By Dāna James and Naseem Kapdi
Once upon a time—not in a castle, but in a fogged-up café tucked away in Seattle—nine fundraisers gathered around a wobbly table, laughter too loud for the space, mugs clinking instead of glasses.
The catalyzing synergy of anger and hope
…what’s gotten me out of bed and into a posture of action is when I can both acknowledge and grieve for what’s at stake, and hold tight to what’s possible. In these types of conditions, to hope is to resist.
If we have to work to support our families, work should support our families: a call for Paid Family Leave across the sector
…as of March 2023, only 27% of civilian workers had access to paid family leave through their employer. Among the lowest-paid people, that number shrinks to just 6%. Cue the mom rage.
How are we living our CCF value of courage in this moment?
I ask all of us to reflect on that value of courage and consider: How are we living up to our value of courage in this space, context, and moment? And how are we falling short of living up to our value of courage in this space, context, and moment?
A love letter to the changemakers
I am the living, breathing embodiment of the highest dreams of all my ancestors and you are too, because I am a changemaker. And so are you.
Keep your “love is love” and other platitudes: 5 things individuals, organizations, and foundations can do this Pride month
This year, I don’t want to see a single “ally” say “love is love,” or “love wins,” or “all you need is love,” or any other trite, pointless, platitude. (I never want to see these, but especially not this year.)
Beyond Philanthropy: Community-driven solutions
By Monique Curry-Mims and Valerie Johnson
In this episode, Valerie sits down with Andrea Arenas and Michelle Shireen Muri, current consults and members of the Founding Council of Community-Centric Fundraising, to talk about reimagining philanthropy through community-driven solutions.
The exhausting art of making others comfortable
When we lean into discomfort with open hearts and curious minds, we become more capable of seeing the full humanity in others—and in doing so, we become better advocates, better allies, and better people.
The purge and the purpose: Saying goodbye to those abandoning justice in nonprofit work
Regarding the folks softening their language, prioritizing their comfort, and claiming a sudden reduction in risk capacity—let them go. One of the more nefarious dangers to justice movements is precisely the white moderate. And this sector has a tendency to reward and celebrate them.
World-building at world’s end: Our responsibility at the precipice of catastrophe
Here we are fragile, but not yet broken. Here we are rallying in defiance. Here we are with our ancestor’s breath fresh in our lungs. We are at this moment together. We are facing this moment with eyes wide open. It is now that we summon the screams in our chest. It is now that those sounds must create anew.
USAID’s pause and its effect on one Kenyan organization
One day, Bernadette and others were working in the office, when they received the news that everything was being put on hold indefinitely due to the order made by the US president to stop funding the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Palestine will free us all: A story of funder repression
The funding loss was initially a gut punch. It stoked fear in our hearts, it made us question our campaigns, and above all, it made us grieve the ongoing violence against Palestine.