Providing BIPOC leaders a “Brilliant Transformation” into leadership roles

AiLun Ku and Lisa Pilar Cowan share what they learned from a new study that reflects a wide range of experiences of BIPOC leaders from across the United States related to their transitions into leadership roles.

BIPOC Leadership, Economic Mobility, Foundation, Funders, Leadership, Leadership Development, Leadership Learning, Liberatory Leadership, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Leaders, Nonprofit Sector, NYC, NYN Media, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Trust-Based PhilanthropyAiLun Ku and Lisa Pilar CowanSeptember 12, 2023Liberatory Leadership Learning Series, Lead a Non-Profit, Leadership Development Programs, leadership, board leadership, BIPOC Leadership, Non-Profit, nonprofit leadership, nonprofit leader, NYN Media, NYC, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, trust, Trust-Based Philanthropy, strategic, social justice, social impact, social and systems-level change work, relationship building, Building, Building Movement Project, Making (or Taking) SpaceComment

Let’s Address the Real Reason Great Fundraisers Are in Short Supply

“We need a unicorn.”

Leadership Development Programs Need an Upgrade: Five Ways to Advance Racial Equity

As the nation grapples with “the great resignation” across a range of job industries since the start of the pandemic, employment challenges extend to the nonprofit sector as well.

No Thank You: Why One Foundation Leader Doesn’t Want Gratitude From Grantees

Early in my career, I had a job as an administrative assistant. I kept a manila file folder on my desk called “Excellent Lisa.”

Chronicle of Philanthropy, Economic Mobility, Foundation, Leadership, Leadership Learning, Liberatory Leadership, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Leaders, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Trust-Based PhilanthropyLisa Pilar CowanOctober 25, 2022Chronicle of Philanthropy, community, challenges, democracy, Endowments, Funding, leadership, equity, funders, funding collaboratives, grantmaking, Grants, General Operating, grantee, impact, social justice, racial injustice, nonrofit, New York City, New York City Leadership and Professional Development Directory., organizations, policy, Racism, social change, social impact, systemic racism, social and systems-level change work Comment

Finding the joy in social change

“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to save the world and a desire to savor the world. That makes it hard to plan the day." – E.E. Cummings.

When All Of Our Tools Are Weapons

I don’t like conflict. I’ve never been good at it, and I’ve grown into someone who is decidedly not a fan.

Economic Mobility, Foundation, Getting to Know You, Leadership, Liberatory Leadership, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Leaders, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Sterling Network NYC, Trust-Based Philanthropy, Leadership LearningEricka Stallings, Co-Executive Director of the Leadership Learning CommunitySeptember 21, 2022racial injustice, Liberatory Leadership Learning Series, Liberatory Leadership, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Board Service, civil rights, community, campaigns, charity, NYC, Racism, democracy, Endowments, Funding, funders, leadership, funding collaboratives, equity, Networks, expertise, Getting to know you, Genral Operating Grants, Foundation, foundation, Financials, grantmaking, Grants, governance, grantee, Grantee, organizations, justice, social justice, work, workers, New York City, New York City Leadership and Professional Development Directory., social and systems-level change work, learned behaviors, policy, money, nonprofit leadership, organizer, power, social change, Trust-Based Philanthropy, trust, human rights, trust-based philanthropy, purposeComment

Three Lessons (so far) for Funding Liberatory Leadership

I was hired by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation in early 2020, primarily to bring my skills as a network organizer, facilitator, and racial justice practitioner to the Sterling Network NYC.

New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Leaders, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Sterling Network NYC, Trust-Based Philanthropy, Economic Mobility, Foundation, Getting to Know You, Leadership, Liberatory LeadershipTrish Adobea TchumeAugust 10, 2022racial injustice, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, NetLab, civil rights, community, campaigns, NYC, democracy, Endowments, funders, Funding, leadership, funding collaboratives, Foundation, equity, Networks, Getting to know you, foundation, face plants, grantmaking, Grants, Genral Operating Grants, governance, grantee, Grantee, organizations, human rights, philanthropy, philanthropic sector, impact, social justice, workers, New York City, New York City Leadership and Professional Development Directory., Sterling Network NYC, social and systems-level change work, learned behaviors, policy, Racism, freedom, justice, thriving, Liberatory Leadership Learning Series, Liberatory Leadership, organizerComment

Rest Isn’t Radical

I’m taking a sabbatical. Rest shouldn’t be radical.

New York City Leadership, Foundation, Leadership, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Trust-Based Philanthropy, Jennifer Ching, North Star FundJennifer ChingJuly 27, 2022sabbatical, work, vacation, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, community, Funding, funders, leadership, grantmaking, grantee, governance, philanthropy, time, impact, social justice, racial injustice, workers, Networks, New York City, New York City Leadership and Professional Development Directory., social and systems-level change work, Holidays, money, democracy, human rights, nonrofit, NYC, nonprofit leadership, organizations, power, equity, trust, Trust-Based Philanthropy, social change, Foundation, radical, rest, policy, purpose, learned behaviors, Gen Xer, Jennifer Ching, North Star FundComment

RVC Redesigned: Our New Organizational Chart

When we tell people that we have moved to a four Co-Executive Director model, often the first reaction is a mind-boggled stare: “You have four people doing the Executive Director job? How does that even work?!”

Pandemic Reflections, Two Years On

COVID-19. It feels like it became COVID-20, then COVID-21, and now COVID-22.

Covid-19, Economic Mobility, Foundation, Leadership, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Leaders, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Post Covid, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Trust-Based PhilanthropyPhilip LiMarch 21, 2022COVID-19, community, Covid-19, racial injustice, social and systems-level change work, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Trust-Based Philanthropy, democracy, leadership, pandemic, Foundation, foundation, Funding, grantmaking, grantee, Grants, governance, Genral Operating Grants, human rights, philanthropy, charity, philanthropic sector, social justice, New York City, New York City Leadership and Professional Development Directory., money, impact, Endowments, New Year, NYC, nonprofit leadership, organizations, power, social impact, nonrofit, social change, board members, expertise, equity, trust, systemic racism, time, trust-based philanthropyComment

Opinion: Nonprofit leaders, like everyone else, are scared and tired during these difficult times

I have had the word ‘grace’ rattling around my brain a lot these days.

Getting to Know You Series: Meet Marissa Martin of The Advocacy Institute

Elisabeth Rapport (ER): Tell me a bit about your professional background and what led you to The Advocacy Institute.

Chronicle of Philanthropy, Covid-19, Economic Mobility, Face Plant, FFIS, Foundation, Getting to Know You, Leadership, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Post Covid, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Trust-Based PhilanthropyElisabeth RapportFebruary 15, 2022Foundation, pandemic, racial injustice, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, COVID-19, community, charity, democracy, Endowments, Funding, leadership, funding collaboratives, foundation, Covid-19, equity, Networks, Getting to know you, General Operating, Genral Operating Grants, expertise, New Year, New York City, human rights, philanthropy, philanthropic sector, impact, time, social justice, grantmaking, New York City Leadership and Professional Development Directory., Sterling Network NYC, Social Network Analysis, social and systems-level change work, money, Racism, systemic racism, Asian Americans for Equality, anti-Asian Racism, nonrofit, NYC, Grants, grantee, organizations, power, post covid, board members, social impact, governance, social change, Trust-Based Philanthropy, trustComment

Funders: It’s Time to Talk to Our Legal Teams About Power, Compliance, and Trust-Based Philanthropy

For philanthropy to have more equitable practices, we must examine and reimagine the way we do our work.

Getting Back to Normal-ish? So Many Feelings.

Here in New York City we’re enjoying a verdant and vibrant Spring season – leaves in all tints of green, magnolias, cherry blossoms, forsythias, daffodils, tulips, bluebells and hostas are all poking out of the soil.

For All of Us in Philanthropy, the Moment of Rebuilding Is Here

Last year I spent the first Passover of the pandemic quarantined in my bedroom racked with a fever and body aches.

Chronicle of Philanthropy, Covid-19, Face Plant, FFIS, Flexible Funding Impact, Foundation, Getting to Know You, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropy, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Sterling Network NYC, Trust-Based PhilanthropyLisa Pilar CowanApril 20, 2021Chronicle of Philanthropy, community, COVID-19, Covid-19, racial injustice, grantmaking, Grants, grantee, Getting to know you, organizations, General Operating, governance, pandemic, Racism, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, travel, Trust-Based Philanthropy, trust, NYC, social impact, social justice, social change, Sterling Network NYC, Funding, Endowments, democracy, Foundation, Headwaters Foundation, equity, New York City, Networks, new year, human rights, philanthropy, New York City Leadership and Professional Development Directory., social and systems-level change workComment

How Do You Measure a Year?

"525,600 minutes, how do you measure a year in the life? In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee?

The genetic code linking violence toward Asian Americans and the murder of George Floyd

Prejudice against Asian-Americans is nothing new. Sadly it is as American as apple pie and Jim Crow. Whether it’s the “yellow peril” of the late 19th century that gave rise to the Chinese Exclusion act, FDR’s establishment of Japanese-American internment camps or Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, bigotry toward Asian Americans is as baked into the fabric of American life as the hatred that has claimed so many black lives in recent years.

How a Relatively Small Foundation Leverages Resources for Optimal Impact

Denver: Since 1952, the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation has been committed to helping create a vibrant New York City — one that is strong, healthy, livable, and just. It is also one of the leading adherents of a concept called trust-based philanthropy.