This is a guest post by Tracy Wright, a crusader and advocate for the anti- sexual violence movement at the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Recently, I celebrated my six-year anniversary working in the anti-sexual violence movement and with the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (please hold all applause until the end). In addition to being excited about this milestone of sorts, I began to reflect on how and why I continue to do this work. The answer is simple: sound mentorship.
For the purpose of this blog, the conglomerate of allies, visionaries, advocates and survivors who serve as my mentorship circle will be coined as investors. Essentially, that’s what they are. They cultivated a relationship, believed in a product’s potential, invested time and resources and took risks. Although they don’t anticipate fiscal gains, these investors do require a sound return in work product, ethics, advocacy and sustainability. Keep in mind that working with these investors is no easy feat because they can be overbearing. However, as a product, one has to grasp that their tactics are coming from a place of wanting to see kinetic energy transform to potential energy and that energy manifest into social change. If you, as a product, are in a place where you want to seek investors and their buy in, here are five things I think are key in merging investor and product.
1. Time Commitment. Just as anti-oppression work is a lifelong process, so is mentorship. Both entities have to enter into the realm of mentor and mentee with an understanding that ideals and needs shift but time can’t be a factor in doing the greater good.
2. Critical Thinking. Don’t be misled that mentorship is an utopian relationship. For me, most of that time is spent correcting mishaps, shaping thoughts and sharing information all of which are vital to leadership development. Challenging questions are the core of preparing the product to respond to mistakes and streamlining processes.
3. Push Past Personal Boundaries. Six years ago, to say I was timid and shy would be an understatement. Today I present, spearhead projects and even write articles. Never bragging but indeed humbled by the turn of events. With every opportunity afforded me, I enter into it knowing that I would not be in a place to be receptive of it without my investors. They pushed me my past my constraints through esteem building, access to professional development and believing in my brand.
4. Honesty. My, aren’t my investors honest! When I do something right, they are the first to praise. When I make a mistake, they are the first to correct. That consistency is appreciated. At first it was a tough adjustment because I took their constructive criticisms personally. As I grew as a person, I became more receptive to my investor’s firm hand and insight to do and be better.
5. Willingness to Grow. Investors, or at least the good ones, want to see their product grow and flourish. This is the same for mentors. The relationship is entered into with growth at the forefront. Growth in the form of a willingness to learn, take risks, make mistakes and be the best product possible.
I am no household name. I am sure I won’t end the epidemic of sexual violence. What I do know is that my product is sound and I am in a good place to do good work. Now that I think about it, that is all my investors wanted from me initially. Now I have the task of seeking out products, ensuring they are planted in good ground to change the world; that in itself exceeds anything money can buy.
Tracy D. Wright is the Technical Assistance Provider and Women of Color Leadership Project Coordinator with the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCCASA) for the National Resource Sharing Project. Her current work provides technical assistance and training to 16 state and territorial sexual assault coalitions. In this capacity, Tracy works with national entities to create a coordinated response to ending sexual violence, addresses emerging issues and carves out initiatives specifically for women of color in the anti-sexual violence movement. Tracy’s initial work in the women’s anti-violence movement began as a project intern with NCCASA where she compiled an analysis of over 75 sexual assault service providers in North Carolina. Fully committed to a life of service, Tracy has served on the boards of the Wake County Commission for Women and the Achievement Academy of Durham. She regularly lends time and talents to Wright Interactions and Reaching Your Goals, Inc. Ms. Wright holds a BA in Mass Communications from Shaw University and a Masters of Science in Print Journalism from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. She was also a graduate of the North Carolina Center for Women in Public Service Summer Institute.
This Monday, July 19, I invite you to tune in on your lunch break to my internet radio show, All Nonprofits Considered on BlogTalkRadio! Join me for a live discussion with Rahama Wright, founder and President of Shea Yeleen International, as she shares her journey through the nonprofit sector and her passion for the work of Shea Yeleen, an organization whose mission is to promote sustainable economic development and empower women in rural West Africa through organizing and training women owned cooperatives to produce, market, and sell high quality shea butter. Don’t miss it!
July 19, 12:00-1:00pm EST
Rahama Wright, Founder & President of Shea Yeleen Shares Her Journey
Rahama Wright was introduced to shea butter production when she was an intern at the American Embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. During her three month assignment she met and interviewed shea butter producers and discovered the challenges they had in bringing their products to market. Soon after her time in Ouagadougou, she committed to a two year Peace Corps service in Mali, where she helped to create the first shea butter cooperative in her village Dio. As a first generation Ghanaian American, Rahama truly connected to the struggles of many of the women in her village community. She felt that she could be a bridge to assisting these women in maximizing their local resources to become entrepreneurs in the global marketplace. In 2005 she officially launched Shea Yeleen International a 501c3 social enterprise that helps women in West Africa organize cooperatives, provides training on quality assurance and mico enterprise development, and brings the shea butter products to market. Her goal is to change the shea butter sector so that all women shea producers can be fairly compensated for their labor.
As well as working as the Executive Director of Shea Yeleen, Rahama has been focused on youth development through mentorship as a volunteer for BUILD, a nonprofit that instills entrepreneurship skills in DC high school students. Rahama received her degree in International Relations from the State University of New York at Geneseo and has worked for Aguirre International, Georgetown University, and the Department of State. She’s also an avid traveler with trips to Afghanistan, Tanzania, Morocco, Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Southern Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana under her belt.
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This morning, I moderated a panel called “Rising Through the Ranks: Race & Gender in Nonprofit Leadership.” The discussion was a joint event between the Nonprofit Roundtable and YNPNdc geared toward emerging leaders in philanthropy and nonprofits.
The conversation opened with Kelly Reid from the National MultiCultural Institute sharing some of the statistics in the Urban Institute’s recent report, Measuring Racial-Ethnic Diversity in the Baltimore-Washington Region’s Nonprofit Sector. We were joined by a racially and gender diverse panel, including:
- Bomani Johnson, Community Foundation for the National Capital Region
- Amy Loudermilk, DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Christian Gonzales, CentroNia
- Linda Nguyen, Alliance for Children and Families
Each panelist shared a story about how their leadership experiences in the nonprofit sector have been affected by race and/or gender. It was an amazing discussion and I wish you had been there.
One Really Important Thing that stuck out for me during the conversation was this:
Diversity is very often the wrong word to use when we’re talking about efforts to bring in more people of color or LGBT or men or women into our organizations. We have to get increasingly more specific about what we mean when we say diversity, because we all think something different in our minds when the term is used.
In my case, what I’m usually talking about on my blog is racial justice.
The Applied Research Center defines racial justice this way:
We define racial justice as the proactive reinforcement of policies, practices, attitudes and actions that produce equitable power, opportunities, treatment, impacts and outcomes for all.
I’m talking about inclusion and equality and I’m talking about power. Which is far more complex and involved than diversity. It goes beyond “diversity workshops” and “sensitivity training” and reaches into sector reform, advocacy and policy change.
What many of us do goes way beyond diversity as a blanket concept. But in nonprofit circles, diversity seems to be a much more accessible word for the conversation.
Or is it?
- Sad that I missed this week’s #ynpchat about professional development, but my girl Allison Jones sums up the conversation pretty nicely, including a discussion about the utility of advanced degrees and where to find opportunities.
- Did you miss my last radio show? I talked to two passionate nonprofit leaders about that crazy new Florida law that’s basically spells disaster for diversity in philanthropy.
- This weekend, two civil rights groups – the National Council of La Raza and the NAACP – are holding important meetings to talk about issues facing people of color, including the economy. At the same time. In different parts of the country. The logical part of me wonders if their efforts wouldn’t be more powerful if done together. Black and brown, together we stand?
- Should nonprofit professionals be expected to make a financial donation to their own employer? Brigid Slipka says yes.
- Um, wow. This observation on volunteerism from Do Something just might be the best.tweet.ever.
- Is Generation Y headed for a social media hangover? I’m gonna go with no.
- In the meantime, here are 10 meaningful social media tasks for your summer intern. Or any intern for that matter.
Last year, I compiled this list of 20 nonprofit and philanthropy blogs written by people of color, which is still the most viewed post on this site to date. Since it’s so popular for readers, I decided to update it with some more great bloggers of color writing about nonprofits, philanthropy and social change. I’m excited that this list has increased by 50% since last year, but I know there can be so many more of us out there sharing our voices! In the meantime, read the bloggers on this list – all brilliant, thoughtful writers and thinkers in the nonprofit field. And please add any that I missed in the comments!
Editors note: While I do recognize that there are numerous people of color who write about different niche social issues, what I was searching for were those that are offering thought leadership to the field of nonprofits, philanthropy and social change overall. A little more about who is and is not included here:
- Sometimes it is not easy to tell if a blogger is a person of color unless they self-identify. So again, if I missed some obvious thought leader bloggers writing about nonprofits & philanthropy, please do drop their blog link in the comments. I really appreciate it.
- You will notice that I have included here links to blogs authored by Jewish bloggers, although I recognize that while not all Jews identify as a person of color, many of them do. So I’m happy to include their perspectives here as well.
- I tried, for the most part, not to include bloggers of color that were writing exclusively under the auspices of any particular organization or institution, i.e. an African American blogging for the NAACP or something like that. I was looking for those who maintain thought leadership in their own right.
- You’ll also notice that most of these bloggers have a focus on nonprofits and philanthropy in the United States, which mirrors my own focus and interests for readers of this blog.
This list is in no particular order. You’ll also notice that I removed a couple of the original bloggers from this list because they had not posted anything new within the last six months. Hopefully, they’ll start writing again soon!
- Black Gives Back by Tracey Webb
- South Asian Philanthropy Project by Archana Sridhar, et al.
- New Voices of Philanthropy by Trista Harris, et al.
- White Courtesy Telephone by Albert Ruesga
- Leadership as a Field of Study by Lindsey McDougle
- Entry Level Living by Allison Jones
- Asian American Giving by Dien S. Yuen, et al.
- Marketing for Nonprofits by Jocelyn Harmon
- Being the Difference by Darius Graham
- Nonprofit Connectors by Antonette Artiz
- Nonprofit Law Blog by Gene Takagi
- Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology by Michelle Murrain
- The New Jew: Blogging Jewish Philanthropy by Maya Norton
- Jewish Donor Blog by David Rubin and Yoav Kaufman
- The Fabulous Giver by Karyn Brianne
- Beacons on the Frontline by Asia Hadley
- Mission Paradox by Adam Thurman
- eJewish Philanthropy: The Jewish Philanthropy Blog (group blog)
- Work in Progress by Tanya Simpson (NEW)
- Nonprofit Adventures by Anh Phuong Tran (NEW)
- Cabinet of Curiosities by Adrianne Russell (NEW)
- More Than a Gift by Ayofemi Hunter Kirby (NEW)
- From Our Perspective by Alfonso Wenker and Kevin Watson (NEW)
- Social Change Diva by Ericka Hines (NEW)
- Shannon Marshall (NEW)
- Done by People by Joe Brown (NEW)
- Of Service by Niecy Taylor (NEW)
- Irene Agustin (NEW)
- Cherita Smith | social media + social change (NEW)
- Justice for All by Akhila Kolisetty (NEW)
- Minnesota Rising by Diane Tran (NEW)
- A Note or Two by Jenny Guerrero (NEW)
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I had so many questions after hearing about this new legislation in Florida that I requested comment from several organizations regarding their position on advocacy efforts aimed at curtailing how much state and local governments can do to regulate foundations and their diversity practices.
First I asked some of the foundations who are members of the Florida Philanthropy Network, which is obviously in support of the new legislation:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
“Our membership in the Florida Philanthropy Network does not constitute an endorsement of their activities on this legislation.”
“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation believes that diversity and inclusion strengthen the charitable sector’s ability to address social inequities.
Within the foundation, we actively monitor the global diversity of our workforce and we have joined several affinity groups to increase targeted recruitment efforts and expand networking opportunities for current employees. Attracting, supporting, and developing a diverse, global workforce is critical to our impact.
The foundation pays membership dues and provides general operating support to a variety of national charitable sector associations. We also are members of regional grantmaker associations, such as the Florida Philanthropy Network, in states where we have significant programmatic activity.
We were not aware that the Florida Philanthropy Network was advocating for this legislation, and we were never asked to sign on to a letter of support or endorsement of any kind. Our membership in the Florida Philanthropy Network does not constitute an endorsement of their activities on this legislation.”
Jessie Ball duPont Fund
“The Jessie Ball duPont Fund is deeply committed to diversity and inclusiveness.”
From Jessie Ball duPont Fund President Sherry P. Magill:
“The Jessie Ball duPont Fund is deeply committed to diversity and inclusiveness, as evidenced by our grantmaking and our practices within our organization. For the record, we were not aware of the Florida estate-tax-fix bill prior to its being signed by the governor.”
Then, I asked some of the top infrastructure organizations serving nonprofits and philanthropy. (I’d love to tell you what Independent Sector thinks, but they never got back to me.)
Council on Foundations
“We believe that voluntary leadership prevents legislative mandates.”
“The Council on Foundations has always encouraged voluntary leadership and proactive steps to achieve greater diversity and inclusion as well as transparency and accountability in our field. We believe this stand is right, and we believe that voluntary leadership prevents legislative mandates. Nothing about our commitment or strategy has changed.”
Foundation Center
“Greater transparency is the best defense of philanthropic freedom.”
“The Foundation Center does not take any formal stances on policy matters regarding the operation of foundations. But as a knowledge resource for the field, we believe that more information is better than less, and that greater transparency is the best defense of philanthropic freedom. By providing data to groups ranging from the Philanthropic Collaborative to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and conducting research with foundations and regional associations, we are committed to helping philanthropy meet the challenges and opportunities of diversity.”
In reading between the lines, it sounds like these four groups are pretty much opposed to the new Florida law. Too bad they didn’t use their voices to speak up to let the bill’s supporters know before it was passed.
P.S. Join me on Monday, June 28 for a live discussion with Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, who agrees with me that the new Florida legislation is a major setback for philanthropy. Al Pina, Chair of the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition, will also be joining us.
This Monday, June 28, I invite you to tune in on your lunch break to my internet radio show, All Nonprofits Considered on BlogTalkRadio! Join me for a live discussion with Aaron Dorfman of the National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy as well as Al Pina from the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition (FMCRC) about the implications of the new Florida legislation on philanthropy, transparency, and nonprofit diversity practices. Don’t miss it!
June 28, 12:00-1:00pm EST
Aaron Dorfman of NCRP Discusses the Implications of New FL Legislation on Nonprofit Diversity Practices
Aaron Dorfman is executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), a research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. NCRP works to ensure America’s grantmakers are responsive to the needs of those with the least wealth, opportunity and power. Before joining NCRP in 2007, Dorfman served for 15 years as a community organizer with two national organizing networks, spearheading grassroots campaigns to improve public education, expand public transportation for low-income residents and improve access to affordable housing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Carleton College (where he studied under the late Senator Paul Wellstone) and a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. Dorfman frequently speaks and writes about the importance of diversity in philanthropy, the benefits of foundation funding for advocacy and community organizing, and the need for greater accountability and transparency in the philanthropic sector.
Al Pina currently chairs the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition (FMCRC), which he founded and developed in partnership with the Greenlining Institute of California, for the purpose of enhancing Community Reinvestment and accessing capital for minority community organizations of Florida. FMCRC represents over 52 Florida Minority Community Development Organizations in Florida. FMCRC aims to help build self sustainability, and empower low-income and minority communities by promoting the for profit model and attracting investments for health, education, home ownership, employment, and minority entrepreneurship through a holistic advocacy approach. Al Pina successfully negotiated with Wachovia/SouthTrust, Bank of America, AmSouth, Colonial Bank, Regions Bank and J.P. Morgan Chase regarding their specific commitments for Florida, and continues to work on his goal of obtaining a minimum of $300 billion of committed community reinvestment from financial institutions for Florida minority and undeserved communities over the next 10 years.
Don’t Forget to Join the Live Chat Room!
About 10 minutes before the show begins, I open up the live chat room that appears right below the audio player. Be sure to log-in to the chat room during the show to share your questions and comments. Talk live with me, my guests and the other listeners! Remember, you can both listen online or call in – this is a LIVE show! And it’s going to be AWESOME. Can’t listen to the live show? No worries – each show is archived for you to listen to later online or you can subscribe to the show in iTunes and get it in your iPod.
Yes, it’s 2010. And no, diversity is not dead.
Businesses like PriceWaterhouseCoopers understand that “diversity and inclusion is essential for business success,” especially when it comes to cultivating and supporting their talent. I and many of my colleagues often wish that more nonprofit groups would share this same priority in our work.
So of course, I was really sad to see that two longstanding leadership development programs for emerging foundation leaders of color are going away — at least temporarily. The Associated Grant Makers Diversity Fellowship and the ABFE (Association of Black Foundation Executives) Connecting Leaders Fellowship Program list both similar and different reasons for ending or halting their leadership development program for leaders of color.
Read the rest of my post on the Chronicle of Philanthropy here.
P.S. Do you know of any other leadership development efforts geared toward supporting people of color in the nonprofit sector? If so, please share them in the comments! I’d like to cull a list to share with you dear readers at a later date.
There’s not really much I can say about this without scratching my head. This recent press release from the Council on Foundations raises some serious questions for me about why the organization is just now recognizing tribal philanthropy, “the oldest philanthropy in the country” as full and equal partners in their work.
The Council on Foundations is initiating a greater level of partnership with tribal philanthropic organizations by welcoming them as full, voting members of the organization, a move that was approved recently by unanimous decision of the Council’s board. Prior to this policy change, most tribal programs were eligible only for associate membership. Now the Council and its members will have more opportunity to support, learn from, and collaborate with tribal philanthropies.
The Council has been around since 1949, which means that it’s taken them six decades to become fully inclusive of tribal philanthropy. Those of us who fight for social justice might find ourselves with a queasy feeling in our stomachs as we read a little bit between these lines of the Council’s press statement:
The stronger partnership will give greater voice to issues affecting those communities and is an ongoing recognition of tribal philanthropy’s tremendous contributions to the public good.
It makes it seem as if we – and by we I mean communities of color – have to wait to be “anointed” by mainstream philanthropy before our contributions can be fully legitimized. How is it that the oldest form of philanthropy has been relegated to the sidelines for this long? The Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers offers a few clues that underscore the importance of the Council’s recent decision:
- Mainstream philanthropy has not done all that it could to engage communities of color as donors, as leaders in decision making, or as partners and grantees. For the most part, these trends have shown little improvement in the past 25 years.
- The opportunity for people of color to shape decisions in mainstream grantmaking institutions is extremely limited. Six percent of foundation executive directors and one in ten board members are people of color.
- Organizations that serve or are led by racial, ethnic and tribal people are persistently under-funded. Foundation dollars targeting Asian, Latino, Native American and African American communities and organizations collectively add up to 3 – 4% of all foundation giving.
So, it’s no wonder why the Council is making such a big deal about this “partnership,” as Steve Gunderson clearly states that:
“This policy change reflects our commitment to supporting diverse and inclusive philanthropy in all of its forms.”
While I applaud the policy change, it probably goes without saying that the real news item here is the story behind why the Council did not previously allow tribal philanthropy organizations to become full members of the Council. I wish to God that I had that story, but I’m guessing it has more to do with discrimination than with the administration of “policy.”
Cozality on 
bsaunders on 
