Shifting the Narrative Around Philanthropy: Escaping the Scarcity Mentality
Session Type(s): Panel
Starts: Saturday, Jul. 15 3:45 PM (Central)
Ends: Saturday, Jul. 15 4:45 PM (Central)
Room: Salon A-5
Our panel will illustrate that we as a progressive movement have long been mired in a scarcity mentality that pits organizations against one another for resources—and reinforce the need to shift the narrative across the philanthropic and advocacy sectors. In this session, we will have a robust discussion with panelists underscoring the importance of progressive collaborative funding. Panelists will explore trust-based impact framework models that have worked in the past. This expedition will help us better understand progressive collaborative fundraising and power-building while promoting cross-sector collaboration. Participants will leave the session with the knowledge and motivation needed to abandon the scarcity mentality.
Moderator
Sadé Dozan
Composed and inquisitive, Sade’s experience moderating panels spans across multiple sectors – the entertainment industry, philanthropy, and social justice conferences – through large-scale lectures and webinars, as well as intimate, under-30-person audiences.
Panelists
Cherita Ellens
Cherita Ellens is a native Chicagoan; longtime advocate for women, youth, and
families; working mom; and caregiver. As CEO of Women Employed, Cherita leads an organization that, for five decades, has been at the forefront of proposing and enacting policy to grow the economic power of women, and is currently focused on closing the wealth gap at the intersection of gender and race. Before joining Women Employed, for more than 15 years, Cherita has held leadership positions with Chicago-based nonprofits serving historically marginalized communities and people. Cherita holds an MBA from The University of Notre Dame, and a B.S. in Speech Communications from Illinois State University.
Other sessions: How to End the Legacy of Economic Slavery: Close the Gender, Race and LGBTQ+ Pay Gap
Stacy Kono
With over two decades of nonprofit experience, Stacy leads fundraising and organizational strategy and systems. Stacy first experienced the power of grassroots organizing at Asian Immigrant Women Advocates, organizing with Chinese immigrant garment workers to bring fairness and safety to the industry. While organizing the Garment Workers Justice Campaign, she saw the potential and power of organizing consumers to show solidarity with workers. Stacy has also worked as Director of Programs at Rockwood Leadership Institute.
Krista Scott
Krista Scott, a child health expert working at the forefront of policy, advocacy, and equity, joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in 2019. Her wide-ranging expertise in public health and education encompasses early childhood health, mental health, special education, and program development and support. At RWJF she advances the Foundation’s work to dismantle structural barriers to heath for children and families, like systemic racism and sexism.
Krista worked in direct service at many nonprofits serving children and teens and also in government. Always on behalf of or with children and families, and always with care. She is passionate about changing the stories we tell ourselves about our worth, value and what we deserve as people, as families and as communities so that we can use our collective resources to build a new future together.
Choua Vue
Choua Vue is a Program Officer at the Care for All With Respect and Equity (CARE) Fund. She manages the CARE Fund’s domestic grantmaking, as well as other program work. Prior to joining the CARE Fund, Choua Vue was the Senior Vice President of Policy, Research, and Community Impact at Illinois Action for Children (IAFC). In her nearly 13 years at IAFC, Choua spearheaded its policy and advocacy priorities to ensure families had access to affordable and quality early childhood and child care services. She also created its community organizing program – building the power and voice of families and providers to influence policy change. She launched a new Community Impact department, in which she designed and expanded innovative family and community engagement programs and advanced systems change through community systems development. Choua has also worked on education and child welfare policy issues for Asian American and Pacific Islanders in New York City, and on immigrant and refugee rights issues with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Choua serves on the Board of Directors for the SEIU Education and Support Fund and the HANA Center. Choua earned a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College.