Focus on Fundraising: Building Power for Executive Leaders of Color

Spring 2023 Application

Thank you for applying to the Focus on Fundraising: Building Power for Executive Leaders of Color Program for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color) Executive Directors. We are thrilled to be launching our 3rd cohort of this program under our umbrella initiative, Preparing the Next Generation, with the support of the New York Community Trust, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Altman Foundation, the William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund and Kramer Levin, among others.

This program arose from our “Money, Power and Race: The Lived Experience of Fundraisers of Color” report (2018), which reflects participants’ experience that while diversity matters in the nonprofit sector, people of color need to be skilled not only with fundraising acumen, but also have the awareness and tools to navigate the intersectional dynamics of power, race and class that are endemic to fundraising encounters. The program is designed for Executive Directors with less than five years in the role who self-identify as a person of color across various spectrums of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, ability, and socio-economic class, to build their leadership and fundraising skills to raise funds and work in partnership with staff and board to grow the organization.

This program has a $7,500 value but is provided at a lower cost of $5,000 to participants. Scholarships are available to grantees of select funder groups, including Robin Hood Foundation, The New York Community Trust, and Altman Foundation. In addition, subsidies are available for organizations that have budgets at or under $2 million.

Before beginning your application, please review the following regarding your candidacy:

1. This program requires full commitment from participants and a letter of recommendation from a colleague in the field who knows your work as a nonprofit leader.

2. Programming will occur during the following dates and times. We highly encourage applicants to schedule these dates into their calendar in the event they are accepted into the program:

• March 22, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

• April 12, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

• May 3, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

• May 24, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

3. All programming, unless otherwise noted, will take place virtually through Zoom, and a recurring link will be provided to you prior to each session.

4. Completed applications will be due on March 1st and applicants will be notified of their acceptance by March 14th.

Thank you again for your interest in the Focus on Fundraising: Building Leadership for Executive Leaders of Color Program and we look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

Judy Levine, Executive Director

About You and Your Fundraising Experience

Please tell us about yourself, and about your experience within fundraising.

1. Name (First, Last):

2. Title:

3. Organization:

4. Email Address:

4a. Personal Email Address:

5. Phone Number:

6. Address:

7. City:

8. State:

9. Zip:

Please indicate if your organization is a grantee of the following organizations (select all that apply):

10. Please submit your LinkedIn profile url as part of your application.

11. Please submit your resume as part of your application.

12. What race and ethnicity do you most identify with? (Select all that apply)

13.What are your identified gender pronouns?

She/Her/HersHe/Him/HisThey/Them/TheirsI do not wish to identify

14. Are you currently or have you ever worked at a nonprofit organization as an Executive Director? (For example, as a CEO, President or any position as a paid head of a not-for-profit organization) Please note that this program is for current Executive Directors in the nonprofit sector with less than 5 years of experience in the role.

YesNo

15. How many years have you worked as an Executive Director?

16. Are you currently a full-time Executive Director?

YesNo

Personal Narratives

As part of your application, please submit narratives for the following four questions. We ask that you write up to 3 paragraphs for each response.

1. What do you hope to achieve personally and professionally through your participation in the Focus on Fundraising Program for BIPOC Executive Directors?

2. The Focus on Fundraising Program for BIPOC Executive Directors includes a coaching component that cultivates trusting, open relationships with seasoned development professionals. As such, it is a critical piece of our program, and candidates must be willing to engage honestly in these relationships as part of the program. Have you had a mentor or coach that has helped you to grow professionally? What might you seek from a coach in this program?

3. How have DEI challenges impacted your ability to fully implement fundraising within your role as an Executive Director?

4. Given your career goals and self-assessment of your relational strengths, can you identify areas in which you need to improve your interactions with colleagues, board members, and donors to set yourself up for success in your leadership role?

The goal of the Focus on Fundraising Program for BIPOC Executive Directors is to strengthen the leadership pipeline for BIPOC professionals. We know that your success only makes the nonprofit sector stronger. We are committed to supporting your work to effectively manage the challenges of the job, and we will partner with you to produce outcomes related to skills development, greater success on the job with respect to key performance measures, and increased job satisfaction.

The Focus on Fundraising Program for BIPOC Executive Directors will occur on the following dates and times:

• March 22, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• April 12, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• May 3, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

• May 24, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Are there any foreseeable dates that you are unable to attend?

YesNo

Does your organization have a budget of $2 million or less, and currently unable to support a professional development program of this kind?

YesNo

Thank you for your application to the Focus on Fundraising Program for BIPOC Executive Directors. We anticipate receiving a high volume of applications for this opportunity, and we will be in touch regarding your candidacy for this year's cohort by March 14th. We look forward to reading your application and are committed to compiling a cohort that is representative of the goals of this program.

Our intention is to be considerate and respectful of the pre-existing workloads of Executive Directors, including providing substantial prior notice of required preparation before convening dates. However, it is important to recognize that the Focus on Fundraising Program for BIPOC Executive Directors is rigorous and entails a significant amount of time and commitment from Executive Directors and their organizations. For this program, we are asking for full participation. We are confident in asking for this commitment because we believe that we can make a significant difference in the effectiveness of both Executive Directors and the work of their organizations. Full participation means preparing for and attending all full-group program activities as well as participating in the individual elements of the program.

As an organization, we are committed to provided an environment that is a safe space of fellowship for our cohort, mentors and facilitating team. We provide and ask of our applicants and fellows to maintain confidentiality of their peers during the duration of the program as well as after the program concludes.

If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact Kirsty Bryant, Program Coordinator, at kirsty@causeeffective.org.

Sincerely,

Judy Levine

Executive Director