We’re at the threshold of something new. A pandemic, ongoing police brutality, and racial injustice have thrown into sharp relief the cracks in our systems. It can feel disorienting, but for many social sector leaders, this is the time to blaze a new trail, one informed by racial equity and new funding models that put power in the hands of those closest to the problems.
This occasional video series seeks to answer the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s enduring question: “Where do we go from here?” We ask leaders of nonprofits and philanthropy what keeps them up at night, what brings them hope, and how they are responding to the biggest crises we face today. We've packed their responses into 15-minute videos to inform, inspire, and point the way forward. It's leadership to help you lead.
Power and privilege should not define the grantee-funder relationship, says Hayling. For instance, the Democracy Frontlines Fund turned to community organizers to find and fund the Black-led groups at the forefront of social change and defending our democracy. By focusing on relationships, changing the way they reach out, reducing paperwork, and working shoulder to shoulder with people directly affected by the issues they are fighting, The Libra Foundation is modeling a new way for philanthropy to drive social change. Watch the video.
Police and prisons don’t make us feel safe, argues Zach Norris, Executive Director, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Rather, what matters are relationships and community. Norris believes in the power of communities to fight the forces of patriarchy and racism that are driving us apart so we can begin to heal. The people closest to the challenges are those best suited to solve them, and we should listen to what they have to say, Norris says. Watch the video.
Where are we putting our attention and our money? New Jersey Institute for Social Justice CEO Ryan Haygood believes we must seize this moment in history to fix the cracks in society’s foundation – cracks created by structural racism and worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. Haygood offers recommendations for moving away from incarceration and over-policing toward a world with safer communities that works to repair the harms injustice has wrought on people of color. Watch the video.
When the Ford Foundation announced in June 2020 that it would increase its payout by $1 billion, President Darren Walker was praised by many but criticized by some for using bond financing rather than spending down Ford’s endowment. An avowed capitalist and firm believer in institutions, Walker nevertheless fears modern capitalism is benefiting too few and widening a wealth gap that leaves many behind. The solution, he argues, is to support resilient, enduring institutions that can respond to our democracy’s ongoing challenges. Watch the video.
When the coronavirus hit New Jersey, Newark Symphony Hall had to adapt its programs to serve its community, even as staff were losing family members to COVID-19. CEO Taneshia Nash Laird explains how she’s looking out for her staff and the community, how new initiatives like Embrace Newark and Symphony of Survival are bringing material and emotional support to Newark residents, and how an increased consciousness of race in nonprofit-funder relationships is changing how she and her work are seen and treated. Watch the video.
