Reflections of a YSEALI Fellow at Headwaters Foundation

In fall 2025, we had the opportunity to host Ziyi Wang, a Fellow with the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) through the University of Montana’s Mansfield Center, for a one-month learning exchange in Missoula. We invited Ziyi to share reflections from her time with us as a window into how our values and approach to community partnership can show up in everyday practice when seen through fresh eyes.

Hello there! I’m Ziyi, a Singapore Fellow with the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), a U.S.-led professional leadership program focused on building connections and shared learning across the Pacific Ocean. Last fall, I had the absolute pleasure of spending a month at Headwaters Foundation in Missoula. From my very first day, I was welcomed by thoughtful colleagues who care deeply about their work and the communities they serve.

During my short time at the foundation, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in day-to-day operations. Those conversations, observations, and quiet moments of learning became the foundation of what I took away from the experience.

Playing the long game for community health

Headwaters’ mission is shaped by its origins as a health conversion foundation after the sale of a local hospital. Today, the foundation focuses on advancing health across the Flathead Reservation and Montana’s 15 westernmost counties, which they refer to simply as Western Montana.

What stood out to me most was the foundation’s commitment to addressing root causes rather than symptoms. Instead of reacting to challenges after they appear, Headwaters focuses on upstream determinants of health, especially early in life. This approach requires patience, humility, and a willingness to stay in funding relationships for the long haul. In many ways, the work is about showing up consistently and trusting that meaningful change takes time, even when progress isn’t immediately visible.

When theory comes to life: Trust-Based Philanthropy in practice

Headwaters operates from a community-led model, grounded in the belief that funding decisions should reflect the voices and priorities of the communities where resources are flowing. At the center of this approach is relationship. From my perspective, this felt less like a technical process and more like a practice. Showing up, listening deeply, and building trust one conversation at a time.

I saw this clearly through the foundation’s engagement on the Flathead Reservation, home to the Bitterroot Salish, Pend d’Oreille, and Kootenai peoples. Headwaters consults with the two culture committees on the reservation regarding its priorities; I was invited to join them at a meeting of the Salish-Kalispel Culture Committee.

Taking the time to be present at meetings like these allows grant decision-makers to better understand top-line concerns, practical needs, and the wide range of perspectives held by elders and long-time community partners. It is in these spaces, listening carefully, receiving honest feedback, and learning through relationship, that trust begins to take root.

For a grantmaker like Headwaters, which supports work meant to create lasting, generational change, nuance matters. So does humility. The relationship between funders and communities is not one-directional. It is a shared process that requires mutual understanding, respect, and care. Trust, I learned, is not something written into a mission statement. It is built through consistency, follow-through, and a genuine intention to work side-by-side.

How you do anything is how you do everything

Another one of my takeaways was that the foundation’s values do not stop at external partnerships; they show up internally too. Even within four weeks, I witnessed intentional efforts to balance power dynamics and ensure every voice mattered. That culture was visible not only in meetings and decision-making, but also in the physical space itself.

On my first day, Jon, the Chief Finance and Operations Officer, gave me a tour of the Confluence Center on the first floor of the building. He spoke with genuine excitement about how the space functions as an extension of the foundation’s mission. Local nonprofits can use fully equipped meeting rooms free of charge. Community artists are regularly featured. The message felt clear: our space is your space.

The building itself became a living expression of values. Connection, openness, and shared ownership. That spirit was especially visible during Dia de los Muertos, a community gathering hosted in the building. The celebration extended beyond the Confluence Center and into the surrounding alleyways, transforming often overlooked spaces into places of cultural expression and joy.

Rooted in cultural tradition for Mexican American and Latinx communities, the gathering offered a way to honor loved ones who have passed while strengthening family and cultural bonds. It also invited the broader community to come together in shared celebration and learning.

A short stay, a lasting impact

As I write this, I find myself flipping through the many journal pages I filled during my time in Missoula, alongside photos that bring those memories back to life. Somewhere along the way, I realized that even in just one month, I had found a second home 8,400 miles away. A reminder that home is not always defined by geography, but by connection, care, and a sense of belonging.

For that, I will always be grateful.