As I See It: Reflections of an Idealist
I’m an idealist.
Early in my career, after sharing ideas with a mentor for an event I developed for our marketing plan, she laughed and said, “I love it! But your vision and reality aren’t very well aligned.” I reflect on this often. At that time, I worked for a corporation. Then, a few years later, I made the decision to transition into the nonprofit sector. Still today, I want to make a difference and help build a stronger community by applying my skills and expertise to create positive change and impact people’s lives for the better.
It’s my belief that the nonprofit sector, the “third leg of the stool that is society,” can be and should be leading in all the ways that make our communities better and safer for each of us. This includes the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and justice. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Organizations too frequently operate from a place of scarcity and/or fear, asking:
Where will we get the money needed to pay the staff?
How do we steward that important donor who only wants to fund something we don’t need?
We can’t risk trying this new idea because what if it fails?
Instead of driving change in our communities, adapting existing programs to meet current needs, or tearing down systems that disenfranchise or harm people in our community, organizations may be distracted by survival. This includes the pervasive fear of, “If we do this, we may lose that.” From this place of diminished capacity, a wellspring of opportunity and inclusion can’t exist. Survival mode rarely leads to flourishing success.
Many of us go into charitable work with deeply held values and a sense of justice, so it can be disheartening when we don’t see those values practiced within our organizations. And this can be dangerous: there are real lives at stake.
I’ve been working through the very good DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right by the very thoughtful Lily Zheng. Their experiences and reflections on years of work, and the impact they may or may not have witnessed, is eye-opening and sobering. It is also heartening. To know that even DEI practitioners sometimes lose sight of the ideal outcome or aren’t as successful in their results as they intended, helps me breathe a little easier.
And so, as leaders in our communities, we must do this important and difficult work. It all begins with a step, and to quote Lily Zheng: “Intentions aren’t enough.” So, how do organizations begin this journey?
I’m going to be very honest: I don’t know. I’ve struggled with writing this because I’m not ready to tell anyone how they should begin, and I don’t feel that I have a special nugget of wisdom to impart. The truth is, I’m still listening and learning.
What I do know, however, is what I see frequently in our facilitation and assessment work at M. Gale: We bring people together to share diverse perspectives and experiences. We’re supporting the voices and people who need to be heard. Asking which voices aren’t represented and then bringing them into the conversation. And we ask those who sit in a place of leadership or privilege to hold space for those who don’t. To give them a platform, a budget, and the opportunity to influence our communities. In doing so, we’re honoring each other and becoming more whole. This is the powerful work I believe in.
The reality is this–the path of DEI is a journey. And it’s a long one.
I’m an idealist.
But I am pragmatic enough to know it, and to know that I—and we, together—must put in the work to achieve the ideal.
Clint Riley is the Director of Administration & Finance at M. Gale. Clint has spent a majority of his nonprofit career in arts, culture, and education, helping these organizations articulate strategic priorities and develop practical and effective policies, systems, and procedures in support of their mission and philanthropic goals. He has held roles in fund development, marketing/communication and sales, program design and assessment, project management, and strategic planning.
