Cause Effective Next Generation: Fundraising Activation for Rising Leaders of Color

Fall 2023 Application

Thank you for applying to the Cause Effective Next Generation: Fundraising Activation for Rising Leaders of Color program. To learn more, read the full prospectus here. We are thrilled to be launching our 6th cohort of this program under our groundbreaking initiative, Preparing the Next Generation, with the support of our funders.

The Preparing the Next Generation initiative arose from Cause Effective’s “Money, Power and Race: The Lived Experience of Fundraisers of Color” report (2018). The initiative aims to address biases related to race, money, and power that exist within the sector. Our goal is to eliminate the challenges that hinder professionals of color from excelling in fundraising. Through our programs, we are committed to challenging these biases and ensuring nonprofit leaders of color not only succeed, but thrive.

The program is designed for BIPOC senior nonprofit managers who come from backgrounds in program, advocacy or finance/operations but have little to some knowledge of development work and fundraising experience.

Candidates for this program are those who self-identify as a person of color across various spectrums of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, ability, and socio-economic class and are looking to build their capacity as nonprofit professionals and develop their leadership within the organizations they serve.

Subsidized funding can be made available for grantees of select funder groups. Requests for scholarships will be evaluated upon admission to program.

This program has a $4,500 value but attendance can be subsidized dependent on the organization’s budget. The cost of the program can be found below, based on organizational budget size:

Above $5 million: $3,000
Between $2 and 5 million: $1,000
Below $2 million: No fee for the program

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

1. This program requires full commitment from participants and a statement of support from their Executive Directors. Download a copy of the required statement of support here. You will be required to upload the document at the end of this application.

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:

• October 11, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

• November 8, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

• November 29, 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 are due on September 15th (end of day) and applicants will be notified of their acceptance by September 27th.

Thank you again for your interest in the Cause Effective Next Generation: Fundraising Activation for Rising Leaders of Color program and we look forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

Sonya Shields

Executive Director & President

About You and Your Professional Experience

Please tell us about yourself, and about your experience as a current nonprofit professional.

1. Name (First, Last):

2. Title:

3. Organization:

4. Work Email Address:

4a. Personal Email Address:

5. Phone Number:

6. Address:

7. City:

8. State:

9. Zip:

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

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

12. Please select which Foundations your organization is a grantee partner of:

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

14. What are your identified gender pronouns?

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

15. How many years have you been working in the nonprofit sector?

Personal Narratives

As part of your application, please submit responses for the following questions.

1. What do you hope to achieve personally and professionally through your participation in the Cause Effective Next Generation: Fundraising Activation for Rising Leaders of Color program?

2. How might you apply the learnings from this program to your current role at your organization? How do you intend to apply it continually throughout your career trajectory?

3. How would you like a program like this to help you navigate DEI challenges in fundraising, now and in the future?

4. How has your experience as a nonprofit professional made you realize your need for a fundraising readiness program like this aimed at rising leaders of color within the nonprofit sector?

The Cause Effective Next Generation: Fundraising Activation for Rising Leaders of Color program will occur on the following dates and times:

• October 11, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

• November 8, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

• November 29, 2023 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)

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

YesNo

Please submit a headshot in a JPG or PNG format. Please name the file in the following format: First Name Last Name_Headshot.

Please upload your signed Executive Director Commitment Form.

Thank you for your application to the Cause Effective Next Generation: Fundraising Activation for Rising Leaders of Color program. 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 September 27th. 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 Rising Leaders. However, it is important to recognize that this program is rigorous and entails a significant amount of time and commitment from the Rising Leaders and their organizations. For this program, we are asking for full participation. 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 providing an environment that is a safe space of fellowship for our cohort and facilitating team. We provide and ask of our applicants and Rising Leaders 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 Raiesa Ali, Program Associate, at raiesa@causeeffective.org.

Sincerely,

Sonya Shields

Executive Director & President