Responding to the DEI Backlash: What Now?
With DEI under attack, we need to move beyond only diversity-based initiatives and make the structural changes necessary to create a workplace where Black, Indigenous, People of Color, disabled, queer, Trans and gender-expansive people, and others who face systemic oppression are safe to work. Without transforming policies and practices, we risk inviting people into environments where they must mask, code-switch, and assimilate just to survive, as well as being targeted as “DEI hires”.
Ten ways to get your year-end campaign back on track to reach your goal
At the time of writing this it is December 7 and I am in the thick of two fundraising campaigns. Around this time, you get a feel for how your strategies are playing out and what direction your campaign is headed in. But don’t worry! The sooner you check in and evaluate, the more time you have a chance to pivot your campaign if you’re not reaching your benchmarks. If you’ve compared your trends to previous years, and decide you need to get creative to increase revenue, here are 10 creative fundraising strategies that have worked for me:
How To Adopt Equitable Language In Your Year-End Fundraising Communications
In nonprofits, we rely on the support of donors and funders, and it’s our job to ensure they understand the impact of our work in the community. How do we do that? Stories. We are constantly telling the story of the communities we serve, the outcomes of our programs, the culture of our teams, and the mission and values of our organizations. Whether it’s in a newsletter, in the data we provide in grant reports, or in a social media post, we are telling the story of how we’re creating the world we want to live in. In the fall, we’re telling our stories through our fundraising appeals.
I Don’t Know Why I Can’t Do It: Accommodating Pathological Demand Avoidance at Work
My phone buzzes at me and I look down to see a notification from my Tik Tok “People are noticing you! You have 12 new page views”. My stomach sinks and I ignore the good news. I had a good streak of social media success. I was posting frequently, gathering a following, and even had one semi-viral video circulating, but the last time I posted something I had to turn my air conditioning off to mute the background noise. I can feel my communications friend’s brains explode while they read this “Why?!?! Why aren’t you utilizing your social media? You should be posting at LEAST once a week!!!” The answer: A little (big) something called pathological demand avoidance.
If I Could Put Sexworker On My Resume…
How many times have you seen “Bachelor’s degree required” on a job posting and felt discouraged?
Seeing a college degree requirement on a job posting when the position doesn’t legally require a degree (if you’re hiring a veterinarian or a lawyer, you get a pass) doesn’t just tell me that I won’t get the job, it tells me about where an organization is in its equity journey. If I see a required degree on a job posting, I move on, even if I technically meet the requirements.
Time well spent: equitable implementation of the 32-hour work week
Research has shown that a 40 hour work week is not ideal for productivity, and leads to high rates of burnout and turnover. More and more I’m hearing rumblings about organizations considering a shift to a 32 hour work week.
7 ways to tell stories ethically: the journey from exploited program participant to empowered storyteller
One thing we are learning when it comes to community-centric fundraising is to move away from individual storytelling and toward organizational storytelling. But what if you have an incredible, compelling story to share? Is there a way to do it in a community-centric way?