Collective Voices | Issue 01 | ProInspire Catalyst Collective

COLLECTIVE

Stephanie McKEE

Victoria JONES

Eureka GILKEY

Sarah LOCKRIDGE-STECKEL

Gregory McPHERSON

Cheryl P. JOHNSON

Lisa LEE

Jacqueline GOH

Josh DAVIS

Asali D eVAN ECCLESIASTES

Michelle RHONE-COLLINS

Michael O’BRYAN Eva MOSBY Rey FAUSTINO

Felipe PINZON

Kathy PARK

James WRIGHT

Irfana JETHA NOORANI

Erika GEE Mauricio CALVO

Table

of

04 Letter from the Editor 08 The Kresge Foundation 12 The Catalyst Collective 20 Stephanie McKee 26 Victoria Jones 30 Eureka Gilkey 36 Sarah Lockridge-Steckel 40 Gregory McPherson 46 Cheryl P. Johnson 50 Lisa Lee 56 Jacqueline Goh 60 Josh Davis 62 A sali DeVan Ecclesiastes 68 Michelle Rhone-Collins 72 Michael O’Bryan 78 Eva Mosby 82 Rey Faustino 86 Felipe Pinzon 92 Kathy Park 94 James Wright 96 Irfana Jetha Noorani 100 Erika Gee 104 Mauricio Calvo 110 Imagination and Rejuvenation Retreat 118 ProInspire

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

In recognition of the importance of this investment, we at ProInspire designed the Catalyst Collective. The goal of the Catalyst Collective is to support shifting sector norms that have traditionally contributed to burnout and systemic inequities that disproportionately impact BIPOC leaders.

Many foundations and social impact organizations are seeking ways to demonstrate their values of racial equity and social justice by supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) leaders and BIPOC-led organizations. Yet, there is still a severely inequitable underrepresentation of BIPOC leaders, those who hold decision-making authority, in the social sector. This also means that BIPOC leaders rarely have the opportunity to reflect on and learn from the experiences of other leaders in spaces that are specifically designed to address the needs of Leaders of Color in the social sector.

In our work with BIPOC leaders, many have expressed feelings of deep fatigue due in-part to isolation and a lack of representation, being overburdened to create more equitable results within traditionally white-dominated spaces, and an overreliance on their labor as a primary way to create systems change, without having additional access to resources to support communities most impacted by systemic inequities: structural oppression and structural racism. Leaders also indicate that burnout, due to sector norms that uphold white dominant culture, often contribute to unsustainable workload expectations and inequitable access to resources or opportunities.

Investing in caring and supportive spaces, specifically designed to meet the needs of BIPOC Leaders, is one of the most meaningful ways that foundations can support Leaders of Color right now.

In the Catalyst Collective we have illuminated four core shifts that can be made to mitigate the conditions that harm BIPOC leaders: providing opportunities to care for oneself, by modeling and prioritizing well-being; spaces to connect with community and center relationships; and championing collective power to change organizational culture and sector norms in ways that honor the full humanity and lived experiences of BIPOC leaders.

The Catalyst Collective provides a place for leaders to create meaningful connections with other BIPOC Leaders and to reflect on our shared experiences. This community helps us leverage our shared power and advocate for tangible changes that will create a more supportive and sustainable experience for BIPOC Leaders. We do this by: developing authentic leadership style through 1:1 executive coaching; exploring challenges and opportunities leaders are facing through fullday convenings; amplifying the voices and impact of BIPOC leaders throughout the sector through share-back projects; and by building community and support for leaders through peer coaching and leadership trainings. Our collective supports a larger movement for racial justice, individually and systemically, by providing additional access to leadership opportunities and resources for BIPOC leaders.

We are a community for and a collective of BIPOC leaders supporting each other, navigating the personal and structural experiences that leading nonprofit organizations often create. The Catalyst Collective is a space where we honor and hone our authentic approach to leadership and shift power in the social sector by bringing the needs and dreams of Leaders of Color to the forefront.

Bianca Casanova Anderson, Co-CEO, ProInspire

“ The idea for the Catalyst Collective came from conversations with senior Leaders of Color across the nonprofit sector.

Monisha Kapila Founder & Co-CEO

We wanted to create a space to fully support them in their leadership, recognizing the unique burden placed on them because of their racial identity and position in a sector not often reflective of our communities.”

THE KRESGE FOUNDATION

THE KRESGE FOUNDATION is a private, national foundation that works to expand opportunities in America’s cities through grantmaking and social investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development, nationally and in Detroit, Memphis, and New Orleans.

In collaboration with our partners, we help create pathways for people with low incomes to improve their life circumstances and join the economic mainstream.

The

Kresge

Foundation was established in 1924 by Detroit retail magnate Sebastian Spering Kresge.

1. Creativity

We embrace risk-taking, balancing proven approaches with those that show promise in solving today’s challenges.

2. Partnership

We embrace collaboration to devise and implement solutions, leveraging collective insight, networks, and resources.

3. Equity

Our inclusive culture embraces shared humanity while examining racial, cultural, and socially systemic inequities.

4.

Respect

We value everyone’s background and perspective, and display honesty, kindness, and trust in all interactions.

5.

Opportunity

Through grants and other investing tools, we work to expand opportunities for people living in America’s cities.

6. Stewardship

We exhibit integrity, humility, excellence, and responsibility in care of all the foundation’s resources.

opposite The Kresge Foundation headquarters based in Troy, Michigan.

With a simple but profound directive

— to promote the wellbeing of mankind —

The Catalyst Collective is a community of practice designed to generate collective power and support leaders on a personal and professional journey anchored in self-care, community care, and racial equity.

This program supports leaders as they navigate the personal and structural experiences and challenges that leading nonprofit organizations in the social sector often creates.

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE exists to spark change in a world where 87% of nonprofit and philanthropic executive directors or presidents are white. Each day, many Leaders of Color work relentlessly to interrupt the pervasive systemic inequities that disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities. These challenges are often compounded by being “one of a few” leaders of color in a position of authority and the extra sense of responsibility to “not mess up” in white-dominant environments.

To advance race equity, the social sector needs BIPOC leaders to thrive. Investing in the leadership of people of color is one of the most meaningful ways that foundations and nonprofits can support organizations in their work to advance more equitable outcomes.

This program supports leaders as they navigate the personal and structural experiences that leading nonprofit organizations often create. The program creates a space where members can work together to hone their authentic leadership and shift power by bringing the dreams, desires, and development of leaders of color to the forefront of the nonprofit sector.

The Catalyst Collective prioritizes supporting leaders with prioritizing holistic wellbeing, shifting organizational culture to accelerate race equity, and maintaining financially sustainable organizations.

The Catalyst Collective Model

GENERATINGCOLLECTIVEPOWER

How the Catalyst Collective and supporting Executives of Color supports the entire nonprofit sector

RACIAL EQUITYAND ORGANIZATIONALSUSTAINABILITY

SELF-CAREASCOMMUNITY CARE CONNECTINGWITHCOMMUNITY

Self System People Organization

Program Overview

Total Number of Participating Organizations

Average Number of Board Members

Organizational Size

5-10 3 11-25 6 26-50 4 51-100 1 101-150 1 151-250 2 500 1

Number of Organizations with Advisory Councils Average Size of Advisory Council

Organizational Reach International 1 National 8 West 1 Midwest 4 Southeast 5 Northeast 1

Organizational Category Community-Based 11 Advocacy 2 National 5

Organization Primary Stakeholders

African Americans who have been historically under-resourced and others similarly situated. Immigrants. Chinese immigrant low-income resident seniors and families. Low-income and at-risk families and individuals. Latinx. Ward 8. Metropolitan Detroit’s homeless, men, women, and families. People of the African diaspora, from our neighborhood and beyond. Working immigrant families. Public housing residents. Memphis. Primarily, the immediate neighborhood of Hartranft-Fairhill of North Philadelphia; secondarily, black and brown people across the Philadelphia region. Detroiters. Artists, residents, families, small business owners (artrepreneurs). Families in low-income communities undergoing housing redevelopment.

Participant Overview

Total Number of Program Participants

Gender

Female 54% Male 39% Prefer Not To Share 8%

Total Number of Participant CEO/ED

Race

Total Number of Executive Leadership

Asian/Asian-American 31% Black/African/African-American 54%

Latinx/Latino(a)/Hispanic 8% Prefer Not To Share 8% Prefer To Self-Describe 8%

LGBTQIA+

Yes 23% No 69% Prefer Not To Share 8%

Length of Organizational Tenure

Less Than 1 Year 15% 1-5 Years 8% 6-10 Years 39% 11-15 Years 8% 16-20 Years 8% More than 20 Years 8% Prefer Not To Share 8%

STEPHANIE McKEE

IN THE ARTS, we see a new spirit of cooperation, collaboration, and participation that has been bubbling underneath the surface. There is a blurring of lines in the professional and amateur, folk, fine, and commercial arts work. We have gone back to being a city of makers, creators, tradition forgers, catastrophe survivors, unashamed grievers and unhesitant celebrants of anything remotely life-affirming. This sober-eyed sense of community, of peoplehood, is almost imperceptibly shaping a new New Orleans, where we now acknowledge our vulnerabilities openly and give ourselves to efforts that strengthen and support each other — egos and clannishness be damned. If this new sensibility lasts, we as a people could be ready for some real truth-telling, reparations, and healing. Some people say the world aged five years in 2020; if that’s true, let’s hope we’re that much wiser and closer to transformations that are sustainable and just. The old order hasn’t died yet and the new one is still fighting to be born — but it’s coming, there’s no doubt about that.

“How can we improve the conditions to allow a new generation to thrive?”

Thinking about nonprofit leadership, I am excited about the growing number of incredible young Black women and People of Color in leadership positions and how this will shape our future. I am curious about how my own generation can be a bridge for this new generation. I have learned quite a bit in my own rocky and painful leadership transition at Junebug, and I wonder, “How can we improve the conditions to allow a new generation to thrive?”

The audaciousness of a new vision requires a stable organization with sustained investments in talented staff and artists, quality programs, effective marketing, and physical and digital infrastructure. To secure vision investments, our capitalization approach should broaden beyond the traditional philanthropic fundraising toward a diverse contributed and earned revenue portfolio. To do this we need to be in partnership with philanthropy for our individual and collective learning and for our growth. If we continue to work siloed we will never advance. If the various disruptions have taught us anything, it is that we can’t go it alone.

My work is steeped in traditions and practices of a culture fighting against its own erasure. The Catalyst Collective program has allowed me the much needed space and time to be seen and heard, and for my own full humanity to be displayed and respected. This program has mastered the alchemy of a healing community for leaders of color.

“The old order hasn’t died yet and the new one is still fighting to be born — but it’s coming, there’s no doubt about that.”

above Junebug Productions Team. previous Photo by Melisa Cardona.

above The Junebug Productions Team; New Orleans, LA (2019).

ABOUT S tephanie V. McKee-Anderson is an artist, organizer and cultural strategist born in Picayune, Mississippi and raised in New Orleans. She is the Executive Artistic Director of Junebug Productions, Inc. an organization birthed out of the Free Southern Theater (FST), which was formed in 1963 as one of many cultural arms of the Civil Rights Movement. FST would eventually be a tremendous influence on the BlackArts Movement. McKee has a long history of creating powerful performances that she strategically leverages for social change.

VICTORIA JONES

TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUOUSLY CHECK IN with strong, thoughtful leaders in this program who were as equally concerned about the success of my organization as they were with my personal health and well-being meant the world to me! The Catalyst Collective program’s attention to my care has had such a positive impact on my personal program experience. And for me, it’s been a community that’s allowed me to be courageous in my leadership.

The problem we face is radical, it is killing people, leaving folks displaced, without decent education, enduring food insecurity; Black folks who’ve never been empowered with an opportunity to name themselves. If we stand a chance at making this world better for Black people, it’ll take generations of radical effort. Otherwise we’re putting band-aids on a bullet wound (that’s gone untreated for centuries).

A better future can only be realized with philanthropy committing to funding Black people. Fund their capital campaigns, their start ups, their transitions from organization to institution, their youth programs. Black folks know how to solve the issues facing our community, we just need access to the resources necessary to enact long-lasting systemic change.

I am encouraged by the number of Black women finding themselves in nonprofit leadership roles. After generations and generations of our hard work, dedication, and love being ignored by white men in power, I am excited to see what we are able to accomplish in these roles and this new shift in leadership for the future of the nonprofit sector.

above “Meet the 28-YearOld Who Works With Black Artists in Memphis to Uplift Communities. Source: Bianca Lambert (2020)

bottom Victoria sits on a panel for “The Atlantic and Shared Prosperity”, moderated by PBS’s Ray Suarez, April 2019. Source: Instagram.

right Victoria and friends on Juneteenth 2019; Source: Instagram.

ABOUT In 2015, with the encouragement of artists, activists, and stakeholders, Victoria Jones gathered a group of Black artists and founded The CLTV (Collective) in an effort to empower the community they were charged to serve. The CLTV operates under the belief that Black artists and creators are the most thoughtful and brilliant change agents in the city. For that reason, the CLTV is dedicated to elevating Black artists in Memphis, using their creative expression and thought energy to uplift Black communities, and in execution shifting the culture of Memphis. The CLTV creates original programming and also partners with legacy institutions in Memphis such as the Brooks Museum, Crosstown Arts, Rhodes College and Urban Arts Commission

to guide equity and inclusion initiatives.

“Black folks know how to solve the issues facing our community; we just need access to the resources necessary to enact long-lasting systemic change.”

EUREKA GILKEY

“My hope is that the Catalyst Collective program continues to exist and grow for our next generation of leaders.”

above Marc Newsome’s I Love 3W installation for Round 47 The Act of Doing Preserving, Revitalizing and Protecting Third Ward.

right Neighborhood Development and the Preservation of a Community session during “Social Practice. Social Justice” symposium. Fellow cohort member, Irfana Jetha Noorani also featured (second from left).

TO ME, THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM has provided safety in a sector where I haven’t always felt safe as a woman of color, and has served as a soft place for me to stand. The CEO cohort has felt genuinely connected, allowing me to feel seen, supported, and heard at every convening. My hope is that the Catalyst Collective program continues to exist and grow for our next generation of leaders.

This space is important. It allows leaders of color to stop, rest, and reflect on their work — which oftentimes is not something we’re allowed to or can afford to do. The burden of this work should not fall on the leaders who are carrying it out. In order to achieve transformational systems change, philanthropy needs to hold itself accountable for how we got here and do the work to dismantle the structures so we are able to leave leaders of color cared for, well-resourced, and sustained in their leadership for years to come.

above An aeriel view of Project Row Houses, located in Houston’s Third Ward neighborhood.

ABOUT Eureka Gilkey serves as Executive Director of Project Row Houses (PRH), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people and enriching communities through engagement, art, and direct action. Eureka also led the creation of PRH Preservation — whose mission is to maintain and enhance existing buildings in Houston’s Third Ward to ensure long-term affordable housing for its residents. Eureka also serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Zoo, Row House Community Development Corporation, and Texans for the Arts. She is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow, and an inaugural member of the City of Houston’s Women’s Commission.

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM is incredibly unique and invaluable, and has provided a necessary community for me. Over our time together, I have learned so much from these leaders. During these especially challenging times, leaders of color urgently need support, community, and the space to care for each other and ourselves. Our work cannot happen alone.

I’m excited to witness philanthropy and foundations not only shift but also commit to investing more flexibly and more substantially to People of Color. With the learnings from the Catalyst Collective program, I would love for philanthropic decision-makers to think from a lens of designing systems that make high-impact work easier to do and build trust with those most proximate to these issues.

THE COLLECTIVE BLUEPRINT

above Sarah with Collective Leader Michael Rice Jr.; Source: The Harvard Gazette, Justin Saglio/Harvard Staff.

left top Leaders of The Collective Blueprint practicing networking.

left bottom Sarah and members of The Collective.

above Leader class of The Collective Blueprint.

ABOUT S arah Lockridge-Steckel is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Collective Blueprint in Memphis, Tennessee. The Collective Blueprint strives to eliminate barriers and create new avenues towards economic self-sufficiency for the 45,000 youth out of school and work in Memphis. The Collective Blueprint has had tremendous successes in its first few years of operation. As the Collective Blueprint moves into its fourth year, Sarah is leading a compelling strategy to provide direct support to young adults and to change the educational and career systems in Memphis to lead to more opportunity.

“

The Catalyst Collective program is incredibly unique and invaluable, and has provided a necessary community for me.”

GREGORY

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

IT’S EASY TO LOSE FAITH in believing that real systems change around racial equity can happen. The process can be depleting. But the community created by the Catalyst Collective enables me to think critically about systems of oppression and rely on a community of leaders. Participating in this program and cohort has truly been a restorative experience.

The space created by the Catalyst Collective enabled me to grapple with systems of oppression in a way that has been enriching and empowering, instead of being weighed down by depression and feeling powerless. I am now able to focus on the possibilities and it’s really helped to reframe for me what I believe is possible. One possibility I am excited about is the deepening of equity and inclusion practices in the fabric of nonprofit leaders, and those leaders responding to this depth by aligning their internal and external organization operations. Believing this and seeing it in action in our sector fuels my work and leadership at Matrix Human Services.

For lasting social and systemic change in our communities and in the lives of those we serve, it requires sustainable funding and collaboration. Philanthropies must focus on providing directly to those in the sector doing the hard work of social change. Fund what works and fund it often, and have the gumption to redirect funding from where it doesn’t.

“

The space created by the Catalyst Collective enabled me to grapple with systems of oppression in a way that has been enriching and empowering...”

left top Matrix Celebrates Final Online High School Diploma Graduating Class, Matrix Human Services (July, 2021).

left bottom Gregory at work with Matrix Human Services staff.

right Gregory with members of Matrix Human Services showcasing civics in action.

ABOUT G regory A. McPherson is a native of Highland Park, Michigan. He is currently the Director of Adult & Senior Programs at Matrix Human Services in Detroit, Michigan. Matrix is a multi-generation organization that serves individuals from zero to senior age with the overall goal of individuals obtaining upward economic and social mobility. He directs a team whose services impacts thousands yearly in the areas of workforce development, financial empowerment, adult education, housing stability, resource navigation and senior wellness.

“

The Catalyst Collective program has presented us with an opportunity to shape our own unique voices to believe and know that we have power, influence, and impact in the communities where we live and thrive.”

CHERYL P. JOHNSON

all Cheryl pictured with staff member and youth at COTS office.

MY TIME WITH MY CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM COHORT, and now friends, has been well spent and has been simply inspiring. I have been inspired and challenged by the information shared in each of our sessions together. My own internal narrative and how I perceive leaders of color, particularly women of color, has been disrupted. The Catalyst Collective program has presented us with an opportunity to shape our own unique voice to believe and know that we have power, influence, and impact in the communities where we live and thrive. This has been an amazing journey and I believe I have discovered new lifelong friends.

I’m hopeful that this journey continues for myself and others after me. Being a part of this program makes me hopeful for what’s possible for the future of nonprofit organizations. I’m hopeful that we will see more women of color in nonprofit leadership roles. As we strengthen our core values and elevate our voices, I believe this will model the way for others to lead powerfully.

ABOUT Purpose-driven and accomplished, Cheryl is dedicated to alleviating suffering in the world wherever she finds it. For the past thirty years, she has endeavored to improve the lives of homeless families in Detroit through her work at Coalition On Temporary Shelter (COTS), an organization founded in 1982 that provides an array of housing opportunities and support services for families. She created COTS’s Passport to Self-Sufficiency™, a theory of change which aims to change the legacy of poverty for the next generation and beyond.

“Knowing that even through the hardest and most difficult times there are others working in solidarity and with ingenuity and grace, is so affirming for me as a leader of color.”

left top The National Public Housing Museum.

left bottom Dr. Lisa Yun Lee. Source: nphm.org.

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM has been capacious and nurturing. This space has made the phrase, “We are the ones we have been waiting for,” much more visceral and palpable to me. There is always so much critical care, radical generosity, and R-E-S-P-E-C-T in the room! Knowing that even through the hardest and most difficult times there are others working in solidarity and with ingenuity and grace, is so affirming for me as a leader of color.

There is a growing understanding of the great Civil Rights leader Ella Baker’s notion: “If you have strong people, you don’t need strong leaders.” Movement building, addressing root problems, reciprocity, and connecting arts, culture and public policy empower people and communities to realize their freedom dreams. Seeing this in action in our leaders of tomorrow gives me hope and excitement for the future of nonprofit leadership.

Jane Addams said it best, “Social advance depends as much upon the process through which it is secured as upon the result itself.” We are working to create a more just equitable world, and even if the outcomes are not yet secured or visible, know that every choice, gesture, program, and decision we make is an intentional act and effort to secure a more just world for all of us. And that’s what I push philanthropy forward to commit to, to commit to intention and financially securing a just world for our future.

above Invitation, project with Artist as Instigator In Residence, Jen Delos Reyes. Poem fragments by June Jordan and Mary Oliver.

ABOUT Lisa Yun Lee is a cultural activist and the Executive Director of the National Public Housing Museum. She is also an Associate Professor in Art History and Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, teaching faculty with the Prison Neighborhood Art Project, and a member of the Chicago Torture Justice Memorials. Lisa has published books and articles about aesthetics and politics, public art, and the potential of museums as radical sites of resistance, and for participatory democracy.

IT'S BEEN HELPFUL to have the Catalyst Collective program as a generative space to name how white-dominant power structures impact and influence the way we exercise our own leadership. For me personally, it’s helped me to better understand what parts of this “conventional” leadership style

I want to hold onto or to let go of. We have an opportunity to be the leaders that we want to be — regardless of the expectations put upon us — and this space gave me room to see how to carve out a path that felt authentic to me.

I am excited to see more and more women of color in positions of leadership and in roles that have been (and often still are) disproportionately occupied by white men. I’m also seeing more queer folks, more leaders who are vocal about disability, and more individuals who have “informal” educational backgrounds, as just a few examples. As a sector, I see us moving slowly towards broader and intentional inclusion, and recognizing the value of individuals for who they are rather than elevating a single cookie-cutter idea of leadership.

LOS

“We have an opportunity to be the leaders that we want to be — regardless of the expectations put upon us — and this space gave me room to see how to carve out a path that felt authentic to me.”

What do I want philanthropy to know about my field? Well, as a service delivery organization in the field of workforce development for formerly incarcerated individuals, so much emphasis is placed on our numbers and output: how many participants did we enroll? How many completed the program? How many jobs were secured? Of course these are all important measures of whether or not we are meeting our goals, but so often, the pressure to increase our numbers comes at the cost of ensuring that the unique needs of each participant are addressed. Particularly when we think about supporting vulnerable populations in their reentry into the workforce, it’s important that we set expectations that give organizations the time to set a solid foundation for participants in order to support their long-term success. And to be able to do this means being able to fund our organizations to allow that spaciousness to do our work with care and humanity, and not just driven by numbers.

left Self-care has been central for Jacky, seen here on a warm, summer hike.

right Jacky with friends, highlighting the importance of community at a Planned Parenthood event.

ABOUT Jacky Goh serves as the Senior Director of Development for the Center for Employment Opportunitites, the nation’s largest provider of transitional employment services for formerly incarcerated individuals. Jacky has previously served as the Director of Strategic Growth at Define American, a culture change organization that uses the power of narrative to humanize conversations about immigrants. She has also raised funds to advance economic mobility, housing security, and health equity with her work at Restaurant Opportunities Center United, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, and the Center for Youth Wellness.

CINCINNATI, OHIO

STRIVETOGETHER

right From left, Jane Hodgdon (U.S. Department of Education), Josh Davis (StriveTogether), Caleb Herod (Delta Health Alliance), Dreama Gentry (Partners for Education) and Christian Motley (StriveTogether) shared ideas for improving education in rural America. Source: “Learning about College Access in Rural America,” March 2019, The Prichard Committee.

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM has established itself in the sector at a time of great need. For me personally, it has reaffirmed the challenges I’ve faced in the nonprofit sector as a leader of color, while reminding me of the assets available to me. How timely of Catalyst Collective to arrive when I needed the space and community.

In thinking of the next few years and the future of the nonprofit sector, I urge philanthropic decision-makers to consider the value of lived experiences. Our lives and experiences as people of color are irreplaceable, and greatly inform the true direction that our work needs to take. With the ripple effects of current events these past few years on our sector, inclusivity and diverse representation of communities of color in nonprofit leadership is the new standard. Seeing these movements in effect brings me so much excitement as our sector continues to grow and learn.

ABOUT Josh Davis serves as vice president of policy and partnerships for StriveTogether. He provides leadership and strategy for the organization’s policy, advocacy and mobilization work, while also leveraging national partnerships to accelerate progress throughout the Cradle to Career Network. Prior to StriveTogether, Josh was vice president of external affairs for the Delta Health Alliance (DHA), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting health and education initiatives across the 18-county Mississippi Delta region.

ASHÉ CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

OF

“In order to create true systemic change, I encourage philanthropy to be bold.”

NOT TO BE REDUNDANT, but the Catalyst Collective program has been truly catalytic; it achieves its mission. Being in a space with leaders of diverse experiences coming together as a collective anchored us together, allowing us to connect and bond despite being virtual and across the country. This program has made it a space where we could truly dream and problem-solve in different ways than in other spaces I’ve experienced.

In thinking of the future of nonprofit leadership, I’m cautiously excited. Having been a leader in this sector for so long, I’ve seen throughout the years excitement and disappointment over and over again, and things just haven’t changed quickly in the ways we’ve called for, for so long. However, I am excited by this current emphasis on social justice and equity, especially the use of data to instill and implement equity. I’m still hopeful and very confident in the leadership of BIPOC folks, especially in seeing us supported in our leadership, honored in our leadership, and being affirmed on our leadership methods, programming, and ability to make real systemic and noticeable changes in our communities.

In order to create true systemic change, I encourage philanthropy to be bold. If philanthropy could just spend 1% more of their money, there could be sweeping changes. I know that they want to be, but I also know they have to balance it against what’s been traditionally and historically done. All of the risks and rewards, and long-term considerations are what we always hear about. But I think that everybody has to recognize that we are at an inflection point. In our history as humanity, when boldness is needed in order to make the changes for the betterment of us all, to alleviate the unnecessary suffering that’s happening in the world at the degradation of our natural environment, it’s all going to take some really bold decisions and encompassing resources to do this. And philanthropy has a critical role to play.

right top Ashé Cultural Arts Center is a performance and gallery space promoting the culture of the African diaspora, like Silhouette Dance Ensemble. Source: “BUILDing resilience in finances: Ashé Cultural Arts Center,” October 2021, Ford Foundation.

right bottom Still from “Chasms”, Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes. Writer and activist Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes lights up the stage with a powerful poem about hope, truth and the space between who we are and who we want to be. Source: TED.com

previous Photo by Eric Waters.

ABOUT A sali DeVan Ecclesiastes is a mother, daughter, educator, organizer, author, performance artist, and community servant. Ms. Ecclesiastes excitedly brings her deep roots in New Orleans’ indigenous culture to her work as the new Chief Executive Officer of Efforts of Grace, Inc. and Ashé Cultural Arts Center. Previously, she served in the Mayor’s Office and the New Orleans Business Alliance, where she designed equitable development strategies for high impact neighborhoods, empowering resident leaders to address entrenched disparities.

MICHELLE

R HONECOLLINS

IN ONE WORD, I WOULD DESCRIBE the Catalyst Collective program as powerful. Between the pandemic, the reckoning and uprisings against deep rooted racism in this country, economic insecurity, and electoral volatility and insurrections — to say this was a challenging few years is a severe understatement. This space created was a solace in it all. A place to learn, heal, commiserate, and gain inspiration for my leadership. Through the structure provided, including the coaching sessions, I was able to actively work on my leadership, build confidence in the expression of my leadership as a Black woman, and apply lessons learned in real time during difficult times. I saw my own struggles, curiosities, and experiences reflected — and sometimes challenged — in others as they shared on articles read, response to speakers, or in group coaching moments.

As a leader of a nonprofit working to break cycles of poverty, I often speak of the need to remove the barriers of bureaucracy, siloed operation, confusing pre-requisites and instead, lead by treating families with dignity and trust in providing services that are success-based, not sanction-based. I believe the same can apply for philanthropy in their support for the nonprofit sector. Solutions to funding that became readily apparent during crises should remain, including reducing unnecessary barriers and requirements. Philanthropic giving that leads with trust and at levels that allow us to truly innovate will continue to push our sector forward.

“I believe that the nonprofit sector and its leaders possess the power to change policies, systems, and practices that perpetuate inequities.”

left top Michelle showcasing LIFT’s theory of change.

left bottom Michelle stands in front of street wall art reading, “Love Never Fails”.

right Michelle poses with LIFT clothing merch.

I believe that the nonprofit sector and its leaders possess the power to change policies, systems, and practices that perpetuate inequities. We are seeing this now with the Child Tax Credit and state and city guaranteed basic income initiatives that started with innovations from grassroots efforts. Almost two years ago, stats were showing that 10% of nonprofit CEOs represented communities of color; and received 4% of the revenue. I hope the shifts we have seen in the last year, increased executive level opportunities for BIPOC leaders and increase in access to major funding, continue on.

I am hopeful that we will see more BIPOC leaders driving this work because it will be more effective, inclusive, and bring solutions that get at the root in doing so.

ABOUT Michelle joined LIFT in 2012 as the Founding LIFT-LA Executive Director. Under her leadership, she seeded program innovations that are now core to LIFT’s model, most notably the focus on an intergenerational approach to breaking the cycle of poverty. She has been instrumental in developing LIFT’s vision to launch a systems change strategy to reach the nearly six million families with young children living in poverty in the US. Michelle LIFTs because she believes in the power of hope, money, and love.

HUMANATURE

MICHAEL O’BRYAN

THE LINDY INSTITUTE FOR URBAN INNOVATION AT DREXEL UNIVERSITY

“It is my belief that we have to begin to reimagine the design and implementation of all systems through a lens of shared-humanity. This means we must start with a brave reckoning of our systems and their origins.”

above Michael at Drexel Park.

Source: “Generation Change Philly: The Modern Humanitarian” by Christine Speer Lejeune, November 2021 right Michael at Humanature offices.

THIS SPACE WAS TRULY TIMELY given the convergence of issues the country experienced over the last 18 months, particularly the racial and class reckoning that coincided with the pandemic. It was a gift to have a space to process and breathe with other leaders of color from around the country who are actively sense-making and working through these issues. To put it simply, it has been energizing. The Catalyst Collective program helped me stay grounded during a time of massive change and shifts in the Philadelphia region, while also providing access to coaches, reading material, and tools that supported me through leadership development and personal well-being in realtime.

A new level of collaboration and work is on the horizon and it is an exciting time to be in the field. Something that excites me about the future of nonprofit leadership is the opportunity to reimagine the sector through the lens of epistemic justice. So much of our work needs to be rooted in a full history of space, place, and the multi-sector relationships that have impacted people and the issues they are living through. We have the opportunity to share power and fully diversify who is at the decision-making table. Historically excluded populations should be actively shaping, designing, and participating in the leadership of the programs, research, sense-making, and metrics that will go into anything meant for them.

It is my belief that we have to begin to reimagine the design and implementation of all systems through a lens of sharedhumanity. This means we must start with a brave reckoning of our systems and their origins. Overarchingly, our systems were created with mass dehumanization as a core idea and function of their foundation, giving way to racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, ageism, and all of the systems of oppression we see today. While it can seem overwhelming to consider dehumanization as a common historic and active component across all of our systems, with this framing we can actively shape a new frontier of design in policy-making, systems and programs operations, research, and social impact metrics. This new frontier can be rooted in concepts like “ the right to thrive” and use the human development model found in health sciences to ground that journey. We have a new opportunity to situate DEI/REI, Belongingness, and other hot-button issues within a larger framework and structure that considers the humanity, care, and well-being of ALL generations to come. The work will be hyper iterative and will need the most interdisciplinary, intergenerational, inclusive, and diverse table our contemporary world has yet seen.

I’m looking forward to the work to come!

“So much of our work needs to be rooted in a full history of space, place, and the multi-sector relationships that have impacted people and the issues they are living through.”

above Philadelphia. Credit: UCG/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images.

ABOUT Michael O’Bryan is an expert practitioner and budding researcher in the fields of community development, organizational culture, and human wellbeing. He is a Distinguished Resident Fellow at Drexel University’s Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation where his research and practice focuses on the future of work and human capital growth. He is the founder of Humanature, a design strategy firm with a mission to support nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies seeking to center humanity in the context of their work.

MEMPHIS, TENNE SSEE

URBAN STRATEGIES,INC.

MY EXPERIENCE THROUGH the Catalyst Collective program has been quite stimulating. This space has afforded me the opportunity to show up as my authentic self, show up vulnerably, and has increased my self-awareness to the challenges and solutions facing BIPOC leaders in our sector. Urban Strategies, Inc. has a relentless focus on empowerment, stabilization, and opportunity creation for Black and Brown individuals. We serve Black, Brown and Indigenous families residing in neighborhoods traumatized by systemic racism. The Catalyst Collective has allowed me to build trust and authentic collections with my cohort for thought leadership.

“I love the quote by Audre Lorde, ‘It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.’”

above Urban Strategies, Inc. members connecting with community members at a food pantry.

bottom Eva at church.

right Eva on the ground with Urban Strategies staff coordinating food pantry logistics.

Long past are the days where we have had to fight for a seat at the table and asked for communities of color to be heard. Philanthropy now and in the future will have to learn and commit to working with and centering BIPOC leaders and communities. I am committed to increasing the collective impact by braiding programs and services together, increasing collaboration, and capitalizing on existing and new relationships.

I love the quote by Audre Lorde, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” And all of those differences are what makes us all unique and beautifully human. It’s been a long few years and one of the most challenging times yet, and as modeled by the Catalyst Collective program, we need to center our joy in this work as well. Let’s remember to come together and celebrate each other!

ABOUT Eva Mosby was named Regional Vice President at Urban Strategies, Inc in July 2019. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Operations from February 2017–June 2019. She served as the Project Manager for MAXIMUS, Tennessee Works from December 01, 2014–February 15, 2017. She also served as Vice President of Workforce Development at BRIDGES from 2012–2014. Eva is responsible for managing, directing, and implementing the organization’s programmatic function and performance.

“I have learned so much about how to be a champion for anti-racism in my organization and how to ensure that I’m centering race equity in our work.”

above Rey speaks on a panel for New America. Source: “New America CA Fellows Generated Impact (and Hope) in 2018” by Rachel Alexander, New America (Jan 2019).

bottom Rey Faustino started the nonprofit One Degree to ensure immigrant families have access to services they need to overcome poverty. Source: Liz Hafalia/ The Chronicle

right Rey Faustino (center) discusses health care outreach with pediatrician Rhea Boyd (left) and communications director. Source: Rachel Miers. Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle.

I LEARNED SO MUCH about myself and who I am as a leader from being in community with fellow leaders of color in the nonprofit sector. When I’m in a room with other nonprofit leaders, I usually have my guard up at first. But with the Catalyst Collective program cohort, I was instantly able to share a bond with them because of our shared experience of being “othered” — and not only because of our racial identities, but also leading in a white-dominant nonprofit world. I have learned so much about how to be a champion for anti-racism in my organization and how to ensure that I’m centering race equity in our work.

I’m excited about building toward a future where the leaders of nonprofits are reflective of the communities we serve. I’m also looking forward to seeing our sector move beyond representation and diversity, and truly commit to their values, the communities they serve, and deep transformational change. For this to be possible, I urge foundations and philanthropic decision-makers to trust leaders of color, and to trust the needs of the people we serve.

ABOUT Rey Faustino, interim CEO of Alluma and founder of One Degree, is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to the vital, life-saving resources they need to achieve social and economic mobility. Rey launched One Degree, a technology-driven nonprofit organization, to ensure that all families have access to services they need to overcome poverty. Rey began his career as a teacher and later was the site director at BUILD, a college access nonprofit organization that propels low-income minority youth to attain a college education.

HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA HISPANIC UNITY OF FLORIDA

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM has enriched my understanding — both personally and as a nonprofit leader — of the historic and systemic challenges to creating true racial equity. It’s been transformative to be in this learning community that has shown me the possibility of disrupting these systems.

As individuals, we’ve all been impacted deeply by this program and are committed to shifting and pushing our sector forward. I’m excited to see more nonprofit leaders of color develop deeper awareness, connections, and understandings of racial inequities while having the tools and preparation to tackle it in their practice, their leadership, and their organizations. This ripple effect will push our sector towards creating racially equitable institutions.

This ripple effect will push our sector towards creating racially equitable institutions.”

However, it’s not just up to our leaders alone to achieve this. Philanthropic leaders need to know that they cannot expect the nonprofit sector to address racial inequities without claiming the responsibility for the roles that they have historically played in helping to create our current reality: of scarcity of time and resources. We need funding agencies to partner with us and invest in leadership development and innovative ideas to disrupt harmful practices. This will be the radical shift needed to push our sector forward equitably.

“It’s not just up to our leaders alone to achieve this.”

above Hispanic Unity of Florida’s Felipe Pinzon at his home in Weston, Thursday, March 18, 2021. Source: John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel.

left Commissioner Mike Gelin, City of Tamarac, Felipe Pinzon, President and CEO, Hispanic Unity of Florida, Germaine Smith-Baugh, Ed.D.; President and CEO, Urban League of Broward County and Former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness. Source: “New Research Highlights Broward’s Equity Challenges,” The Westside Gazette, Feb 2022.

ABOUT Felipe Pinzon is President & CEO of Hispanic Unity of Florida (HUF), one of South Florida’s largest community-based organizations dedicated to the immigrant population. He began his career with HUF in 2002, and is a seasoned human services leader and working families advocate with vast experience in organizational strategy, program design, and fundraising. Felipe has a master’s degree in Public Administration from NSU and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

EVIDENT CHANGE

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM has been the first and only space designed for nonprofit leaders of color that I’ve been a part of. The impact on my personal program experience has been challenging, enlightening, and deeply engaging.

I have so much wisdom from this experience to share with my organization and communities. We’ve really been given the time and space to rethink and envision a better future for our sector. I’m most excited about the possibility of normalizing a new standard and a redefined vision of nonprofit leadership arising from what we are seeing modeled in the world by people of color, particularly women, like those who have been part of the collective. There is so much wisdom from the leadership of women of color that has been overlooked for far too long.

Organizational leaders who are committed to this work need both financial and emotional support to sustain their organizations and leadership. It is no easy feat to dismantle longstanding historical practices and the barriers set up against our communities. For our leaders and sector to thrive, it is incredibly valuable, even necessary, to receive flexible general operating support, with a key focus on equity and diversity in their organizational cultures.

ABOUT A s CEO of Evident Change, Kathy provides strategic vision while overseeing programmatic and organizational operations. Kathy has led key initiatives including Data for Equity, ethics in predictive analytics, Pay for Success and Social Innovation Finance projects, and renaming and rebranding the 115-year-old organization. She has partnered throughout her tenure with numerous state and local social services agencies across the United States and internationally to transform child welfare, juvenile justice, and adult protective services systems by infusing research-based and data-driven approaches into decision making.

right The People’s Emergency Center’s James Wright leads a tour of Lancaster Avenue. Source: Brad Larrison/WHYY.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

PEOPLE ’ S EMERGENCY CENTER CDC

THERE IS A POWER that comes from a cohesive community, coming together to take up space and learn from each other. Through my participation in this cohort, it further opened my eyes to the complexities of being a nonprofit leader of color. Yet at the same time, it has added strength to my position in the sector by bolstering my own personal agency, peer inspiration, and goal-oriented perseverance.

When I think about what the nonprofit sector could be, I get excited about healthy nonprofit leaders effectively modeling ways to make real change from the smallest level upward. Healthy and cared-for leaders help to make other healthy leaders in our sector. I think about a new generation of leaders fanning out across communities and implementing programming that centers people with dignity, hope, and strength. To philanthropy I want them to know this: communities are churning solutions daily; nonprofit leaders need more resources that allow us the space to explore, ideate, take care of one another, and adapt programming to meet the present dynamic.

ABOUT James Wright is the Director of Community, Economic, and Real Estate Development at the People’s Emergency Center CDC (PECCDC). James has fifteen years of experience in neighborhood planning, economic and real estate development, and galvanizing multiple stakeholders to leverage community assets, specifically business corridors. James holds an MBA in Urban Economic Development from Eastern University. He was recognized as a 2016 Rising Star by the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations.

IRFANA JETHA NOORANI

11TH STREET BRIDGE PARK

TRANSFORM 1012 N. MAIN STREET THE HIGH LINE NETWORK

scarcity mindset!”

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM has been an incredibly energizing space for leaders of color and fosters a true sense of camaraderie. Holding space for leaders of color to speak openly, collaborate, network, commiserate, and problem-solve has been incredibly valuable during one of the most difficult and challenging years for our sector and the communities we serve.

The Program’s focus on wellbeing centers the health and mental wellness of the individual leader, so that we can then be available to fully serve our communities. The Catalyst Collective created space for reflection, feedback, and recommitment to our values and communities. With that space, I felt equipped to think about my relationship to labor, my personal and professional leadership practices, and the impact I could have working nationally and with a multidisciplinary approach. The Collective connected me to a network of peers as I started my own business and charted a new course.

“And honestly, ‘Bye!’ to

left Photo by Jared Soares.

left top Bridgepark Harvest Festival. Photo by Becky Harlan.

left bottom Bridgepark Harvest Festival. Photo by Becky Harlan.

right Photo courtesy of 11th Street Bridge Park.

As we move forward as a sector, I’m excited to see nonprofit leadership shift away from the scarcity mindset. Scarcity breeds competition, burnout, and stifles creative solutions to the problems we are trying to solve in the social sector. And honestly, “Bye!” to scarcity mindset! In order to get free, we have to lean on our communities, think with abundance, and collaborate across issues. The Catalyst Collective program and my work with the 11th Street Bridge Park demonstrated this potential; now I am taking these lessons learned to my work across the country.

The philanthropic sector has to get comfortable with transferring decision making power to practitioners. We know our communities best and the solution to the challenges we’re facing and problems we’re dismantling rest with our people. I call on the sector to engage in trust-based philanthropy. Let artists, practitioners, and residents lead in the decision-making process. Find ways to fund outside of the traditional, oppressive, capitalist nonprofit systems — there are opportunities and ways to fund individuals and coalitions doing work in their communities with no strings attached.

ABOUT Irfana Jetha Noorani is a cultural organizer, artist and administrator living in Washington, D.C. She supports neighborhoods, cultural organizations, public spaces, and philanthropic institutions with equitable planning processes that center people of color and justice-based outcomes in their work. She currently serves as a Senior Fellow to the High Line Network and a Senior Consultant to Transform 1012 N. Main Street and the 11th Street Bridge Park. Irfana is a Founding Member of Vital Little Plans, a national artist collective and giving circle that challenges the power of Eurocentric philanthropy and supports creative and disruptive initiatives that are arts-driven and community-led.

“In thinking about the future of nonprofit leadership, I am hopeful for new strategies and practices that draw on more equitable models.”

above Erika leads a group at Chinatown CDC’s Made in Chinatown exhibit at 41 Ross, a community arts space in San Francisco.

bottom Erika participates in a discussion as part of the National CAPACD’s Asian American Pacific Islander Creative Placemaking Learning Circle.

THIS PROGRAM FOR ME has been a fortifying experience. The Catalyst Collective space has helped me think about how my peers and I practice leadership in ways that are authentic to who we are. We look at how we structure and interact within our organizations to be more effective, and examine systems to move the nonprofit sector to positively impact our communities and neighborhoods. I have appreciated both sessions as a group to connect with my peers and with my individual coach. These provide a time to pause, to be reflective, and to expand my leadership practice, so that I can apply my learnings to my organization and the BIPOC people that we serve.

In thinking about the future of nonprofit leadership, I am hopeful for new strategies and practices that draw on more equitable models. These include looking at what shared leadership might look like and how nonprofits are able to practice it. To make this possible, we need to consider what equitable grantmaking and resource development looks like, and how we can change these systems for more BIPOC nonprofits to be truly sustainable.

I hope that decision makers in philanthropy can see and value unrestricted general operating funds and funding for professional development like the Catalyst Collective. These offer the opportunity to equip leaders like myself with the energy, inspiration, and tools to create powerful, long-lasting organizations.

ABOUT Erika Gee is an educator, organizer, and cultural worker. She currently serves as fundraising and program manager at National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD), where she supports arts, culture and storytelling efforts that further neighborhood economic development, community planning and resident engagement. Her love is developing programs for social change, which have been experienced at San Francisco’s Chinatown Community Development Center and in museums and cultural centers in Los Angeles, New York, and the Bay Area.

MAURICIO

“Inclusive spaces foster organic, authentic relationships for communities to thrive and innovate.”

left top Mauricio and family with supporters during his City Council campaign.

left bottom Photo courtesy of Mauricio Calvo.

right Photo by Patrick Lantrip, Daily Memphian.

THE CATALYST COLLECTIVE PROGRAM was a true community for me and a necessary one during this virtual reality we’re all working in. To be able to connect with other leaders of color in the sector, share leadership experiences, and work through challenges facing our sectors together has been such a valuable experience these past few years.

This experience was enriching and I look forward to our next generation of nonprofit leaders to learn, grow, and find a safe community like I have with this program. It is necessary for our leaders to see themselves represented in leadership roles, but it is also important for them to have the opportunity to troubleshoot with a community experiencing the unique challenges that comes with being a leader of color.

As I have learned through this program, inclusive spaces foster organic, authentic relationships for communities to thrive and innovate. The work I do with my own organization only further affirms this. Philanthropy needs to consider funding directly to our communities and the development of our leaders now and our leaders of tomorrow. With intentional investments like this, battling the issues we face and creating a more inclusive world for all will be a closer reality.

ABOUT M auricio has been a proud Memphian for twenty-eight years. As Executive Director of Latino Memphis, the Mexico City native leads a social, legal, and advocacy organization working to build a vibrant and upward Latinx community, a goal relevant to all Memphians. Mauricio, who is openly bi, and his best friend-wife, local artist Yancy Villa, are figuring out how to raise three future leaders: Anna 15, Carolina 14, and Santiago 12, who proudly attend public schools. In addition to enduring his cooking, the Calvo-Villa are champions of progressive issues and enjoy all things Memphis as a family.

IMAGINATION AND REJUVENATION RETREAT

Boar’s Head Resort Charlottesville, VA April 4–6, 2022

The inaugural cohort of the Catalyst Collective convened in Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville, Virginia for a culminating retreat after sixteen months of virtual sessions. Designed to celebrate and embody the core tenants of the program, this three-day retreat centered around giving senior Leaders of Color the spaciousness for self-care and reflection, and to support collective reimagination towards better outcomes for BIPOC leaders to thrive.

The Catalyst Collective

THE RETREAT SESSIONS provided the cohort an opportunity to reflect and build on their experiences as leaders and practice articulating their unique impact through peer coaching and storytelling. The collective was able to identify the sector changes needed to inspire lasting transformation.

“My cup was empty...this retreat reminded me of what it’s like to have a cup that’s overflowing.”

Rey Faustino

Retreat Objectives

01

Foster meaningful connections 02

Practice prioritizing inner well-being 03

Imagine changes to mitigate burn out and accelerate racial equity 04

Leverage the power and voice of this collective to advocate for tangible changes that will create a more supportive and sustainable experience for BIPOC Leaders

Thank you for the space and spaciousness to dream again.”

Sarah Lockridge-Steckel

“

above Cohort members meeting for the first time and engaging with in-person peer coaching.

bottom ProInspire's Co-CEO, Bianca Anderson, kicking off the 3-day retreat week.

across Catalyst Collective members participate in a storytelling workshop led by our Executive Coach, David Mensa.

“I have such a heart of gratitude for ProInspire. I have been a part of six cohorts since the pandemic. The Catalyst Collective cohort was my favorite.”

Cheryl P. Johnson

above The inaugural Catalyst Collective Cohort of 2022.

From left to right: Monisha Kapila, Kathy Park, Erika Gee, Rey Faustino, Asali deVan Ecclesiastes, Victoria Jones, Cheryl P. Johnson, Jacqueline Goh, Sarah LockridgeSteckel, Eureka Gilkey, Lisa Lee, Michael O’Bryan, Stephanie McKee, Mauricio Calvo, Eva Mosby, Michelle Rhone-Collins, and Bianca Casanova Anderson.

ABOUT PROINSPIRE

Founded in 2009, ProInspire activates leaders at all levels to accelerate equity. Recognizing that leadership and equity are the keys to systems change, we strive to impact change by designing and delivering workshops, facilitating racial equity change processes, convening communities of practice, and conducting research focused on equitable leadership practices in the social sector.

ProInspire envisions an equitable and just society free of systemic oppression where all people thrive.

ProInspire activates leaders at all levels to accelerate equity at the individuals, organizational, and systems levels.

VISION MISSION BOLD GOAL

ProInspire’s bold goal is for social sector leaders at all levels to accelerate race equity in outcomes and experience by focusing on practices, capacity, and thought leadership from self to systems.

Key Highlights

PROINSPIRE HAS ENGAGED with over 4,000 leaders at all levels across the social sector as we work towards our vision of a more equitable and just society. Our position is that by centering the needs of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color (BIPOC), organizations will create lasting change that disrupts racism. Our values of equity, authenticity, collaboration, and courage are essential to who we are and what we do, and we strive to embody these ideals in our lives and our work with leaders and organizations.

ProInspire was named by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as one of 7 Nonprofits to Watch in 2015, and as a Top-Rated Nonprofit from 2015 to 2018. In 2021, ProInspire moved to a shared leadership model, where Bianca Casanova Anderson was promoted to co-CEO serving alongside Founder and co-CEO Monisha Kapila. While we bring our knowledge and expertise to this work, it is only through our partnerships and the collective wisdom and actions of our community that we can achieve our mission and realize our shared vision. We are grateful for the leaders and organizations who have partnered with us.

2009

Founded by co-CEO Monisha Kapila & launched ProInspire Fellowship in Washington, D.C.

2015 Named one of 7 Nonprofits to Watch by the Chronicle of Philanthropy

2017

Launched ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance & hosted first Impact Fellowships Summit

2019

Celebrated tenth anniversary & hosted the ProInspire Summit

Created and launched the Catalyst Collective 2021 Shifted to shared leadership, promoted Bianca Anderson to co-CEO & published Self to Systems: Leading for Race Equity Impact

2020

Support Individuals

What We Do

Strengthen Organizations Influence & Equip the Sector

ProInspire brings together a multi-identity team of eleven people that delivers programming and resources designed to activate all social impact leaders to accelerate racial equity.

1. Individuals

We support individuals through our public programs that provide a space for professional growth and help leaders at all levels build skills, tools, and mindsets to accelerate racial equity through leadership.

2. Organizations

We support organizations to advance their race equity journeys, build inclusive leadership practices, and strengthen leaders at all levels to accelerate equity.

3. Social Sector

We influence the social sector through research, writing, and convening.

Major Publications

Published Op-Eds

01

A Force for Impact: Millennials in the Nonprofit Sector 02

Self to Systems: Leading for Race Equity Impact 03

Crises as a Catalyst: A Call for Race Equity & Inclusive Leadership — ProInspire 04

A Decade In The Making: ProInspire’s Lessons on Leadership and Equity Work 05 10 Year Impact Report

01

How MacKenzie Scott’s Gifts to Leaders of Color Fuel Transformation CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY 02

Failure Is Not an Option: How Nonprofit Boards Can Support Leaders of Color NONPROFIT QUARTERLY 03

How Nonprofit Workers and Leaders Can Make a Difference as Racial Tensions Flare CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY 04

Talent Matters Blog Series STANDARD SOCIAL INNOVATION REVIEW

The Leadership Model Overview

WE IDENTIFIED these Windows of Leadership, Areas of Advancing Race Equity, and Core Commitments to build shared language and highlight the many ways that all leaders — across identities, roles, issue areas, and organizations — can interrupt inequities, namely race equity, through their leadership in the social sector.

Demonstrating these Core Commitments and deepening one’s skill sets and mindsets does not correspond to years of experience, level of workplace hierarchy, or job title.

We hope that leaders can use this framework, the Core Commitments, and the practices to activate their leadership and accelerate race equity through their work.

Our belief is that leaders at all levels should work towards building inclusive and equitable workplaces that have a positive social impact.

Windows of Leadership

Our term for the perspectives or levels from which leaders can create impact — namely leadership of Self, People, Organizations, and Systems.

Self Exploring Identity People Centering Relationships Organizations Aligning Values Systems Collective Reimagining

Core Commitment

Accompanying each window is a Core Commitment, which captures the nature of the practices in each level of leadership.

above The ProInspire Team.

From left to right: Neriel David Ponce, Kristen Lucas, Monisha Kapila, Rachel Leonidas, Namira Anani, Rosie Aquila, Kate Loving, Chiavone Mobley, Monica Biswas, and Bianca Casanova Anderson (sans Monea Abdul-Majeed).