Nonprofit Center Commitment to Advance Racial Justice

The Nonprofit Center has been working with a group of our members in the past few weeks to chronicle and lift up how our industry is adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the insights both profound and practical, was the insistence that we prioritize naming, challenging, and changing internal and external practices and programs that create and perpetuate inequities such as racism. We find ourselves at this moment in history with the opportunity to take advantage of system disruption to advance racial justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and structural levels. As issues of racial justice continue to receive long-overdue attention, the nonprofit sector must examine its complicity in perpetuating and upholding oppressive systems. The nonprofit sector cannot realize the social impact we seek without addressing these fundamental disparities.

Many of our member organizations have reached out in the past several weeks with questions about how to begin their anti-racist journey or how to deepen their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are not experts in this area, and we have much to learn. Unlike planning for a budget cycle or developing another skill with specific steps that do not change frequently, choosing to engage in anti-racist work includes a commitment to continuously learning. The Nonprofit Center staff has chosen to seek the assistance of an outside firm to develop our skills and competencies in this area, and we commit to sharing our journey with our members and the nonprofit sector.  

Taking Action

In the coming months we will work with partners to develop resources and trainings not only for our staff, but for our members and the community to use as well. These resources will be a permanent part of our website, open to both members and the broader community. 

Our first set of resources contains both articles and links to local DEI experts. If you have any additional resources to recommend, please send them via email to news@nonprofitctr.org. 

Recommended Reading

• Race to Lead: Women of Color in the Nonprofit Sector
• Why Pay Attention to Race in Organizations
• The History of White People
• It’s time we fundraise in a way that doesn’t uphold white moderation and white supremacy
• Now That We Know Better
• Confronting Institutional Racism in the Non-profit Sector
• Seeing and Naming Racism in Nonprofit and Public Organizations
• How White People Conquered the Nonprofit Industry
• Is Your Company Actually Fighting Racism, or Just Talking About It?
• Crises as a Catalyst: A Call for Race Equity & Inclusive Leadership
• Building Equity into Nonprofit Finance

Local and National DEI Experts

• All Things Diverse – Dr. Tammy Hodo
• Voices Institute – Selena Webster-Bass
• 904Ward
• Diversity Inc. 
• National Diversity Council
• Nonprofit HR