Published May 30, 2023

At the time I joined the organization, large proposals often underwent several reviews before submission - legal, financial, reputational risk, and programmatic. However, there was no equity review in place to ensure that the work would not contribute to systemic marginalization or oppression. It's important to note that these were multimillion-dollar asks that were frequently funded. Recognizing the need for change, I raised the point that there should be a process in place to prioritize equity in the development of proposals.

Although implementing an equity review organization-wide would require significant effort and time, a few colleagues and I believed that starting with principal gifts could set an example and provide a template for other business units and chapters to follow. We took this idea to the second-in-command, a white man, who actually endorsed it. However, when we approached the top person in fundraising, he expressed hesitancy, and progress came to a halt.

During this time, a $100 million proposal fell under my purview as I managed the donor. I was committed to ensuring that this significant ask would be executed in an equitable and inclusive manner. I worked directly with the person leading our global climate work, a white woman with limited cultural competency. It became clear that she wasn't enthusiastic about the focus on equity, which led to a lot of drama (which I'll elaborate on later).

Fortunately, there were others on the team who shared the commitment to incorporating equity and inclusion into the $100 million ask. We worked together to co-create the proposal with the countries involved and developed an equity statement that was included in the final submission, which was a significant win.

However, I wasn't able to celebrate this achievement with the team because I was placed on immediate administrative leave for supposedly speaking "too aggressively" in support of equity with the donor. This information was reported to my supervisors by my colleague who led the climate work. The leave had a severe emotional and mental impact on my well-being, to say the least.

Stay tuned for part two of the story.