combination of jobs in bartending, waitressing, and administrative work. In her late 20s, Tina hit a rough patch, struggling with addiction and cycling in and out of prison with little direction or guidance. In her last stint with incarceration, Tina gave birth to her son Blake while behind bars. The experience of raising an infant in prison drove Tina to seek a new path in life - one where she could provide a safe and healthy upbringing for her son.
In 2012, the last time that Tina was released, she worked with both the Fortune Society and Hour Children to get back on her feet. At Hour Children, she met a CCF Fellow. “She had been incarcerated with me, and also on the nursery with me when we were inside. When I reconnected with her at Hour Children, she was in college. That’s what made me envision myself in college. I needed my life to change. I saw Angelina with her child, and in college, and I knew I needed to really get serious.”
From the moment Tina joined CCF, she said, “I knew I was going to put my heart and soul into college.” After participating in programs dominated by men, Tina was grateful for CCF, a safe women’s space to learn and grow. With CCF’s help, Tina earned her Associate degree from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, graduating with honors and as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society. She quickly moved on to her next degree, a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Hunter College. “Along with the academic counseling, CCF made me realize the importance of financial health, and having concrete plans for my future,” she says.
Along the way, she took advantage of every opportunity to participate in advocacy work. While working with the Women in Prison Project, she became one of the core members leading the charge to pass an anti-shackling bill for women giving birth while incarcerated.
After the bill passed in 2015, Tina received the Susan B. Anthony Award from the National Organization for Women for her advocacy, and was soon invited to apply for a prestigious fellowship with the David Rockefeller Fund, a family foundation focused on transforming the criminal justice system.
The David Rockefeller Fund was one of CCF’s earliest philanthropic supporters. “CCF’s work resonated with DRF because of the unique combination of advocacy, education, media, and organizing, and keeping directly impacted people front and center,” says Lexi Fisher, Program Manager at the Fund. Having worked closely with Tina during the fellowship, Lexi remembers, “From the first day I met Tina, she was bubbling over with enthusiasm, a desire to learn, and a willingness to ask questions. She conducted in-depth research across all of our program areas, participated in meetings with grant partners, and attended justice reform briefings on the Fund’s behalf. She also presented to our Board of Directors at a meeting in 2018.” From Tina’s perspective, that presentation was a turning point: “It was strange to meet members of the Rockefeller family, knowing that Nelson Rockefeller had created the drug laws that landed me in prison. It was a relief to see the change in the family’s perspective.
“This fellowship introduced me to the world of philanthropy, which can be a really exclusive space. It was so amazing to see things from the opposite side of the spectrum.”
By this point, Tina had proven herself a valuable asset to The David Rockefeller Fund. She had enrolled in CCF’s WISH Advocacy Training Program to hone her skills.
Lexi says, “I was grateful that Tina brought her advocacy expertise to the table because it helped educate us on the issues that women face uniquely during incarceration. It’s one thing to read about them, and another to hear someone talk about their personal experience of having a newborn in prison.”
In 2019, Clay Rockefeller (a trustee of The David Rockefeller Fund) provided seed support for directly impacted advocates to launch the Canary Impact Fund, a participatory grantmaking committee. Outside of receiving funding from The David Rockefeller Fund, the grantmaking group has total independence and autonomy. “The shared goal of both the fellowship and Canary Impact Fund is to put power in the hands of those who are most knowledgeable about the issues in question--and not just nominal power, but actual grantmaking dollars,” explains Lexi.
“It’s not about meting out a little bit of resources and a little bit of decision-making authority so that those in the philanthropic sector can feel we’ve done our part. It’s about untethered leadership and learning with the goal of real transformation.”
As a founding member of the Canary Impact Fund, Tina helped develop the mission statement and allocated grants to grassroots organizations working in the social justice field. “It was such an honor to be given this opportunity – it was surreal to realize how far I have come,” she recalls. “The way they believed in us was mind-blowing.”
As Tina began wrapping up her Bachelor’s degree while simultaneously working on advocacy issues and participating in Canary Impact Fund, her mind was racing. “When COVID hit, I was in a depression, and I’d never been depressed in my life.”
“The tools I got from the CCF multigenerational program literally saved my life,” she remembers. And, “the Career Advancement Program came just in the nick of time,” Tina adds.“The way that CCF has enriched my life can’t even be described,” Tina says. But at CCF, we see students like Tina as people who enrich our community in return.
“The stars were aligned. I had been thinking, ‘where can I get good quality help when people don’t really understand my background for things like this?’ My career counselor, Janelle, gave me so much insight and guidance.” Tina has since accepted a position as Operations Specialist with Greenhope Residential Services for Women. “My career goals were based on my desire to help the population I have always supported both politically and philanthropically.”
“The way that CCF has enriched my life can’t even be described,” Tina says. But at CCF, we see students like Tina as people who enrich our community in return.