The Movement Needs Donors of Color Too

Here is a great post from Pam Pompey on the GIFT blog (Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training). Until we open up our vision about who is a giver and who is a receiver, we will be unable to solve the problems that face our society. (Special thanks to Theo Yang Copley for sending me this link). From Pam:

My head is still throbbing from my conversation with a program associate at a southern-based foundation. The conversation had me so upset I reached out to my board of directors for moral support. The foundation person (who is probably first contact for groups considering submitting a grant proposals) told me our organization was not compatible with their social change agenda.

Okay, I get that. Not all groups fit all grants. I preach that. But I was told my organization’s work wasn’t social justice work. I said, yes we are! I told her “We believe strengthening donor-ship and leadership skills of individuals (in communities of color) is key to helping groups build organizational capacity and sustainability. I told her working on community-led philanthropy and fundraising is working for social change.

The program associate disagreed. “Sorry, ya’ll don’t match our mission” is exactly what she said. But I assumed what she meant was that sharing cultural knowledge and developing people of color with a donor/fundraiser/activist mentality and the spirit of volunteerism, is not considered part of a progressive social change agenda.

Read the rest here at the GIFT Blog