As president of The Oasis Institute, Paul Weiss has built his career around work that feels meaningful and improves people’s lives. Guided by curiosity and a “get to yes” approach, Weiss hopes to expand Oasis’ reach and promote lifelong learning, purposeful volunteering, and the idea that aging can be vibrant for everyone.
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Organization: The Oasis Institute
Title: President
Age: 58
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Education: PhD in Education and Psychology
Interests / Hobbies: Hiking, books, dogs, cooking, wine, and way too much collecting of things.
What motivated you to get involved in this work? Doing work that feels meaningful and improves people’s life has been the core of my work, and I’ve had the opportunity to do this in many different places and different ways. My work makes my life feel more meaningful.
What values or principles guide how you show up in this role/community? Be a good listener, for your community, your colleagues, your Board and stakeholders, and stay curious and open to other points of view.
What’s the most enjoyable aspect? A combination of the energy and enthusiasm of Oasis volunteers, the passion and persistence of my colleagues, and the incredibly diversity of our Oasis participants in all of our programs.
Can you briefly share a few standout memories? I’ve been most moved by attending and speaking a convenings of our Oasis Inter-generational literacy tutors, hearing stories about their connections with the kids they tutor and mentor. One of our tutors built a relationship with a child that lasted decades, she attended graduations from middle school, college, and even her wedding. This sort of connection is the magic of this simple program model of giving older adults an opportunity to connect with and teach a child who needs an extra person in their lives in order to thrive as a learner. Both lives are changed by creating an extra inter-generational connection.
Can you share an insight about this role that most people don’t know? Leading a non-profit means getting into the weeds. Being part of putting together new chairs for our new center in North County with the entire team. Solving disputes between passionate program participants. Not just asking for gifts from donors, but trying to get to know your supporters authentically. Listening to new ideas for programs from unlikely sources (our new inter-generational program, Grand Champions, that connects older adults with children in the foster care system wasn’t my idea, it was a philanthropist who asked at an event “do you think your tutoring model could be shaped to create life-skills mentors for children in foster care?”) And now we are building a program and doing it.
What’s one key piece of advice you’ve embraced? “Money follows program.” As a nonprofit you can’t take your attention away from the core functions of your mission. Philanthropy is earned by doing the work to make a difference and have an impact. This is linked to a second piece of advice “Get to Yes”; find a way to take advice, to solve a problem, to just “make it work” and get to yes or a version of yes. Nothing takes the air out of a balloon as fast as a thoughtless “no,” and the combination of these two mantras is where the magic happens in non-profit impact and philanthropy: be open to new idea, and find a yes and do the work.
What’s the greatest challenge? For Oasis, it’s the blunt truth that very little philanthropy is focused on older adults. Less than 2 percent of philanthropic organizations and individuals are focused on aging populations, and of that 2 percent most is focused on food insecurity, housing, food, and healthcare. The broad mission of Oasis to improve the lives of older adults through lifelong learning, purposeful volunteering, and enabling active lifestyles is outside of most philanthropic focus despite older adults making up an increasingly large percentage of the population AND the fact that it’s the one condition we are all going to experience (getting older)!
Where do you find inspiration? The enthusiasm of my colleagues, the wealth of wisdom and enthusiasm of our volunteers and participants, and my 88-year-old mother’s continued curiosity. We live one life, and all of it should be as vital, impactful, and joyful as possible, not just our youth.
What are your future plans or ambitions? I would love to see Oasis expand even more geographically, of us to engage more volunteers in real impacts with youth in need, and to be the go-to organization when someone thinks about improving the quality of life for older adults in their community and the ways older adults themselves can make a community more vibrant for everyone. On a personal note, I hope to age well, to maintain my joy and curiosity, and to be a great example as I move inevitably into the Oasis era of my life.
