Nonprofit Lowdown

Oh, our boards.  In this time of BLM and the broader conversations around racial equity, it can be hard to know where to begin with your board.  Boards are often more conservative, wealthier and less diverse than our staff and clients so how do we get them on their DEI path?  In this really important conversation with DEI consultant Martha Haakmat, we talk about 1) How to get boards to understand the continuum of DEI development and what that looks like on a policy and practice level. 2) Creating a DEI culture on the board through norms and recruitment. 3) Creating a sense of shared responsibility for DEI across board and staff. To get in touch with Martha, check out: https://www.haakmatconsulting.com/ To get in touch with Morty Ballen for some free DEI support: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morty-ballen List of resources that Martha recommends: Benaji and Greenwald’s book called Blindspot (about implicit bias) Dolly Chugh’s book called The Person You Mean To Be Jennifer Eberhardt’s book called Biased Ibram Kendi’s How To Be An Anti-Racist Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility Eloquent Rage - Brittney Cooper Anything by Ta-nehisi Coates Podcasts - Code Switch, Seeing White, Race Forward Anti-racism Resources for White People: a compilation of resources for white people and parents to deepen our work in anti-racism The rubric that she uses in work with leadership teams and Boards: https://www.wpi.edu/sites/default/files/Project_Inclusion_NERCHE_Rubric-Self-Assessment-2016.pdf  

Today my guest Vanessa Wakeman, founder of the Wakeman Agency, discusses PR in the nonprofit sector.  Why do we need it and how do we demonstrate an ROI?  We also discuss how to elevate the voices of women and folks of color as experts and thought leaders in the field.  Vanessa shares a step by step playbook on how to be recognized for your ideas, how to show up as your whole self unapologetically and why she has dedicated herself to elevating the the profile of BIPOC in nonprofit.   For more about Vanessa, check out: https://www.thewakemanagency.com/vanessa-wakeman/ For more about She Roars, check out: https://www.thoughtleadershipforwomen.com/vanessa-wakeman

In this tumultuous time, we are all asking ourselves what we can do to support racial justice and equity (and if you're not, why are you even listening to my podcast?).  Join me and Karen Fleshman, founder of Racy Conversations, to learn about the history of white women's role in holding up white supremacy in America, how you can start to have hard conversations about race with white family and colleagues and what it would take for us to decolonize wealth.  I invited Karen, who is a white woman, to talk about her work with white people about how to be "woke," which is not the burden of other people of color, specifically Black people, to take on.   For more about Karen, visit: http://racyconversations.com/ For resources that Karen mentions, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/white-people-how-show-up-rn-karen-fleshman-esq-she-her/

Hot off the press!  Join me and today's guest Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, New York State's ONLY Asian-American female Assemblymember representing Lower Manhattan (Lower East Side, Chinatown, Financial District, Battery Park and South Street Sea Port). In this conversation, we discuss the recent protests, how Asians can be allies to the Black community, what the impact of Asian under-representation is and how to shed the shame and silence in our community.  This is an important and timely discussion for the moment we are in. To support Yuh-Line's re-election campaign, visit: https://www.nioufornewyork.com/

In the midst of a pandemic, there has never been a better time to think about starting that side-hustle or that full-hustle.  Join me, Kishshana and Brooke to talk about making the leap from nonprofit executives to small business owners.  We talk about what is hard and what is joyful about owning your own business, how to feel the fear and do it anyway and how to stop comparing yourself to others.  In this podcast, we share our hard-won wisdom about starting our own ventures.  Some takeaways: 1) Build a community of accountability partners and friends who can support you. 2) Never stop learning. 3) But don't let procrasti-learning keep you from taking action. 4) If you're lazy about stuff you don't want to do, hire others to do it so you can focus on your Zone of Genius. For more about Kishshana, visit: https://kishshanaco.com/ For more about Brooke, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooker1/

My friend Dianne Morales is running for Mayor of New York.  She is the first Latina to ever do so and the very first woman in this mayoral race.  Listen in as she shares her platform positions on racial equity and justice, access to mental health and how her brand of female leadership would transform New York for the better.  Dianne is aligned with many of my personal values and I hope that this interview will convince you: DIANNE MORALES FOR MAYOR. To support Dianne's campaign visit: https://www.dianne.nyc/ She needs your support by the end of June!  Help a sister out!

The documented rise of racist attacks against Asian-Americans is real and hits particularly close to home for me.  Join me, Dr. Peter Keo of UCLA and Carlyn Cowen of the Chinese American Planning Council to explore the historical roots of anti-Asian racism in the US, how to avoid upholding racist stereotypes of the "model minority myth" and how to be an ally.  This is a really deep and timely discussion that unearths the erasure of Asian-Americans and asks how we disrupt racism both externally and internally within the Asian community.   For a list of resources, link to: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VxAaOHSIitBgq9isoP909PXMPBc7KViq/view?usp=sharing

Join me and my friend and mentor Cynthia Rivera Weissblum for some sound advice and comfort on leading your nonprofit during these tumultuous times.  Cindy has been both an Executive Director and now oversees the Edwin Gould Foundation as CEO.  Her advice comes from a thirty year history in the sector coupled with her deep empathy and wisdom.  Some takeaway thoughts include: How and what to communicate to funders. How to remain calm and centered as the leader. The unique role of the nonprofit sector and how we can position ourselves to serve and to elevate our brand. How to raise money for the immediate needs and for the future. For more about Cindy, please visit: www.edwingouldfoundation.org

In this interview from our webinar series, we're talking with Minna Taylor, Founder of Energize Your Voice, about how to effectively communicate with your team via Zoom, how your content is the LEAST important thing that you're communicating and how to harness your breath and body for impactful communication.  This is a must-listen for leaders who want to maximize their impact, especially in a remote environment. For more about Minna, visit: https://www.energizeyourvoice.net/ To see some of Minna's training videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEGyd7dGgnU

We are all going through a challenging time right now, but it won't be forever.  Dr. Lisette Nieves is one of the kindest, wisest and most effective leaders I've had the pleasure of knowing.  Listen into a recent interview with her where we talk about how to both hold space for people's emotions while also looking at the opportunities ahead of us.  She provides both truth and hope in this tumultuous time.   Some takeaways: "What does it mean to be both high tech and high touch?"  "Right now, your budget may not reflect your values." "Put yourself on a news diet."  This is the perspective you need. For more about Lisette, check out her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisette-nieves-5414395/