Led by Andrea Pacheco, ILD '20, Chief Development Officer, Project Angel Heart
The Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) movement began with the work of Vu Le and his colleagues in the Northwest in 2015. Today, the movement has spread across with country with local chapters popping up, including one right here in Colorado. CCF is grounded in 10 principles with a central focus on race, equity, and social justice. Since the movement began, they've learned that when organizations continue to center these values, greater retention of BIPOC fundraisers follows.
Key Questions to Consider
1. Are you aware of the power dynamics and imbalances that exist within your organization and your community?
2. Donor-first language is pervasive. Do your communications encourage the "savior myth" that centers the donor as the superhero? How does this approach reinforce or impact power imbalances?
3. Do we value time equally as money?
4. How could your communications reflect that you equally value all members of your community?
If you're just getting started with these principles, remember that everyone has ability within themselves to start to make change. If you were able to make a 15% shift, what would that look like? It might include changing the images you use or way you offer tours to avoid poverty tourism, or shifting from "you" to "we" language, or publicly supporting social justice movements and denouncing acts of hatred.
Something to consider from class discussion: When using AI, are you considering implicit bias that may be present when looking for racial, cultural, or diverse content?
Engaging Donors of Color
Led by Renee Ferrufino, ILD '16, Vice President of Development, The Women's Foundation of Colorado
To engage with donors of color and build meaningful relationships, organizations must show a commitment to understanding different cultures and their unique values around giving. For example, many diverse donors give to houses of worship or religious groups that play an integral role in their lives and their communities. You may also learn that these donors value and give to organizations that focus specifically on their own race or ethnic group as well universities or educational programs providing opportunities to first-generation college students.
Build authentic relationships with your donors of color and create an inclusive culture among your board of directors to encourage these donors to take leadership roles. In its June 2021 report on board composition and practices, Board Source noted that 78% of board members in its survey sample were white. Similarly, a recent survey by the Center for Effective Philanthropy found that of 218 foundations that responded, more than half (57%) had fewer than 25% people of color representation on their board. Yet, research shows that organizations with more BIPOC leaders on their boards express a stronger commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion internally and to racial justice being incorporated as a programmatic priority externally.
What can you do? How do you "walk the talk"?
- Let the community drive your program choices and seek donors who align with these needs and your mission.
- Use tools like "Awake Awoke To Work" from the Kresge Foundation.
- Allocate the time and resources needed to be successful.
- Transition your leadership from the mindset that this work can be finished. This is forever work.
- Create an organizational action plan.
