Event Recap: June 2020 Member Meet-Up

After introductory remarks by the session facilitator, Jessie Lee, the meeting broke up into working groups to discuss two questions, and then returned to full session to report the results:

• What do you do or plan to do in your own practice to build an anti-racist nonprofit sector?
• How can we as a member community support each other to create an anti-racist nonprofit sector?

Participants were very engaged and thoughtful and came up with ideas that went beyond the specific two questions. This summary is organized not by the questions but by the category of the participant responses and comments. The resource list at the end shows items included in the pre-meeting email and items provided by members during or after the meeting.

Both the facilitator and participants acknowledged that the learning, conversations and collaboration must continue well beyond the session to further this work.

• What does a non-racist nonprofit sector look like? Organizations should first define that for themselves. This applies to for-profit organizations as well.
• Be more aware of and active in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives and activities.
• As consultants and for organizations themselves, incorporate DEI training and encourage continuous conversations.
• Look at if/how missions address racial bias and uplift the voices of under-represented members of the public.
• An organization’s stories reveal their values, so looking at those stories can also be a good place to start.

• Need new philanthropy and fundraising methods that engage more people.
• Current “Major Gift” approach comes out of university and hospital tradition (traditionally high funded with advantages – e.g., alumnae and grateful patients). Expand the definition of “Major Gifts” to mean larger gift, not just a specific amount.
• Use Crowdfunding (more democratized) – a lot of gifts that help build a movement.

• Every organization believes that its board should be diverse, but the challenge lies in actual recruitment.
• Boards tend to start with people who are similar in many ways (including racially). It’s then a challenge to broaden out.
• Set better expectations for outreach throughout the organization’s life, not just at the point where they’re searching.
• Look outside organization and board’s existing network, perhaps using existing directories for search. (Need to identify those directories.)

• Continue to diversify membership base
• Support further diversification of nonprofit consultant network as a whole
• Support and promote work of social justice organizations
• Offer / participate in additional conversations and training on how we can be more equitable and inclusive in our own lives, practices, and work with clients, e.g.:

1. Create a specific LinkedIn group for members to talk about equity and inclusion in our work and share resources
2. Add Resource area on Nonprofit Specialists website
3. Watch videos/read books/articles etc., then have group discussions
4. Hold more of these types of meetings, perhaps by area of expertise • Convene with other capacity building groups

• Create benchmarks to define and capture progress (e.g., how we are addressing the issue, raising the questions, seeing impact, how much infused in our work, tracking the effect on our clients)

• CI to Eye with Cardozie Jones, Is Your Organization Anti-Racist? (podcast, 38 mins)
• National Museum of African American History and Culture: I am a Person Committed to Equity (website)
• Death, Sex & Money: Between Friends: Your Stories About Race and Friendship (podcast, 47 mins)
• Medium: Who gets to decide what economic recovery looks like? (Article about Importance of Collaboration, Community and Equity in COVID-Recovery Planning)
• Code Switch: What About Your Friends? (podcast, 50 mins)
• Cape Up: Civil rights icon John Lewis is ‘deeply moved’ by today’s demonstrations (podcast, 19 mins)
• The New York Times Magazine: The 1619 Project (website)
• On Being: Resmaa Menakem, ‘Notice the Rage; Notice the Silence’ (podcast, 51 mins)

List of Resources Shared by Meet-up Attendees:

• Ahead of the Curve (compilation of tools and resources developed with our partners): https://www.aheadofthecurve.nyc/resources/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/
• Decolonizing Wealth: https://www.decolonizingwealth.com/thebook
• How To Be An Anti-Racist: https://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist-1
• I’m Not Racist, Am I? http://www.notracistmovie.com/inrai-follow-resources/
• poorpeoplescampaign.org
• Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist Multicultural Organization https://www.aesa.us/conferences/2013_ac_presentations/Continuum_AntiRacist.pdf