by Nicole Hsiang
Last weekend, I attended the 2008 Raising Change Social Justice Fundraising Conference, which was organized by the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT). I was able to meet fellow fundraising comrades from all over the country (and some from other countries, as well), and attend workshops that covered everything from practical fundraising skills to analyzing our place in the global movement for social change.
The second morning of the conference kicked off with a lively debate on the topic, “Is the non-profit sector a vehicle – or has it become a barrier – to social justice?” This debate, by now, is not unfamiliar, thanks to the women of Incite! Women of Color Against Violence who recently produced the popular anthology, The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, in which its contributors seriously critique and challenge foundations and non-profit organizations to be more accountable to the communities that they serve. Their book serves as affirmation of the growing frustration among activists with the non-profit sector, a now highly professionalized, highly funded field, becoming the home for social justice movement building. Having to pay salaries, office rent, postage and more, non-profits are often enticed to conform to the interests of wealthy funders. Radical politics are downplayed, subversive language is watered down, and hours of weekly work time are spent writing grants, gathering data, and filing reports. And this is the way the wealthy may maintain the privilege and security of the powerful ruling classes, using their charity to manage and control activism.
On the other side of the debate, is the fact that the NPIC is, nevertheless, a powerful resource for movement building that must be utilized. The issue at hand is essentially an existential crisis, as all of the debaters and most of the members of the audience that day were in fact, part of non-profit organizations, many of which receive much of their income from foundations and the government.
To say that the non-profit sector was a barrier to social justice would deny our work and accomplishments, and our existence. But to see non-profits as a vehicle to social justice in a world where social and environmental problems persist and worsen every year would be ignoring the fact that something is clearly wrong with this picture.
The two sides of the debate were both convincing, impassioned, articulate and correct. Both sides won, or neither. What I took away from it was, that everyone agrees that there needs to be a change in our work. There is justified anger and rage at the state of the world and frustration that with all the resources at hand we’re still not making any progress. At the same time, we must think about how to harness that anger, and use that energy towards envisioning the world we wish to see. Instead of completely shunning the non-profit structure, how could we change it to better suit the needs of social justice organizing?
I can think of a few ways we can change that I learned at the Raising Change Conference:
Make a commitment to anti-oppression in our work. Ensure that everyone on staff understands the ways racism, sexism, heterosexism, ablism, classism, etc. operate to keep some groups of people dominant over others, and that this power dynamic can manifest in interpersonal relationships. Empower the leadership and organizing models of people from oppressed communities. Resist using people as tokens of diversity.
Prioritize grassroots fundraising. No matter what size, all healthy organizations should have at least a third of their income coming from individuals. But besides that, grassroots fundraising ensures that your organization is fully owned by the community you serve, and that is how it should be. GIFT is a great resource to find fundraising support!
Self Care. We must take care of ourselves so that the movement can be stronger and longer lasting. If we work overtime and spread ourselves thin, we end up sacrificing ourselves and ultimately burning out, which is surely not what our predecessors wished for the future of activism. We also deserve to pay ourselves a decent living and health benefits.
Envision ourselves out of business. The purpose of a non-profit is not to exist. As long as social injustice persists, so shall our organizations. If we truly want to change the world, then we must envision a time our work won’t be needed!
Donate. As donors, we have the power to support the people creating the most effective change. Lets give our dollars to social justice organizations, and motivate a culture of grassroots giving in our communities. It’s up to us to decide who will fund our movements!
The Agape Foundation has always relied on grassroots support to fund the revolutionary work we believe in. After nearly 40 years, I’m proud to say that we’ve succeeded in awarding more than $12.5 million to grassroots social justice groups, and we’ve never received a penny from a corporation or the government. Yes, it can be done, within and without the non-profit sector. All it takes is creativity, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Tags: grassroots fundraising, non profit industrial complex, Raising Change, social change, social justice