Recently, I was given a task by a mentor. My assignment was to ask others to describe me. (Super cringy exercise, but personal growth is uncomfortable, right?) Of all of the many ways I was described by old friends, co-workers, and acquaintances, no one — not a single soul — called me a quitter … But this is the third time that I have taken — and then quit — a fundraising job.
The Hub
Radical transparency: Confronting nonprofit governance to truly eliminate discrimination and harassment
In Canada, the pre-pandemic nonprofit sector is a multi-billion-dollar-per-year sector that employs 2 million Canadians. However, the pandemic has laid bare the number of
structural and systemic inequities within our sector. Knowing this, can we confidently
expect the nonprofit sector to lead on issues of racism and other deeply rooted forms of
systemic discrimination?
My love of Ori’ dance, as seen through a community-centric lens
Ori’ dance was an important part of life in ancient Tahiti and was often performed in religious ceremonies, social gatherings, and everyday life. It was used by the Tahitian people to pass down traditions to younger generations so that they can tell the stories of their ancestors. Each individual dance tells a story through hip movements and hand motions.
Reparations: How we white relatives must try to pay back the unpayable debt
As a child, I was taught in school that slavery ended in 1865, all thanks to the benevolence and heroism of President Abraham Lincoln. After that, there was some unrest in the 1960s, and Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Fortunately, slavery is now a relic of the past. Now, we know so much better, and every February is Black History Month.
Like most white children who were indoctrinated with this false history, I accepted that I was innocent, and that this history had nothing to do with me.
The Ethical Rainmaker: “Raises in a pandemic” with Ananda Valenzuela
During a double pandemic and a recession, hear a powerful story about how and why one organization decided to make the somewhat radical decision to retain all staff and give raises. This inspirational story comes from Ananda Valenzuela, Interim ED of RVC, who talks with Michelle about how these decisions were made and how their family and personal history have shaped their work and worldview.
Nonprofit Industrial Complex 101: a primer on how it upholds inequity and flattens resistance
To imagine new worlds, we need words that reflect our current one. Audre Lorde tells us, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” and I think this is why there is such a proliferation of new language on the left — we are describing forces we have purposefully been given no words to describe — new words to talk about gender, race, and identity — new words to talk about a diversity of internal experiences — new words to talk about the oppressive ways society is organized.
On Word for Wildlife: “Interpersonal Philanthropy”
After some fans and supporters of #BlackBirdersWeek found Tykee’s personal Venmo account and gave him money, he decided to reflect on the concept of interpersonal philanthropy and if it can advance equity. He also connects the Principles of Community-Centric Fundraising to wildlife conservation.
Why I decided to give up complicity in order to be an anti-racist volunteer manager
Four months into a previous job as a volunteer manager at one of the oldest nonprofit organizations in the region, I sat down to talk with one white mentor, who privately shared his prejudice toward his Black mentees.
He wasn’t the last to do so.
‘You want a director of what now?!’ When orgs that are hiring are too lazy to know what they want
Recently I saw a director of development position at a local organization whose work I respect. The overview paragraph talked about being the face of the organization, building strategic partnerships, preparation of grants, appeals, campaigns, etcetera. Great, I thought. I can do all of that!
The Ethical Rainmaker: “Meaning well isn’t good enough,” with Vu Le
Fundraising is well-intended, but meaning well isn’t good enough. Hear Vu Le, one of the most amplified voices in the nonprofit sector, talk with Michelle about how the principles of community-centric fundraising were created and how his family and personal history have shaped his work and his worldview.
“Philanthropy”
When white-centric organizations and philanthropists impose their vision of action in fighting systemic racism, it can be detrimental to the actual work needed to create reform. Context and history is important. Abdul Ali reached out with the idea of writing and performing a spoken word poem that addresses this very topic, created just for CCF. Read and watch the performance of the poem, “Philanthropy.”
How prospect research can help nonprofits become less racist and more inclusive
Prospect researchers have a responsibility to play a part in helping nonprofits become proactively less racist and more inclusive. Here are a few ways for prospect researchers to think about moving the needle forward on making nonprofits anti-racist.