Understanding Power and Privilege in 2020

| GS INSIGHTS

These are times when in nearly every facet of life both publicly and privately we are asking fundamental questions around power, wealth, and privilege. 


These are times when donors and recipients alike are reading and considering the implications of books like Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas and Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance by Edgar Villanueva.


And these are times when seeking the support of wealthy donors and families is particularly complicated. Do we forego donations and grants from these sources given the inequities that made these fortunes possible (e.g. the exploitation of slave labor or anti-union practices)?  Or do we seek these funds as a stepping stone to a more just and equitable world? And is there an open and honest middle ground where we openly question the power structures behind this wealth while still seeking the support of donors?


A room full of New York nonprofits gathered a few weeks ago to listen to three executive directors discuss their role in fundraising. Hosted by the Partnership for Afterschool Education (PASE) the panelists included Sister Paulette LoMonaco from Good Shepherd Services, Rich Berlin from DREAM (formerly Harlem RBI), and Khary Lazarre White of The Brotherhood/Sister Sol.


There was discussion about the keys to success (building relationships) and fundraising challenges (lack of time for fundraising or inadequate programs that don’t resonate with donors). There was talk of stewardship and the importance of quality programming. The panelists—as accomplished and successful as they are—didn’t necessarily cover new ground except when it came to the discussion of wealth and power and privilege. The discussion was raw, honest, and fraught. It’s not easy to tell your government funder that they need to pay more for services. It’s not easy to push back with your funders and donors when they buy a piece of your program but aren’t fundamentally invested in your mission.   


I’m not sure there is a right or wrong approach to such issues of power and equity. But I do know of a place where we’ll be spending a few days talking about these and other significant issues facing nonprofits in 2020 and beyond. And that place is the National Alliance for Nonprofit Management conference (St. Louis, October 23-25), with the theme of Facing Power and Privilege in Capacity Building.


For three days in October there will be an array of over 20 engaging workshops; work sessions on governance, executive transition, and capacity building; and thought-provoking plenary and keynote sessions addressing racial equity and inclusion.


Here are a few ways that this conversation will play out in St. Louis.


For Capacity Builders (consultants, trainers, coaches, and facilitators)

At Support Center we work with over 100 organizations in engagements ranging from coaching to consulting. At the Alliance conference we will have a number of sessions designed to strengthen nonprofit capacity builders’ ability to coach and advise nonprofit leaders and managers on the dynamics of power and privilege. We’ll be workshopping ways to shift organizational culture, structure, strategy, program design, and governance to address power and privilege.


For Foundations and Grantmakers

As a local community foundation and the largest grantmaker in the region, The Boston Foundation has a powerful position and platform. However, as we’ll discuss at the conference, the Foundation is working to share and leverage that power to address systemic inequity, including valuing lived experience and acknowledging that the Foundation doesn’t have all the answers.


Academics and Researchers

At the conference, we will also have conversations around greater equity in community-based research and analysis. We’ll discuss the role that residents can play with leadership and ownership throughout the process. This is the basis for the East Baltimore Research Project that will be one of our case studies, highlighting an initiative designed to strengthen neighborhood capacity to collect data that informs community change.


These are just a few of the ways that we can probe, question, and improve our work through the lens of power and equity. And regardless of the role we play, ultimately our success will depend upon our collective efforts for social justice and greater equity. My hope is that we can all commit to asking tough questions, listening to others, and routinely engaging in these conversations. I was once told by my wise Alliance peers—and I’ve come to appreciate this myself—that such dialogue gives us the language, examples, and most importantly courage that we so desperately need to talk about and address power and privilege in our work. 

Action steps you can take today

ProInspire -- Activating leaders to inspire equity
Interaction Institute for Social Change -- Building collaborative capacity in individuals, organizations, and networks working for social justice and racial equity
Building Movement Project -- Developing research, tools, training materials, and opportunities for partnership that bolster nonprofit organizations’ ability to support the voice and power of the people they serve
Fund the People -- Seeking to maximize investment in the nonprofit workforce