Diversity and Social Justice in Advancement: Experts Speak in These New Fundraising Voices Podcasts

Supporting diverse colleagues and engaging an inclusive donor base are important topics in advancement, and interest is high from advancement leaders to support social justice efforts. In our recent survey of fundraisers, more than half told us they are marketing social justice impact and giving more in 2021. This past month, I talked with three groups of advancement leaders about their efforts to support diversity, equity, and inclusion, and learned new things about how to support these important goals.

Collecting Courage: Nneka Allen and Birgit Burton bring diverse voices to life

The experience for professionals of color in advancement is not always what it should be. We have a lot of work to do in diversifying our teams and truly supporting professionals from diverse backgrounds. The impact of this investment is significant, as our donor bases are more diverse than ever. Nneka Allen, co-editor and author of Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love, joins Birgit Burton from Georgia Tech on the podcast. In this incredible book they’ve assembled the experiences of diverse professionals in their own voices. They got on the line with me to share their takeaways and talk about how we can do better to embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in our advancement work.

Grant strategy: Shavonn Richardson offers key tips for approaching funders, and embracing diverse voices in our philanthropic work

In 2020, foundations provided more than $16B in support to higher education. There’s no doubt that applying for and getting grants is a key priority for your organization. Shavonn Richardson at Think and Ink Grant Consulting has made it her mission to help nonprofits—especially those serving diverse communities—to maximize their grant success. I got on the line with Shavonn to talk about the environment for grant seeking in 2021, how to get it right and succeed, and how these resources impact our crucial goals of equity, inclusion and social justice.

Check out Think and Ink Grant Consulting online.

Tanya Rumble and Mariya Yurukova: Embracing diversity, inclusion and social justice as part of your advancement mission

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice are important priorities for charitable organizations. Tanya Rumble and Mariya Yurukova are passionate about the topics of diversifying our fundraising teams, and our donor base. They come at the issue from different backgrounds and with a wealth of experience in the nonprofit world. They’ve been writing and presenting on the issue significantly in the past year, and I got on a call to welcome Mariya back to the podcast, meet Tanya, and hear their great insights on key steps to take for social justice as fundraisers.

Here is a link to their article in AFP Advancing Philanthropy: Swept Under The Rug: The Issue of Diversity in Our Sector. And check out, Ring the alarm: It’s 2021 and the nonprofit sector does not have a plan for engaging with diverse donors. And check out Mariya at the Charity Search Group for more resources.

Subscribe to hear more insights from Fundraising Voices

We’re always talking with advancement leaders about important topics and new strategies. Check out the newest of over 100 episodes of Fundraising Voices, and subscribe via Spotify, Audible, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get podcasts.