I spend most mornings in reflection. One of these mornings in the midst of the protests of police violence targeting our Black and POC families, I was ruminating on my own experiences, and how I relate to this present moment. What have I been shown? How have I been complicit? What knowledge can I share? Scrolling on social media I came across a post by Brandi Riley “Thank you for your Black Lives Matter graphic. May I please see a picture of your executive leadership and company board?”
A screenshot of Brandi Riley’s tweet.
Then I remembered the IRS Form 990. All nonprofits and foundations are required to file a 990 tax form and make them accessible to the public. As a decade-long non-profit professional, I’ve had to navigate these forms myself whether it was preparing numbers to submit or prospecting for grant money. These forms reveal a lot about a nonprofit including their leadership and said leadership’s compensation.
I logged onto Facebook and shared what I knew. I pointed out that this information is publicly accessible and shared basic numbers from every organization where I’ve worked. Numbers like total assets and CEO compensation. One of the organizations that I referenced was a foundation with total assets of $260 million. They had funded a nonprofit where I held a brief residency.
My post about them was direct, but not incorrect:
“… by far the largest $$ and the least given, especially proportionally to access to capital (white led foundations are also at the center of pivoting toward white savior mentality)”.
It garnered a response. The foundation VP and senior program manager of community development, and CEO of the nonprofit (aka my former boss), reached out and said “Would enjoy talking to you about this. When’s a good time for you to get together?”
I replied via email with the intention of moving the conversation to that format.
“…I would love to continue the conversation as I deeply believe that this is an opportunity to pivot for everyone, especially cities that have corporate interests that dictate growth. ”
He wrote:
“I don’t see the harm in a quick sit down. There’s nothing to worry about. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts, hear some early ideas of where you think you’d like to take this inquiry, and see if I can be helpful connecting you to some resources.” He told me we could sit and talk about “making the world a better place.” Note: This was coming from a (white) man in a position of power. It was off-putting, unsettling, and condescending to position himself as the knowledge holder.
And continued:
“The issue of lack of diversity at foundations (and at the majority of nonprofits that serve black and brown populations) is staggering. Nationally. It’s concerning and you’re right to look into it. It wasn’t by design, but it’s undeniable that the … foundation’s 5 staff members (all who have been at the foundation for the 11 years since its inception in 2009) are all white. While we aren’t expanding our team at the moment (so as to keep our operating costs low), but if/when someone leaves, we’d certainly want to diversify our staff.”
I responded again, with an attempt to call him in:
“I want to start off by saying this is all coming from a place of compassion and I am having this conversation with you because I do believe you are someone who wants to work to be a better contributor to our society.”
Then I dug deeper into the problem:
“Social justice work and systems change is messy, complicated, and uncomfortable and I challenge you to sit with that discomfort. More than ever it is up to leadership, especially those with access to an abundance of resources (a CEO with a $600,000/year salary?) to be vigilant and learn about internalized racism, and the white savior mentality, especially as you have recognized, this pattern is permeated throughout the country.
It is also problematic to look at one diversity hire as the solution to internalized racist structures. In doing so you are opening yourself up to tokenize one person instead of addressing the systemic issues at hand.
I am not locally based, but I am still tied in with many who are doing work and remaining vigilant in supporting their communities.”
I’m proud of my response. I wrote everything with the sincere intention of continuing the conversation. It’s a heavy job to dig into the power structures of our communities, but at this moment in time I feel we are being called to do exactly that.
His response?
“If you’re ever back … and want to meet to talk about this let me know.”
I was stunned. This is someone who presents himself as an agent of change. He billed his organization as important to community investment, and has community development in his job title. But, unless I was willing to have a conversation alone with him, on his turf, keeping the conversation going was not possible.
At that moment I realized that I could either keep pursuing individuals who were absolutely not interested in this type of conversation, or instead foster relationships and align with those who are willing to sit in that discomfort in order to enact real, important systems change. Building on a decade-long working relationship with Vicki and a lifelong commitment to social justice, I have found it best to find work where it is possible to move the needle. I’m thrilled to now work with her as an associate for her business, Prospera Partners. The work we are doing here is critical. It will be vital to determining where we can be better, co-creating our future from a space of good intention paired with good work since we have learned that good intentions are not enough.
It’s the work of “I” translating to the collective “we” and ultimately changing “it” — our systems. There’s no better time to dig in.
This moment in our history feels BIG and it’s calling out for BIG transformation … of individuals, of collectives, of the status quo. Are you inspired to find courage in the chaos to create lasting change? Are you wondering how it’s possible to examine the shortcomings of current systems, while simultaneously working toward positive social change in your own circles? Maybe you’re longing to create a bigger impact in your community, but aren’t sure where to start.
Prospera Partners created a BIG (Bold Innovation for Good) workshop to help with the overwhelm. With it you’ll learn in a community of like-minded folks and leave with tools to create a path forward. You’ll discover how community change and social impact really can start with you. Learn more about this latest BIG workshop, here!
