The Diversity Projekt
Empowerment for All People of Color
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International Women’s Day 2009
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!
Please take this time to remember the incredible women in your life and those that paved the way before you!I could not have asked for a more perfect day! I started my day in fellowship at The Well and then participating in the IWD 2009 Conference in Center City, Philadelphia. I was a bit nervous about speaking, as I rarely get the chance to speak about faith before my peers in the LGBTQ of Color community. It is less stressful speaking before communities I have less of a personal stake in.
I made some great connections. Suraya Pakzad, Executive Director of Voices of Women Organization, came to speak about Women and Violance in Afghanistan. I was also able to finally meet Gloria Casarez, Director of LGBT Affairs for the City of Philadelphia, Virgina Gutierrez, President of the Board at Equality Advocates, and Wahaadah Shabazz-El of Women’s HIV Network.
The Anna Crusis Women’s Choir sang “Bread and Roses” (btw one of my favorite charities) and the Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas performed Aztec ceremonical rituals and dances. I am extremely humbled that people wanted TDP to faciliate new inter-faith LGBT dinscussions. Many also asked for my business card after my presentation. I definitely did not expect that reaction.
I was disappointed not to see Vanessa Brown at the conference. She is one of our newly elected State Representatives. I met her last year at a Progressive Leadership Women of Color brunch. I asked her when I first met her about the ways in which she intended to address LGBTQ issues in her district but did not receive an answer. I thought, perhaps the second time around would be the charm.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
SPONSORED BY THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY PHILADELPHIA COALITION
LIBERATION – EQUALITY – JUSTICE!SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2009
PROGRAM12:00- 1:00PM RALLY AND MARCH @ CITY HALL
1:00- 1:30PM MARCH to FAMILY PLANNING COUNCIL
260 S. BROAD STREET1:30- 2:30PM LUNCH/REFRESHMENTS
2:30 – 2:45PM CEREMONIAL OPENING
Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas Featuring Fuego NuevoOPENING/WELCOME/LIBATIONS by Soda Nobuhle, Arleen Olshan
2:45 -3:00PM CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Anna Crusis Women’s Choir3:00-4:00PM Anti-War and International Union Solidarity
Kathy Black, Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)The United Nations (UN) Conference on Women
Berta Joubert-CeciSingle Payer Health Care
Patty Eakin, President of the Pennsylvania Association of Nurses
and Allied ProfessionalsWomen and HIV/AIDS
Waheedah Shabazz-El, Women’s HIV NetworkCULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Sisters in Music and Poetry: Monnette Sudler and Trapeta MaysonLesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Communities – A Political Perspective
Gloria Casarez, Director of LGBT Affairs City of PhiladelphiaQueer Womyn on Faith and Spirituality
Kathrin P. Ivanovic, Principal Blogger at The Diversity ProjektViolence Towards Women Abroad: A Darfuran Women Speaks
About Rape as a Weapon of Genocide in Sudan
Fatima HarounWomen’s Heart and Health
Blanca Marti, Nurse Practitioner4:00-5:00 PM Womyn of Color- A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Perspective LGBTQ Womyn of Color ConferenceCULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Creativity in Movement, Misia DeneaTransgender Womyn of Color – Action, Advocacy, Allies
Jaci AdamsWomen In Politics
State Representative Vanessa BrownEmployee Free Choice Act
Roni Green, SEIUSpoken in Arabic – Multicultural/Multiethnic Organizing
Nehad Khadir, Arab Women’s CommitteeCULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Songs of Hope, Fatimah LorénOccupational Safety and Health Issues Related to Women
Barbara Rahke, Director, Philadelphia Area Project on
Occupational Safety and HealthCULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas Featuring Fuego NuevoWomen and Diabetes
Juanita FigueroaHousing: The Foreclosure Crisis
Louise FrancisWomen and Violence In Afghanistan
Suraya PakzadImmigration and Health Care Access
Teresa Conejo5:00-5:30PM CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Poetry in Motion, Shayna SheNess Israel (SITY)CULTURAL PERFORMANCE
Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas Featuring Fuego NuevoAction Plan
ALL5:30-6:00PM Reflections/Closing
Sherrie Cohen, Soda Nobuhle, Arleen OlshanIWD Philadelphia Coalition thanks its 2009 Sponsors: AFSCME District Council 47, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Anna Crusis Choir, Beta Phi Omega Sorority Inc., Carmen Bilingual toys and books, Café con Chocolate, Coalition for Labor Union Women, Code Pink, Darfur Alert Coalition, Hearts and More by Moon Queen, Lia Sophia, MayDay Committee, National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, PA Federation BMWED-IBT, Passion Party Consulting, Partnership for Prescription Assistance, Philadelphia International Action Center, Philadelphia NOW, Planned Parenthood, Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas , Safeguards and Family Planning Council, Sisterspace, Sisters United @ The COLOURS Organization, Inc., Tacto Peruano, The COLOURS Organization Inc., The Womyn’s Village, Women’s Community Revitalization Project.
www.myspace.com/iwdphiladelphia; Email: iwdphiladelphia@yahoo.com; Phone: 267-997-8160
NGen Claiming Space at Independent Sector
I attended Craigslist BootCamp NYC in early October. It was an exciting coming together of the young movers and shakers in the Public Good community. While the feel of the Independent Sector conference is extremely different than that of Craigslist Bootcamp, I am excited to see that NGens are claiming their space among established Non Profit Leaders. We are contributing our ideas, talent, passion and initiative as we bring a fresh look, feel and perspective to the Non Profit community. Also, we are not shy about doing so.
I am honored to be among an impressive blogger presence at this year’s Independent Sector Conference:
Trista Harris — New Voices of Philanthropy
Tera Wozinak — Social Citizen
Rosetta Thurman — Perspectives from the Pipleline
Katya Andresen — Robin Hood MarketingIt was also a privilege to meet Heather Carpenter at NonProfit Leadership 601. I also met a prospective new blogger, Monica. She is a prominent member of Philadelphia’s rising non profit leaders and the Director of Development and Publicity at the Green School in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, a school for autistic children. We will be setting up her blog within the next couple of weeks. She has a lot to say!!
I am so thrilled that the Chronicles of Philanthropy picked up our presence and gave a shout out to our efforts.
After the closing of this year’s IS Plenary, many NGens gathered for a post-conference brainstorming session. While we initially broke discussed our reaction to the conference in smaller groups, we came together in the end to discuss several topics important to both NGens and the IS conference as a whole:
Value
- many felt that the orange “NGen” tags were value on several fronts. They provided visibility of emerging leaders to both other NGens and to more established members of the IS community.
- The larger presence of NGens at the conference allowed us to share our concerns and issues of the future of the IS and the non profit world as well as a way in which we can contribute to its growth
Why Did you Come
- to meet and network with other NGens and more established members of the IS and Non Profit community
- several suggestions were shared about how to better facilitate interactions between NGens and established IS members 1) mentoring and coaching opportunities 2) speed networking between NGens and established members 3) collaboration on plenary planning committees 4) IS board membership program
- NGen investment in the sector through mission based development
Where Do We Go
- while many appreciated the seperate NGen track of workshops this morning, others thought that it separated us from the rest of the conference
- many advocated for more NGen participation in the planning of the IS conference, as presenters and speakers, and on the Board of Directors. Several individuals argued that if IS was truly committed to including NGen’s into IS, it would provide a way for NGen’s to actively participate in the planning and execution of furture conferences and initiatives
- several individuals expressed the need for a greater presence of new media at the conference, particularly more Net Cafe stations and better access to power sources for those who have their own equipment. Also, the incorporation of sessions on the usefulness of new media to non profits and foundations should be established.
- fostering of more scholarship opportunities for NGens who cant afford to attend on their own accord (encouragement to send thank you letters to all contributors to 2008 scholarship fund)
- establish opportunities for NGens to interact in the local level, particularly through engaging local organizations such as PYNL (Philadelphia Young NonProfit Leaders) and YNPN (Young Non Profit Network)
- creation of a listserv to share ideas
- establishment of regional breakout sessions at next year’s IS conference
- more NGen participation as moderators and speakers
- NGen panel discussion or presentation at Plenary Meetings at next year’s conference
LiveBlog – Independent Sector, Advancing Your Career – Tuesday, November 11, 2008
This Session has been a spit fire Q&A session rather than a presentation based session. The session was hosted by CommnonCareers.
Bridgestar.org – information about Non Prof Executive development.
What if you find yourself in a position different than what you were hired from?
Create your own opportunities. Be strategic in managing your duties and be clear about your job expectations. Be open and honest in dialogue with employer. If position will never embody what you are looking for, you need to start thinking strategically of looking beyond to a new position.
Bait and Switch is often used to trap young capable employees.
If you have identified where you want to go and the skills, how do you develop skills in a practical way in a job that does not need those skills?
Join board of small non profit without much staff so that you can pitch in on day to day operations. How do you find board opportunities? Check board websites such as Board Source. There are link programs in many cities across the country.
Conferences are great ways to build skills. Engaging in your non profit associations and other business associations who have programs for skill building.
Look at network to see how consulting can a resource for consulting to build practice. Look into Tap Root Foundation as they help siphon people into non profit from business sector.
Reach out to your network and people who are doing what you want to do for informational interviews and mentoring programs.
If you love the mission of your organization yet the culture of your department is not aligned with the way you are comfortable with doing work. How do you function with the disconnect between the culture of the org and your personal culture?
Look for other departments that fit your personal culture. Try to incorporate tools that help clarify people’s position and roles. Think about managing up through open dialogue.
How important or essential is a graduate degree?
Grad degrees are essential. It is more important about where you went and the culture of the institution. Some organizations are threatened by MBA degrees but that is an “old” non profit culture. For Exe Directors an MBA is high on the list for a “must have”.
What do you do if you happen to be in one content area but want to transfer to another content area? Changing mission focus.
Volunteer in the area that you want to transition to. Create your own volunteer initiative within your existing organization or your community.
Job Transition Components:
1) geography
2) type of org
3) type of role
Easy to change one. Hard to change two, Difficult to change all.
Informational interviews are essential for transitions. Who knows who and how you can network.
Facebook and InkedIn is the new wave of of job transtion.
LiveBlog – Independent Sector, NonProfit Warrior Renewal – Monday, November 10, 2008
Speaker: Stewart D. Friedman, practice professor of management and director, Wharton Work/Life Integration Project, Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Panelists:
Kathleen E. Christensen, Program Director, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director, Asian American Justice Center
Rand Wentworth, president, Land Trust Alliance, LLC
Moderator: John Gompert, chief executive officer, Experience Corps; president Civic Ventures
—–
Comments from Dr. Friedman:
“Total Leadership” way you can integrate all aspects of ourselves to be high functioning human being – leadership from the position of the whole person in order to move from a position of balance to a position of integration.
How do we think about these various aspects of our lives and how do we see them as either enriching or depleting?
Work
Home
Community
Private Self – mind body spiritRate these aspects from 1-10 (1 being totally rotten to 10 totally awesome). Rate how other people would rate your meeting expectations in these categories.
What small steps can you take to better align your work with the rest of your life? How can you improve your overall aspect of your life?
We are breaking out into pairs to discuss these four aspects of our life, where we are and where we want to be, as well as what we can do to move in the direction.
Sidenote: over half of the people in attendance at this presentation are not on Facebook. What does this say about the demographics of this conference?
Observations from exercise:
- put a lot of time to work than to family or ourselves
- work and community are interconnected and there is little division (particularly in the nonprofit world)
- the interpretation of the categories and how they are important vary
- didn’t find any solutions but felt good to talk about the issues
Improvement performance is about being a better leader and the steps necess:
- being real
- telling critical story about what events shaped the person that you are
- telling a critical story of what you think will make you a better person in the world
- being hole, acting with integrity with the whole you
- what are your expectations of yourself in your various rolls and how does that reflection of yourself match up to how other people reflect your expectation
We often have higher expectations of ourselves and we perceive that others have higher expectations of us than is reflected in reality.E
Evaluation of these domains results in people refocusing time and attention so that alignment is more as you like or want it (actions and values shift away from work to other parts of life).
Aligning our actions with our values results in an increase in satisfaction throughout all aspects of our life. (common sense, no? even though we tend to overfocus on work to the point where work becomes the center of our life)
Panel Discussion:
Kathleen: Middle class privileged in the sense that they enjoyed their work. They also loved their families and the refuge. Yet there was not enough time to do everything. Until recently this was seen as a private problem needing a private solution. What was overlooked was the changing dynamics of the workforce – a lot of women and a lot of older people, as well as NGen populations.
Workplace structure not changing with the changing demographics of the workforce. People wanted flexibility not only with the hours that they worked, but where they worked and how they worked.
Effective implementation of flexible workforce practices: Increase retention. Enhance recruitment. Reduced absenteeism. Increased productivity.
Is flexibility an excuse to work all the time? How can we make flexibility a good convenient team for managing our complicated time, but actually also to get some balance in our life?
Kathleen: not a fan of balance since she is not sure if we can ever achieve it. Flexibility a dual edged sword. Flexibility should not be seen as just a change in schedule. It should be seen as a reexamination of work practices – creating boundaries between family and work. Creating a new work culture i.e. no email or travel on weekends. Time is not infinitely expanding and that boundaries need to be placed on time.
Rand Wentworth: Life as a constant practice in resurrection? Rising above the life burnout. How to we renew or restore ourselves? How do we make small choices throughout our lives to make healthier and better choices? How do we balance this in a suffering world?
Confession: early years I worked out 9-10 at night. Dinner was Doritos or pepperidge farm cookies. I get up early. I would get 5-6 hours of sleep. You can do this at 20 or something but not 50s. I wake up early and reserve the first 2 hours of my day for personal and family. The first thing I do in the morning is 20 min of yoga and contemplative practices. I then do something fun and exuberant – bike or swim to clear my head and give me energy. As long as I am at home, I have breakfast with my kids. I am rarely home for dinner, btu I always have breakfast with my kids. The three nights a week I am home we always sit down for dinner.
Remember to renew throughout the day and remember to breathe. Reschedule your life with YOU in mind.
The practice of rushing: If I am doing more faster I must be more efficient in practicing my mission.
Learn how to use technology not let the technology use you. Learning how to turn it off. He ever does email at home.
“No Screen Time” – During the weekend, creating a time where all screens are turned off. Honoring the personal sabbath!
Sundays in the Wentworth household – visiting with friends, sharing meals, reading, going for walks, and spending time with each other., Nervous system is profoundly relaxed.
Talk Daily
Talk Weekly
Annual basis – honorable birthright as servant leaders to do some kind of retreat for yourself. Yoga or nature retreat. Some time when you deeply relax and reflect on how your life is going and how you want your life.
The culture of his organization: All administrative staff are eligible for 3 month sabbatical after 7 years of work. Adopted practicing no scheduled meetings on Fridays and no sending of emails to subordinates on weekends.
Karen: “Hi I am Karen and I am a workaholic.”
Working for clients whose lives are more desperate than ours. Nevertheless, you are only as good as the energy that you can bring to your job.
As we look as diversity – thank god there are a lot of minorities being leaders – we need to make sure that we do not take on the responsibility of representing our communities to the point of burnout.
The power of no!
Disciplined about number of boards you choose to be on and the amount of projects you choose to engage in. Creating an ebb and flow and accept that imperfection is perfect.
Importance of coaching – even though we know the things we need to do, to create balance sometimes we don’t know how to achieve balance.
- Need to write down boundaries.
- Need to vocalize goals to be accountable
Sabbaticals allowed us to strengthen the cohesiveness of the organization. Allows for a strong foundation for the organization and group relationships. Better delegation and group effectiveness.
Question and Answer
Suggestions for Millennials, young leaders who are trying to prove themselves to their organization and maintain balance
Opportunity to teach elders to live right and alter the culture of our organizations. Allowing space for people who are productive in their work space yet allow us to have a personal life.
Agreement with staff about production schedules that are reasonable and checking in to evaluate realistic parameters.
Importance of policing our performance expectations of ourselves and other people – the differential between our perception and reality.
Kathleen: The current environment there will be more fear and anxiety and more sense insecurity and power will be shifting to feeling less empowered. Anything that we say will be set in that context. Within the next 1-2 yrs people will be feeling the sand shift underneath their feed.
Ending questions and comments:
How do you reconcile pressures of the job and the desire to have a life?
Flextime – option of a three day weekend every other week.
No meetings on Mondays or Fridays
Do people really change? Do you see a true transformative sense in your life?
When you are trying to make the changes how do you deal with pressure from people around you to revert to old behaviors and attitudes?
Kathleen – Issues about employers to motivate to adopt 80/20 work weeks. People have a hard time to imagine beyond “what is”. Encouraging organizations to put boundaries around projects and time in order to create more manageability.
Rand – yes, there is hope. Addiction of overworking isn’t true to who we really are. Any addiction requires new habits of being that claim each day. Each day needs to be started anew. Structured approach of setting goals is necessary for change.
Karen -not knowing if she was truly able to change, but had staff around her who were committed to helping her change. Also, accepting the idea that change is gradual. Having expectations of overnight change is unrealistic. You tend to make more mistakes when burned out. Change requires commitment.
Stew – Be a better leader and have a richer life. Putting on a lens that puts your life together that is mutually enriching and is valuable to key people in your life. Take small steps – YES WE CAN! Create sustainable change not just for you but for the people around you. What do the people around you really need and what can you do to achieve balance for the two.
LiveBlog – Independent Sector, Yours for the Asking: Capturing Wealth – Monday, November 10, 2008
I will clean this up later on tonight. I look forward to your comments!
Ronald Levy – Fundraising
Board of Directors
- raise its size
- raise expectations
- raise involvement
Opening Comments about the Sector
1) trustees want to leave an impression. they do not want to be letterhead board members. chief exec job that board members are fully engaged.
2) pick up the pace and multiply the asks. numbers matter – fundraising is not a college exam. fundraising is a rule of averages
Fundraising is baseball
3) dont just ask often but ask well.”please join me” are the most magical words.
4) convince the right donor who enjoys a strong relationship with the new potential donor. Ask for a specific sum and have the ask come from another done with another relationship.
5) in fundraising shoe leather trumps the keyboard almost always
6) do your homework on potential donors
7) early money is the best kind. EMILY “early money is like yeast”
fundraising is a deeply psychological process9) pick soon and low hanging fruit friends of the organization and enlarge base
10) ask the already committed for leads advice and guidance and help with solicitation
11) remember that the overall obj is to diversity funding sources and funding methods. aim to develop diverse portfolio of institutional, trustee, individual and governmental
12) methods of raising funds should be diverse – biz sponsorship, special events, major gifts membership programs bequests mail order and corporate giving.
Message to Solicitor
1) fundraising is a branch of salesmanship
2) calling
3) understand never ever a bad season of the year or time of day or econ climate
4) everyone as a potential donor
5) giving as act of patriotic citizenship
6) “No is a delicious beginning to a great conversation!”
Message to Donors
1) give generously and as flexibly as possible
2) offer general operating support not restictive
3) challenge grant offers
4) interest friends and collegues
5) multiyear pledge as symbol of confidence
6) no recession period in which philanthropy has droppe more than 3-4%. even in rough times generous donations are there. $306 billion raised in 2007 is the begiining and is determined by attitude and resourcefullness and purposefullness of those who solicit
Question and Answer
Q – Alternative to large boards and how do you balance too big, great for fundraising and complicated for government?
Fundraising inexpensible to chief executive position. Complex and active committee structure and informal structure that allows for social engagement, ad hoc problem solving and crosssection and passion and need of institution will allow the chief executive to tap into the wealth of knowledge of the board.
If you want to govern your organization, a dozen directors will be sufficient. Do not look to governance inteh corporate model for governance in the non profit model. Board in non prfit is center of web of influence and advocacy and center of resoucce and consciousness raising for non profit.
For new organizations it takes time to evolve. Gather the resources of your friends. Create artistic advisory board who can and will give generously.
Transitions – pain of transition within the board. Objectify the need. If you have a board that agrees there is a distance bw the promise and the mission, question is over time how to alter the board to make contribution to resources needed. Grandfather all board members and create new expectation for new cohort of board members. All must adhere to new higher standard. The resident board members – inherited – will do one of two things 1) leave without being asked and 2) increase their own giving.
Q – How do you engage new weath that may not be engraned in philanthropy from their families?
Worst way is talking about the act of philanthropy.
The best way is demonstrating what private resources can do. Taking donors to see refugees or to see service to parents in need or children with learning disabilities. Taking parents to see what happens at lincoln center as a vehicle for transformation.
Do so in the company of peers i.e. peers who also recently came upon wealth who “GOT” the message and understand and who want others to join them.
Experiental exposure.
Q - Approach of making the ask.
Critical rule – ask comes from prospect in versus institution out.
Make donors aware of the prospect and overall condition to the issue. Lastly reduce it to the program itself.
Q – How do you take message of continuing to be optimistic and respond to the reduction of assets during this economic time?
“When your community needs you most keep spending.”
Fundraising only for people who are optimistic regardless of environment. Optimism for small donors and charity. Foundations and corporations should focus on newer and younger orgs of great promise that have less absortive capacity than more established orgs who should turn to 80% of philanthropy (individuals).
Q – Narcisistic aspect of Venture Philanthropy who are more interested in programs of own invention, how do you engage them?
Must get out the mind of a venture capitlist that many orgs arent venturing a lot of the time. Be able to talk the language of the venture capitalists to overcome the barrier.
Donor Tet
1) how did we do this year versus last – method and sector
2) how how are we doign this yr based on what we budgeted
3) how are we doing this year compared toour most admired ananlogs
4) who do we admire most that relates to large foundations and major gifts and who do we admire most who is engaged in email philanthropy and how do we compare and how can we do better
5) are we bridging the gap bw the promise of the org and the performance
Complacency and inertia are the most toxic diseases for non profit organizations and they bust me combated.
1) rigerous measurement
2) publicity even when they are critical
3) broad and diverse donor base – listen to donors and non verbal reactions to prospects
4) large and diverse board of directors
Mechanisms to keep org and yourself alive and curious and eager for the next step and growth and development
Q – Potential wealth is it more individuals or corporate giving in relation to prospects in this economy?
Corporate giving requires patience as corporate giving is 20% of the sector. Looking to the 80% of the giving sector – individual donors – is more efficient and effective in our current economic environment. They use emotional intelligence much more easily. They can be arbitrary. They do not have to answer to a board. Individual donors are the easiest charter route.
Ask – Stare – Wait
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