There’s something about these organizations grounded in equity, driven by justice, and shifting power to community-rooted solutions. Does the work of dismantling oppressive systems inherently prioritize staff? In my experience, yes — and a bias for action, learning, and adaptability attract this inclination for intra-organizational alignment.
The Hub
Holding yourself accountable for your allyship
So how can we quantify allyship and truly hold ourselves accountable in and outside the workplace? One way is to set quantifiable weekly, monthly, and annual Tangible Action Goals (TAGs).
Beyond Philanthropy: Disrupting Fundraising
By Monique Curry-Mims and Valerie Johnson
In this episode, Monique and Valerie discuss the various aspects of Fundraising, how to move the practice forward, how to be more community-centric in your efforts, and how to educate donors throughout the process.
highrises
I was for the first time consciously observing how the city and many parts that I frequented were beginning to physically change and reflecting on what that meant to me. I do not want it to read as a sense of hopelessness, because I see it as an awakening of sorts; it gave me the chance to really reflect on what was happening in my community and learn to better advocate against inequitable development.
Why must the white cis nonprofit workers angry react to all my posts? Ep: Do your own internal labor and healing
White and cisgender folks in white- and cis-led organizations: your marginalized colleagues are already navigating an organization that was not made with them in mind. They don’t need to be navigating your hurt feelings or anxieties as well. Do your own internal work.
Collaborations are a two-way street. Full-stop.
Whether our collaborations take the form of corporate sponsorships, speaking engagements at annual events, or a vendor-partnership, we must shift our outlook on collaborations to be inclusive, equitable, ethical, and respectful for both parties involved.
The scarcity mindset may serve you as a fundraiser, but it will harm you as a leader
For the first time in my professional life, I can see that my response to the fear of scarcity doesn’t just harm me; it harms others. When I operate out of scarcity, I model the exact same oppressive leadership that I was taught and operated under. This model of individualism and perfectionism is seeped into all our bones but it was not until I entered a leadership role that I could see the nuance of its devastating effects.
Yes, you too: calling collusions out
Secrecy, exclusion, and collusions have hindered and oppressed racialized individuals in our sector. By “collusions,” I mean closed-door, non-transparent decision-making between those with power. These conversations do not include all affected parties. They maintain the status quo and cater to those in power; the results presented to those most harmed as final.
“I know enough to be dangerous”
Raise your hand if you’ve heard these words spoken by folks who have been given the mantle of leadership by title: “I know enough to be dangerous.” Upon hearing this phrase, we politely chuckle or offer a waning smile. It’s just self-deprecating enough from the person using the phrase that we offer a pass and let it slide. Would we react the same if the speaker had said something more honest, like: I don’t know enough about this but I’m claiming I do.
The price of passion: how codependency flourishes in nonprofit careers
As I reflected on my own experiences and dug into the research, I discovered that the deep sense of betrayal and rejection was not only a reaction to being laid off, but it was a symptom of codependency, something that I had struggled with in my personal relationships but had never applied the framework to my professional life.
The Ethical Rainmaker: The Hidden Danger of Purity Culture, ft. Lorraine Nibut
Purity culture is a form of supremacy and oppression — controlling and dictating how people express themselves, causing anguish and keeping us from our best work. Michelle and Lorraine Nibut talk about the many ways purity culture holds us down — and what we can do to fight back against it!
To stay or not to stay; that is the question.
As the year is ending, and I enter my 3rd year fully integrated in the field of philanthropy and fundraising, the joke I have often been saying out loud is:
“I wish I was bad at my job.”