Those that are attracted to the nonprofit sector tend to be a caring bunch. They are often paid under-market wages and work long hours, justified (by both ourselves and our employers) by the meaning we derive from our work and the good we are doing in the world.
At RVC, we have worked with dozens of grassroots nonprofits of color over many years. Some of those organizations have thrived, others have folded. When it comes to building healthy organizations, there is no substitute for visionary leadership and dedicated, driven staff, but every organization we work with has this. So what does it mean when nonprofits have talented staff and a strong mission, yet still don’t thrive? The answer: it boils down to funding.
I’m still the Interim ED of RVC. Which was not the plan. When we first discussed extending the timeline, I was opposed. Dominant culture norms made me assume that was a bad thing – we need to change quickly! Be efficient!
No matter the obstacles, what was needed was action. As the president of the two-year-old PTSA at Rainier View Elementary School, Sarena Li said the reasons her initiative aims to support families in need are simple
“It is a month of rejuvenation, a month for a second chance. It reminds me of my purpose on this earth and encourages me to reset my goals and intentions, so another year doesn’t slip by without fully living it.”
I keep asking myself: A year from now, what will nonprofits wish we would have done right now? What mistakes do we need to avoid? What difficult decisions should we make? What opportunities could come from this?
As you may have heard, our wonderful founding Executive Director, Vu Le, has retired from RVC, closing out his time at the hilarious Vu’s Vegan Roast event on February 22nd
By Floribert Mubalama, Executive Director and Founder, Congolese Integration Network — Note: The Congolese Integration Network (CIN) is one of our newest operations support partners. CIN was
