By Esther Saehyun Lee & Maria Rio
For women of color, consulting offers a unique opportunity to resist and challenge the structures in place. By being open to work with multiple organizations, consultants can choose to only partner with nonprofits focused on ethical fundraising and dignified work.
I am not saying things do not have to change. I think there is a balance necessary in any community. We need to see economic development, we need more housing, and we want the beautiful things every other community gets too: but what is the cost?
As we know, the nonprofit industrial complex is this tangled web of boards, applications, qualifications, etc. But how did we get to a point where the complex would actively hinder mutual aid projects that are engaging in and doing meaningful, grassroots work?
How could I “decolonize development” while also holding on to the power to manage programs and dictate funding for grassroots leaders working with young Indian women when I had little context of their actual experiences and challenges?
How is it that we can ask folks to go “back to normal” when we know government grant-funded organizations, which are often the biggest in municipalities, continue to operate without intersectionality and effective community responsiveness?
By Esther Saehyun Lee & Maria Rio
Young fundraisers of color join organizations because they know the harms the sector causes and want to make a difference. When they first arrive, they are optimistic and pour their energy into the mission they believe in. However, often, they find out that the greatest challenges to ethical practices are not external but internal.
We spend a lot of time, energy, and resources to meet the needs of our community and take care of the patrons in our circle, whether they be donors, stakeholders, or other members of the community we are working with. But we should also be taking care of the folks inside the organization as well.
When they told us there were no qualified Black job candidates, senior management really meant, “There are no Black candidates with the right education and connections, and we’re not willing to invest in an excellent Black candidate with potential.”
By Xochi Flores, Cinthya Martinez, Heather Masterson, and April Walker
Because we know our work is far from done, we want to share our journey with others. We hope our transparency inspires and catalyzes, and we look forward to learning from our extended CCF family along the way.
…the real reason nonprofits continue to fail at staff retention and equity initiatives is that they refuse to address their oppression.
As we re-imagine ways to create equitable spaces — including workspaces — it’s important to remember that just as everyone comes in with productivity and project learning curves, they also come with relational learning curves.
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.