At the writing of this statement, it has been 77 days since George Floyd was murdered and an explosion of rage, solidarity, and demands for justice echoed through our nation and globe. In the days that followed, I received dozens of emails from companies donating a portion of sales to organizations fighting systemic racism, making statements of solidarity, and promising allyship.
Sample Consulting Studio stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. What does that actually mean? We know that much more than standing and listening is required to dismantle systemic racism. We are aware that the realm we operate in, the philanthropic sector, perpetuates many broken, racist systems even while purporting to fight against systemic inequalities.
In our first staff meeting after the killing of George Floyd, we discussed the work we do and what difference we could make. As I struggled personally with feeling that nothing I am doing is ever enough, one of my most trusted mentors encouraged me to take the long view, “a marathon not a sprint”.
A part of me rejected joining a #trend–even such a righteous one. Perhaps it’s the introvert in me, or the perfectionist. Or perhaps my silence came from the distress of knowing that I am part of the problem, a white woman who has benefitted immeasurably from white privilege. I am not proud it took me 77 days to write a list of concrete actions. Nevertheless, I am committed to these actions. In the spirit of sustaining support for the Black Lives Matter movement, what follows is a start.
As an organization, we are committed to leveraging our energy, skill, and expertise to push more funding towards nonprofits founded and led by people of color. We’re committed to showing up and listening, to learning how to do better and doing better.
- We will allocate free grant writing and research services annually to nonprofits founded and led by people of color.
- We will donate to organizations doing the work of dismantling anti-black racism.
- We commit to reading books and articles that address the intersection of the Black Lives Matter movement and philanthropy, to educate ourselves as a staff.
- We will integrate stories and statistics on racial inequity into staff meetings for discussion, into our marketing platforms for a conversation with a broader audience, and into our grant proposals.
- We commit to amplifying Black voices on our social media platforms, in our marketing emails, and wherever possible.
- We will participating in conversations and actions around racial justice through the Albuquerque chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
If you are an organization led by people of color interested in receiving pro bono services including: grant writing, grant maker prospecting, or fundraising appeal writing please contact us at: 505-359-8244. If you have ideas about more tangible actions we can take to support the Black Lives Matter movement, please contact us at: 505-359-8244 or samplestudioconsulting@gmail.com.
© 2020 Sample Consulting Studio
