When those of us in the sector talk about community-centric fundraising, we tend to intellectualize it, resulting in skeptics saying, “Well, this sounds interesting, but unrealistic. We don’t know how it would look or how it would work.” So for our launch, we wanted to give folx keen on applying CCF’s 10 Principles a concrete starting point. Integrating race, equity, social, and economic justice into fundraising and philanthropy is a lifelong commitment and endeavor. We know it will require a lot of discussions, arguments, experimentations, failures, and successes. We also know how it is carried out will look different from location to location, from culture to culture, and from organization to organization. We’re excited for the creativity and ingenuity and positive results that will surely come out of this work. We’ll be expanding on these CCF-aligned action items over time, but this list is something to help you get started. Please use this list to plan when and how you’ll apply these strategies. Some notes:

• The WHAT section details some suggested action items that we have found yielded really positive results in many of our own Seattle-based community organizations as well as organizations across the nation.
• Use the WHEN section to set timelines. Consider whether you have the freedom and resources to enact each strategy now or whether it’s best to set medium or long-term timelines.
• Use the WHO section to identify folx who will spearhead action items for teams to carry forward goals.
• The HOW section can reflect the modes or methods in which actions items will be carried out.

(Also, after you’ve enacted some of these actions, we’d love to hear from you to learn what works for you and what you’ve learned and adapted!)