Celebrating Women Leaders: Chicago Women in Philanthropy

Posted on by Anna Cai

Interview by Shay Upadhyay (5 minute read)

Chicago Women in Philanthropy (CWIP) is a community of philanthropic, corporate-giving and nonprofit women whose members are passionate about helping other women advance in society. Meet two of these women who are nothing short of powerhouses in the Chicago philanthropy scene and, among many roles, serve as Board Co-Chairs for CWIP.  Clare and Lindsey sat down with Shay Upadhyay, Client Service Associate at Alford Group to share their insights about this important work.

Continue reading “Celebrating Women Leaders: Chicago Women in Philanthropy”

7 Ways to Increase Nonprofit Success as a Community Foundation Leader

Posted on by Anna Cai

Blog post by Lieve Hendren (3.5 minute read)

In the face of unprecedented challenges brought by COVID-19 and calls for racial justice, Community Foundations stand at a pivotal juncture. In this blog, Senior Consultant Lieve Hendren, CFRE, ACC, C-SHRM delves into seven strategic approaches Community Foundations can adopt to amplify their influence and steer their communities toward lasting positive change.

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3 Benefits of a Development Assessment You Don’t Want to Miss

Posted on by Anna Cai

Blog post by Greg Whitney (3 minute read)

Vice President Greg Whitney described what can be gained from embarking on a development assessment and the long-lasting impacts the process has on the health and success of your nonprofit organization.

Continue reading “3 Benefits of a Development Assessment You Don’t Want to Miss”

Client Spotlight: YWCA Metro Chicago Sustains Growth with Development Assessment

Posted on by Anna Cai

Client spotlight, (3 minute read)

Over the past several years, YWCA Metro Chicago has expanded its service footprint to embrace the needs of women and families in new geographies, doubled its budget size and welcomed a new President and CEO, Nicole Robinson. Given these changes, Alford Group was engaged to conduct a development assessment to identify ways to build on their strengths while ensuring sustained growth.

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Unveiling the Vision: Sharing Your Strategic Plan with Your Community

Posted on by Anna Cai

Interview by Madisyn Fairchild, Client Service Associate (4 minute read)

Jessica Paulsen from Distinctive Schools sits down with Client Service Associate Madisyn Fairchild to share the behind-the-scenes of how the organization communicated their new strategic plan with the community they serve.

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Challenging the Narrative: Intersectionality in the Workplace

Posted on by Anna Cai

Group Interview by Anh Vo, Meg Schroeder and Thandi Cai (9 minute read)

Team members Anh Vo, Meg Schroeder and Thandi Cai share their experiences of navigating the intersectionality of their identities in the nonprofit space. They explore honest partnerships and equity-centered practices by discussing their personal experiences and envisioning what a truly inclusive work environment looks like.

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3 Ways to Activate Allyship in Black History Month

Posted on by Anna Cai

By Brenda Asare, President & CEO

Black History Month is an opportunity to evaluate your organization’s relationship to diversity, equity and inclusion through active allyship. Read about 3 major ways to center your allyship throughout the year. 

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The Case for Equity-Centered Philanthropy: How to Collect and Utilize Demographic Data

Posted on by Anna Cai

By Mary Hackett, Vice President

Fundraisers often don’t believe that they can have a significant impact on their organization’s journey toward diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Here’s the truth: development professionals play a critical role! You have a unique superpower that can play the role of disruptor: your donor data.

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Section 3: What Keeps You Up at Night?

Posted on by Alford Group

Section 3: What Keeps You Up at Night?

Is there a more specific topic on your mind? These resources are categorized by a handful of topics you may find relevant to your company’s DEI work. Applying an equity lens to our work allows us to take a step back and examine our actions from another perspective, highlighting areas for improvement. That’s why it’s essential to observe the ways in which the following topics and more appear in our everyday work in the philanthropic sector.

Table of Contents

“I don’t know where to start”

 

From Alford Group: Culture of Equity Assessment

 

Awake to Work to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture

 

How to Begin Equity Work in Your Organization with Little or No Money – Resource Collection and Webinar Series

 

Communication Guidelines for a Brave Space

 

What if I say or do the wrong thing?

 

A Therapist On The Right Way To Apologize When You Say Something Racist

 

Afraid to Talk About Sensitive Topics at Work? Read this Guide First

 

You’ve Been Called Out for a Microaggression. What Do You Do?

 

What Not To Say To Someone Who Has Experienced Racial Trauma

 

What If I Say the Wrong Thing? 10 Tips for Culturally Effective People

 

Embedding DEI into your strategic plan

 

Addressing Diversity and Inclusion: Going Beyond the Benchmark

 

DEI Strategic Planning Toolkit

 

Actualizing a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy

 

Getting your board “on board”

 

From Alford Group: Culture of Equity Assessment

 

From Alford Group: Board Toolkit

 

From Alford Group: Board Members and Nonprofit Leaders: It’s Time.

 

Your boardroom sets the tone

 

AFP ICON 2021: Creating an Equity-Forward Board Culture

 

Beyond the Board Statement: How Can Boards Join the Movement for Racial Justice? (Part One)

 

 

Engaging donors of color

Diversity and Donors. First Day Podcast from The Fund Raising School (Lilly Family School of Philanthropy)

 

Engaging Donors of Color. First Day Podcast from The Fund Raising School (Lilly Family School of Philanthropy)

 

The sgENGAGE Podcast Episode 201: Building Cultural Competency to Understand Your Donors

 

npExperts: The Great Reset – Equity chapters

 

From Alford Group: Demographic Donor Scan

 

DEI in the workplace: For employers

 

From Alford Group: Find Your Path to a More Inclusive Workplace Culture

 

The Bias of ‘Professionalism’ Standards

 

Our Authentic Selves and Doing Diversity Right

 

Personnel Strategies in the Face of Impossible Choices

 

19 Questions for Leaders Who Are Serious About Racial Equity

 

What Has — and Hasn’t — Changed Since “Dear White Boss…”

 

DEI in the workplace: For employees

Why and How to Prioritize DEI at Your Organization

 

How to Start an Affinity Group at Work, According to Real People Who Did It

 

How to Hold Your Company Accountable to its Promise of Racial Justice

 

How Coworkers Can Help

 

Racial Equity in Philanthropy: Using White Privilege for Good

 

Holding yourself and others accountable

 

Equity in Development: Be Radically Intentional to Change the Lived Experiences of Diverse Fundraisers

 

Talk the Talk: Strengthening Your Organization’s Diversity Statement

 

A Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

 

From Alford Group: Simple Commitment Slide

 

 

Section 1: What Everyone Needs to Know

 

 

Section 2: Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Section 2: Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Posted on by Alford Group

Section 2: Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Doing this work can at times feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable – but that means you’re doing it right. These resources are aimed at those who may be starting this journey and want to gut-check their DEI plan, as well as those who have been engaging with DEI work for a while but may have hit a road bump and want to know how they can avoid similar issues in the future.

Table of Contents

Being inactive

Verna Myers: How to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them

 

From Alford Group: Creating a Culture of Equity: Taking Action

 

npExperts: The Great Reset – Equity chapters: Moving into the New Normal with Intention

 

Lacking cohesive structure in your plan

From Alford Group: Culture of Equity Assessment

 

From Alford Group: Be a SMARTIE: An Equity-Foward Approach to Goal Setting

 

Having a singular view

What is intersectionality?

 

For a more detailed, longform view: The Intersectionality Wars

 

Intersectionality in the Workplace isn’t a ‘Nice to Have’ — it’s Essential

 

Being satisfied with tokenism

Monday Morning Reset: Why Tokenism is Killing Your Diversity Efforts

 

The Big Idea Series: Advancing Black Leaders – an article series on how DEI efforts can better serve Black employees

 

‘Checkbox Diversity’ Must Be Left Behind for DEI Efforts to Succeed

 

The Small Nonprofit Podcast: Dismantling Tokenism with Trish Mandewo

 

Reacting when issues arise rather than leading with vision

 

From Alford Group: Diversity in Fundraising: Making a Long-Term Commitment

 

How to Integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into Everyday Operations

 

The Hidden Cost of DEI Work and What to Do About It

 

 

Section 1: What Everyone Needs to Know

 

 

Section 3: What Keeps You Up at Night?

Reflection Guide: What can you learn (and improve upon) from your 2018 Year-End Fundraising results?

Posted on by Alford Group

By Mary Hackett, Associate Vice President and Wendy Hatch, CFRE, Vice President

You’ve made it through the busiest time of year for gift-giving! The ever-challenging journey of Year-End Fundraising might have thrown you a curveball or two, taken you down a path that wasn’t anticipated, or went exactly as planned with minimal hiccups.

Now comes the time for reflection.

Like any experience, it’s important to assess it before the memory becomes fuzzy. Below are some questions to get the juices flowing. So, gather your team and sit down to have a candid, eyes-wide-open conversation.

Let’s start with the anecdotal side.

Answer these questions: Continue reading “Reflection Guide: What can you learn (and improve upon) from your 2018 Year-End Fundraising results?”