How do we move resources and power towards good works?
As I write this it is an interesting time to be doing the work of fundraising in North America.
The political environment has never been more hostile and trust has never been lower, but here we are. There is work to do and someone has to do it. However tempting it might be to throw up our hands and declare our task too difficult, we do not have the luxury of giving up.
The work goes on and so must we
but this challenge need not be a grim one.
Generosity, solidarity, and mutual support have always persisted and even thrived in difficult times, and people engaged in the work of building a better world are in good company with our predecessors. As a wise friend once said, no one has to be enough, because we are not alone.
For my small part, I bring over a decade of experience as a fundraiser and years of experience building relationships with institutional funders and working with state and federal government agencies on grant proposals and stewardship. I am also, for what it is worth, a student of movement organizing and structures of mutual aid.
The pieces that we can use to build a better future are here with us, and the tools are close to hand.