Thanks to member Samaia Muhammad for the following recap!
Representation, Equity & Nonprofit Capacity Building
10/19/22, 12:30-2PM ET
DEI Efforts Continue for Nonprofit Specialists
Making space for diversity, equity and inclusion in nonprofit capacity building has been an additional effort for leaders in the wake of the country’s recent racial reckoning and the impact of a global health crisis. Practitioners gathered online for more than an hour to address a sentiment of fatigue and discuss how to keep making progress as interest in DEI efforts wane.
Elisa Charters, President at Latina Surge; Yolanda F. Johnson, President at YFJ Fundraising, LLC; Founder of WOC & Allies in Action; Lisa Pilar Cowan, Vice President at Robert Sterling Clark Foundation and Jennifer Swayne Njuguna, Esq., COO at Common Future contributed to a robust exchange led by Association of Nonprofit Specialists Board President, Joseph Barretto, head of Barretto Consulting.
“There is no one size fits all approach to addressing racism, but those are the moments that advance the work.” Jennifer Swayne Njuguna said as the panel discussed whether or not consultants should step in when witnessing an offense. “Speaking up and interrupting empowers others to do so.
Combative experiences can happen, especially when the offense is egregious. Risk as a consultant is not the same, so jump in and address what is happening in the moment knowing it is going to make for more productive conversations going forward.”
Speaking from lived, professional experience with reference to a recent Women in the Workplace report, Elisa Charters said, “DEI fatigue and political discussion have reached a place where it can be tough to know when you are facing an individual who has a predetermined set of assumptions.”
Expressing the need to remain steadfast in acknowledgment and exposure. “Step away from politicizing and stick to the issues at hand.” The conversation continued with participants moving to small group rooms to share their key takeaways and actionable opportunities.
Attendees included nonprofit executives and consultants who are at the forefront of decision-making in the nonprofit sector.
Discussion points and notes from the conversation can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EltK_NcMGe8wOzJedFGS133gw4aHAOrHheQcvAXdyl8/edit?usp=sharing
