Seeing Beyond the Stats - Inclusive Community Leadership

This article was written by 2024 Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute class members United Way of South-Central Indiana President and CEO Randy Rogers & Starke County Community Foundation Director of Development Jacque Ryan 

The August Mutz session focused on the topic of inclusive community leadership and the myriad of factors that should be considered when we work to create equitable environments. As leaders in the philanthropic space dealing with donors from different backgrounds and various populations in need, it’s of the utmost importance for us to recognize that the lived experience of each individual we work with will vary based on their circumstances.

The introductory presentation from Aaron Eckhardt set the foundation for the entire class. They kicked things off by asking us to establish a shared group agreement before moving into the day which helped encourage interaction and allowed classmates to understand expectations for communication.

Our classmates shared a few different suggestions that have been discussed in previous sessions, all underscoring the importance of being intentional and taking accountability for our words. Recommendations included presume positive intent but own impact, perception matters, and the three and then me rule, which encourages people who are more comfortable speaking publicly to wait a beat before sharing again to allow others in the class a chance to weigh in. Aaron also added one, stating that uncomfortable does not equal unsafe, highlighting that learning something new oftentimes requires us to bump up against our comfort zones.

Eckhardt’s presentation focused on the concept of equity versus equality. The main takeaway was that treating everyone equally does not recognize the privilege or acknowledge challenges that come with certain aspects of one’s identity. They highlighted the concept of intersectionality, as coined by Kimberle’ Crenshaw, and how it shows that people’s identities are multifaceted. 

Various characteristics do not exist in their own static silos, they’re all interwoven and have a ripple effect. Understanding intersectionality’s influence is integral in recognizing why equity is the only way to ‘even the playing field’. This concept was discussed in greater detail during the panel that followed Eckhardt’s presentation.

Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield Health Equity Director Darryl Lockett moderated the  ‘Philanthropic Leadership to Advance Racial Equity’ panel. He was joined by Eli Lilly Foundation Vice President Charlotte Hawthorne who also serves as the senior director of social impact as well as Lumina Foundation’s Director of Equity and Inclusion Cristen Moore.

Hawthorne made a comment during the panel that further elaborated why it’s vital to go beyond the surface level, “When it comes to equity, how do you even the playing field and what are the things you have to do different? The ‘different’ is not just stuff you have to do but it’s things you have to recognize and understand. What caused the differences, what is keeping those differences going?” She added that this work includes acknowledging the historical and systemic challenges that directly influence the differences we see and actively addressing them. 

The panel then presented the topic that philanthropy is a privilege and the structure of philanthropy was not built with the systems in place to put equity at the forefront. The challenge was presented to step into the work to really determine what difference the philanthropic efforts can really make and recognize that silence can be harmful if not addressing equity in determining outcomes. If we start with the outcome, then the strategies may change. 

Bosma Enterprises was an ideal place to host August’s session since it serves as a beacon for inclusivity, empowering and employing individuals who are blind and visually impaired. According to Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation Executive Director Brandon Wells, a fellow Mutz participant, as a result of the work that Bosma is doing, Indiana’s unemployment rate for blind and visually impaired individuals is 58% compared to the national rate of 82%.That is a powerful statistic that was elevated even more when we had the chance to witness examples of that work in action during the facility tours that were led by Ray and Bernie.

Our tour guides led us through the building while highlighting some of the technology that’s utilized to accommodate the over 50% of employees who experience blindness or visual impairment, such as the computer program Jobs Access with Speech (JAWS) and the navigational system BlindSquare. Bosma serves as an example of how other workplaces can implement simple changes and utilize available technology to help more people access opportunities in various fields. 
During the ‘Inclusive Leadership that Builds Upward Economic Mobility’ panel that followed the tours and lunch, we were joined again by Aarone Eckhardt who served as moderator in addition to Brandon Taylor, Deputy Director of LISC Indianapolis, and Circles Indy Coordinator Marie Weise. 

Marie Wiese shared the power behind sitting down with people from different backgrounds. She noted the transformational effect that forming relationships can have on your advocacy work. Wiese said, “Put away your list and be present. Your job is not to fix people.” She highlighted the importance of providing people with the resources they need to be able to accomplish their goals rather than swooping in and trying to force a fix yourself. 

Deputy Director Taylor discussed using equity levers to better evaluate the change that is desired. Often this is considering unrestricted support, trust based philanthropy practices and changing the evaluation methods. 

The final panel of the day titled ‘What I Wish My Funders Knew’ was illuminating. Panelists included RecycleForce Chief Operating Officer Tiana Johnson, Westminster Neighborhood Services Executive Director Chrissy Petersen and Far Eastside Community Council President Samantha Douglas. 
We heard honest and direct feedback from these grantees who shared their desires and expressed frustrations when it comes to working with funders whose expectations seem to oftentimes be overreaching and unhelpful to the organizations they’re attempting to assist with their grant dollars. 

In response to a question that was made about the lack of reciprocal interactions during the application process Samantha Douglas noted, “That’s not a relationship and that’s at the core of it, you’re using language and saying things that you’re not actually practicing.” She added that the job of a funder is to give their money away and they make it more difficult to do so by adding in lengthy and unnecessary steps that don’t seem to serve either party. 

Chrissy Petersen echoed that sentiment stating, “This is a mutual relationship. You have the dollars that we need to continue to serve the community…I’m not saying that relationship can’t happen on pen and paper anymore but if you really want to see what your money is doing you need to be out there in the community talking to the organizations that you’re giving money to.”

Hearing from Douglas, Petersen, and Johnson was a wake-up call for funders.Our nonprofit leaders are out in the field, doing the hard work required to care for communities in need and it’s our job as the stewards of our grant dollars to ensure that the process of accessing the money is not taking away from the important work that’s being done. 

Douglas highlighted the real world implications of what can happen if people aren’t connected to necessary resources that are secured through grants, “When you put these stipulations on these organizations, think about the people who are being served by them and what they have to go through because of what you put on them, what they get or don’t get because of what you put on them or didn’t give them.” 

She continued, “We give out money and we look at numbers a whole lot and we don’t think about the fact that those numbers actually represent people. These are real people, real lives and if they don’t get this help and support, things can be bad.”

The panel expressed the above through examples of questions or processes that granting organizations use such as an interview process or a long application. One key question that generally presents challenges for smaller nonprofits is one about the sustainability of the program. The panelist all agreed that the money is needed today to meet the needs of the program and without the funding, there is no sustainability. A very real response and one that deserves reflection from grant makers. 
After sitting in and moderating the final panel, Eckhardt wrapped up our day asking the class to break the cycle of socialization and understand that feedback is a gift. Utilize the feedback to make mid-course corrections and strive for equity in the programs that we touch. 

This Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Class session once again challenged our thinking but also provided some valuable tools to apply so that we can be better equipped to serve the communities and engage with the programs we fund.