Posts in Liberatory Leadership
No Thank You: Why One Foundation Leader Doesn’t Want Gratitude From Grantees
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.”

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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 CowanChronicle 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
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.

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NYN Media, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Trust-Based Philanthropy, Economic Mobility, Foundation, Leadership, Leadership Learning, Liberatory Leadership, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Leaders, Nonprofit SectorLisa Pilar Cowansocial and systems-level change work, social change, social justice, Social Network Analysis, social impact, NYN Media, balance, challenges, fulfillment, nonprofit work, nonprofit, nonprofit leadershipComment
When All Of Our Tools Are Weapons
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.

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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 Communityracial 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
How to Tend to Your People AND Your Organization When Staff Struggle
How to Tend to Your People AND Your Organization When Staff Struggle

While there are many ways one can describe liberation, in its simplest terms, liberation is the experience of wholeness, freedom, justice, and thriving.

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Economic Mobility, Foundation, Getting to Know You, Leadership, Leadership Learning, Liberatory Leadership, New York City Leadership, Nonprofit Leaders, Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropic Sector, Philanthropy, Post Covid, Racial Equity, Robert Sterling Clark, Social Justice, Sterling Network NYC, Trust-Based Philanthropyby Ananda Valenzuela, Capacity-Building Strategist at RVC & co-founder of the BIPOC Executive Director Coalition of Washington.Liberatory Leadership Learning Series, leadership, Liberatory LeadershipComment
Three Lessons (so far) for Funding Liberatory Leadership
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.

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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 Tchumeracial 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