Looking Ahead: Honoring Our History, Imagining Possibilities

Looking Ahead: Honoring Our History, Imagining Possibilities

Dear ProInspire Community,

As we embark on this new year, I reflect on where we have been as an organization. The past year was a pivotal year for ProInspire marked by our theme, “being and becoming.” 

This resonated with us as a team because we were in a period of transition, planning for the departure of our founder and engaging in a strategic planning process. As a team, we saw ourselves evolving into another version of ourselves as an organization. We were becoming an organization that more intentionally, creatively and joyfully honors the needs, perspective and experiences of Black and Brown people. We are continuing our journey by exploring more collaborative ways to hold space with our program participants, building deeper relationships with our partners in the ecosystem, and exploring principles grounded in Black Feminist practice and wisdom that we want to embody more explicitly in our work. 

As our journey of becoming continues, this year we officially celebrate our 15th anniversary. We are giving ourselves the space to reimagine possibilities because now more than ever, our work is needed in the social sector. Facing an election year, racial equity and DEI work is under attack in institutions around the nation. We remain alarmed by the feelings of isolation and burnout expressed by BIPOC leaders, and we see the dangerously abrupt regression of funding for Black-led organizations, which adds to a history of under-resourcing disproportionately impacting Black communities. This reality reinforces the systemic barrier to sustaining community-led efforts needed for lasting change. And, social sector norms continue to be incongruent with the values and decision making practices that will truly advance equity within our organizations. These workplace disparities harm those who are trying their best to support change in communities that are already denied the safety, access and resources needed to thrive. 

This is why ProInspire is dedicated to move boldly and intentionally towards being a fully equitable, inclusive and joyful organization–one that supports creating lasting change in communities of color. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” We remain steadfast and hopeful because we believe justice will prevail. 

Prevailing will require boldness, creativity, being intentionally intersectional, and aligning our actions with our peers to create collective change. This is why I am excited to announce our theme for 2024 is 15 Forward: Honoring Our History and Imagining Possibilities. We are honoring who we have been, while exploring who the sector needs us to be right now. Our dreams are forged in the belief that when leaders of color and their organizations have the access, safety, and resources that they need to thrive, their work within communities will thrive, as well. We envision and dream of an equitable and just society, that includes social sector workplaces, a society that is free of racism and other forms of systemic oppression where all people thrive, a society that are free of racism and other forms of systemic oppression where all people thrive.

I invite you to courageously move forward with us in the new year and beyond.

With gratitude, 

Bianca Anderson, Co-CEO

Farewell Message from ProInspire Founder Monisha Kapila

Dear ProInspire Community,

This is my final note to you in my role as co-CEO at ProInspire. I am deeply indebted to each member of the ProInspire community for your unwavering support, and for shaping me into the leader I am today. Leading this organization has been the honor of a lifetime and the highlight of my professional career. 

Relationships are at the heart of ProInspire’s success. Core to this success are the connections, respect, and trust with our many stakeholders. Over the past 15 years, I have learned so much alongside 30+ staff who have worked at ProInspire, 40+ board members and alumni leaders, and numerous consultant partners. I am forever grateful for the relationships I have built with individuals who joined our programs, the nonprofits who partnered with us, the funders who supported us, and the colleagues who shared their insights, advice, and expertise. 

Transitions are an opportunity for transformation. I am excited to witness the many ways that ProInspire is being and becoming, and will continue to transform into the future. I am confident in the leadership of Bianca Anderson, my co-CEO for almost three years, and Isabelle Moses, our incoming co-CEO and longtime Board member. I know that our co-CEOs, staff, and board are ready to lead ProInspire into the future. I hope you will join me in supporting ProInspire’s next chapter by contributing to the Founder’s Fund

At our Board retreat in September, we held our first transition ceremony. Flower garlands hold a special place in Indian culture and are often used in rituals for weddings, to show respect, and when people embark on a new undertaking. I was honored to present these garlands to Bianca and Isabelle as a symbol of our transition.

Founder Monisha (middle in pink) is presenting garlands to co-CEOs Bianca (left in green) and Isabelle Monisha (right in yellow) at ProInspire’s first transition ceremony.

Bianca and Isabelle, I present you with these garlands as I complete my tenure and support you as the co-CEOs of ProInspire. These garlands symbolize a joining of your partnership: may you experience the strength from partnership with each other, that I have experienced with both of you. These garlands represent the respect I hold for both of you. I know that your brilliance, purpose, and leadership will transform this organization for our next chapter. Finally, these garlands embody the spiritual connection I feel as I step aside, and you lead this organization together. I am honored that you will be at the helm of ProInspire.”

As to what’s next for me, I am ready to explore who I am beyond ProInspire and how I can continue to advance leadership and equity in new ways. I invite you to remain a part of my journey through my personal website: https://www.monishakapila.com/.

To every colleague, friend, and family member, thank you for making my past 15 years exceptionally meaningful. The love I have for ProInspire and each of you will continue to endure. I am thrilled about ProInspire’s bold new chapter, and I hope you will join me in supporting ProInspire for the next 15 years.

With gratitude,
Monisha

Founder

How Sabbaticals Can Support Succession and Transition

Finalized on October 25, 2023 | Published November 28, 2023

By Monisha Kapila

Last month I returned from my second sabbatical at ProInspire. This sabbatical is unique because I am in my final six months in this job (I announced in January that I will be completing my tenure at ProInspire this December). Bianca Anderson and I began discussing this sabbatical about a year ago as we planned out the timeline for my final year at ProInspire. ProInspire’s policy allows staff to take a two month sabbatical every 5 years. Initially, I wasn’t sure if it would make sense to do a sabbatical in my final year at the organization. Through discussion, I realized that it would be supportive for me to have space to imagine what is next while I am still employed by ProInspire. Bianca shared that it would be helpful for the organization to begin to see what gaps may come up while I am away so we could address those before I leave at the end of the year.

Now I have experience as a CEO with two very different sabbaticals:

I believe sabbaticals can be an important tool in succession and transition. Even if an individual is not planning to leave their role, just the act of stepping away forces the organization to figure out a way to fill the gap while someone is away.

Here are three ways that sabbaticals have helped me with succession and transition:

Shift Responsibilities: Taking a sabbatical forces you to shift your responsibilities. When I took my first sabbatical in 2018, I had been leading ProInspire for nine years. This was the first time I actually wrote out all my responsibilities and went through them methodically to identify who would hold what during my time away. When I returned, we realized the need to build more systems around finance and fundraising in the organization because those had been difficult to continue in my absence. In 2023, the sabbatical was a tool to support my transition out of the organization. I had already been sharing responsibilities with our Co-CEO Bianca Anderson, and COO Kristen Lucas. This time, the planning around shifting responsibilities was more permanent, because the expectation is that I would not take those back on in my final months of the organization. 

Rest and Reset: Sabbaticals are different from vacations because they are an extended period of time away from work. The longest vacation I have taken at ProInspire has been two weeks, but both of my sabbaticals were two months. Having this kind of spaciousness really enabled me to rest and reset. In both cases, I prioritized slowing down, having special experiences, and trying new things. I also did things that I often push aside during the day-to-day busyness of having a full-time job and caring for my family, such as organizing spaces in my house. All of these helped me build new habits that I can bring into my day-to-day life as I return to work. 

Prepare for What is Next: During my first sabbatical, ProInspire was just starting to come out of the “startup phase” and I had never had a real break as founder (including when both of my kids were born). That first sabbatical gave me a chance to step back from my role as the founder who always thought first about what the organization needed. I was able to start to imagine what I wanted for the future. I returned with the clarity that I was energized about the work ahead at ProInspire, but I would be ready to leave within five years. I shared that with our Board in September 2018 and we began to discuss succession planning for the organization the following year. During this recent sabbatical, I was able to start to envision who I am besides being the Founder of ProInspire. While I didn’t focus too much on planning for what is next, I feel emotionally prepared to step away having had the sabbatical. 

If you have the opportunity for a sabbatical, here are some tips:

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity for two sabbaticals over the past 5 years at ProInspire. These have been critical for sustaining my own leadership and for strengthening our organization to prepare for succession and executive transition. If you are looking to create a sabbatical policy for your organization, learn more about the latest research at The Sabbatical Project and Durfee Foundation’s Sabbatical Guide for Nonprofits.

Our Reflections on the Crises in the Middle East

November 9, 2023

This past month at ProInspire, we have been reflecting on the crises in the Middle East, particularly the events in Gaza. We have held one-on-one check-ins and engaged in open dialogues as a full team (about individual needs and our collective solidarity). We acknowledged the complexity of this crisis and reaffirmed our commitment to centering relationships, especially within our network, whose friends and families are directly impacted. 

As the crisis continues, we are called back to our mission and vision of a world free from racism and systemic oppression. We stand against genocide, collective punishment, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism. We pray for the safe return of all hostages and grieve for the innocent lives lost in Israel and Palestine. We are unwavering in our stance against all forms of hate and violence.

Our work calls us to center the people at the heart of this humanitarian crisis marked by indiscriminate bombings and the withholding of basic resources for the people of Palestine. Recognizing our role in the sector, we remain dedicated to activating leaders and accelerating racial equity toward freedom and justice. 

We invite you to join us in personal reflection and action, recognizing that others may also be wondering how to respond. In doing so, we hope to provide support by offering these prompts and additional resources for our collective journey.

Resources

Self to Systems Invitation 

Self – How do you hold all of your identities and show up to this moment? Where in your life/role do you have space for grief?

People – What does it mean to prioritize our shared humanity in one-on-one conversations and within our communities to challenge and disrupt bias? 

Orgs – How can you foster an environment that encourages your team to grapple with the complexities of this crisis and allow for collective grief? 

Systems – How can you stand in solidarity by investing in a world where all people can thrive?

3-As Resources 

The 3-As are the Three Areas for Advancing Racial Equity found in our Leadership Model for Race Equity Impact

ACTIVE LEARNING AND UNLEARNING
Solidarity with the Palestinian Struggle for Freedom

Zinn Education Project 

Self to Systems: Leading for Race Equity Impact

INTENTIONAL ACTION
How to Write a Solidarity Statement (Building Movement Project)

Donate to support families in Gaza 

Jewish Voice for Peace 

If Not Now

PROCESS OF ACCOUNTABILITY 

Crises as a Catalyst 

Our Sector’s Role for Calling for Peace 

Social Change Ecosystem Map (Deepa Iyer, Building Movement Project)


“Self to Systems” Learning Series 2023

Class is back in session! Join us for our free 2023 “Self to Systems” Learning Series! Through four 45-minute sessions in October and November, journey with ProInspire Director Namira Anani and additional guest hosts through our “Self to Systems” Leadership Model for Race Equity Impact.

In each interactive session, we will tap into different creative modalities as we walk through our Leadership Model – from collaging to metaphors – and share practical tools to deepen your racial equity analysis. 

This year, our series is free and open to our entire network, and we welcome and encourage you to join all four sessions. Register for a session today!

We’ll be using Zoom for all four sessions. Sessions will be interactive and you are welcome to join on/off camera. Expect to engage in individual reflection, limited written communication through chat/digital tools, and some small/large group conversation. Please note any accommodation requests/needs in our registration form.

Session Dates and Topics

Leading Self

Friday, October 13, 2023 from 12:15-1 pm EST

“It’s nice to meet me!” Exploring identity through storytelling and Identity Wheels

Leading People

Friday, October 20, 2023 from 12:15-1 pm EST

“A world beyond trust falls” Using metaphor to strategize around building and re-building trust on teams

Leading Organizations

Friday, November 3, 2023 from 12:15-1 pm EST

“How do I listen to lead?” Examining different forms of listening as a critical tool for leadership in organizations

Leading Systems

Friday, November 17, 2023 from 12:15-1 pm EST

“The sensory experience of liberation.” Re-imagining a more just world through our senses.

Registration Process

Cost

Sessions are free in 2023 for these learning sessions! We encourage attendees to make a donation of $65/session or $250/series for Zoom space, digital tools, and guided facilitation. However, this is not required in order to be part of the session space. You can make an optional donation below.

Haven’t read our Self to Systems publication yet?

Do you have any questions? If so, please reach out to us at [email protected].

Being and Becoming: Isabelle Moses to serve as ProInspire’s new co-CEO

September 20, 2023

ProInspire is pleased to announce that Isabelle Moses will serve as ProInspire’s new co-CEO alongside our current co-CEO, Bianca Anderson, starting in 2024. This marks a pivotal moment in ProInspire’s journey, as this shift follows our founder’s transition at the end of this year and evolution into a Black and woman-led, multi-racial organization.

“This leadership transition is an intentional step in the evolution of ProInspire. I am so excited to work alongside Isabelle as ProInspire embarks on our new strategic direction, one that is rooted in Black Feminist wisdom and practice. Isabelle’s leadership will undoubtedly bring additional depth, rigor, and joy to our work!”

– Bianca Casanova Anderson

Isabelle brings nearly two decades of invaluable experience to ProInspire, working alongside social justice leaders and organizations striving to challenge the status quo and achieve equitable outcomes for communities of color. She has worked with nonprofits, foundations, Fortune 500 companies, and federal agencies. As a board member at ProInspire since 2015, she has supported the organization through multiple transformations and was pivotal in its shifts to establish a shared leadership model. 

Isabelle joins ProInspire from Faith in Action, where she served as Senior Advisor, Executive Office, and co-led transformative initiatives as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, with a strong focus on leaders of color in their network. Her leadership was instrumental in deepening racial and gender equity throughout the organization. Isabelle has also held consulting roles with respected organizations such as Community Wealth Partners, The Management Center, Accenture, and Eagle Hill Consulting.

“I am deeply honored to succeed Monisha as co-CEO alongside Bianca. Monisha leaves an incredible legacy as the founder of ProInspire, which has seen significant growth and transformation over the last fifteen years. Looking ahead to the next fifteen years, I am excited about the partnership with Bianca and deepening our ability to support the growth and development of leaders of color throughout the social justice movement, especially fellow Black women.”

– Isabelle Moses

Isabelle’s wealth of experience, unwavering dedication to social justice, and commitment to driving positive change for communities of color aligns with ProInspire’s mission and vision to activate leaders and accelerate racial equity. Her vision and leadership will undoubtedly contribute to ProInspire’s continued growth and success. 

Read more on Isabelle


Message from our Board Co-Chairs


On behalf of the ProInspire Board of Directors, we are thrilled that Isabelle Moses will join ProInspire as its new co-CEO. We firmly believe Isabelle is the right leader to help guide ProInspire into this exciting new chapter.

We have enjoyed working alongside her on ProInspire’s board, and she has made significant contributions to the organization’s mission, leadership structure, and organizational sustainability. In addition to her extensive experience, Isabelle brings a strong commitment to advancing racial equity and supporting BIPOC leaders throughout the social sector. 

We are excited and have the utmost confidence in the future of ProInspire. We look forward to supporting Bianca and Isabelle as they lead the organization into the next chapter together. 

Raquel Gutierrez, PhD, Board Co-Chair

Nancy Withbroe, Board Co-Chair

Meet Catalyst Collective Cohort 2

ProInspire Announces the 2023-2024 Catalyst Collective Cohort

Our community for executives of color grows. We’re thrilled to officially announce Catalyst Collective Cohort 2, drawn from our continued partnership with Kresge Foundation’s Arts and Culture & Human Services grantees! Through the ProInspire Catalyst Collective, these 16 senior leaders–all women of color–embark on a 12-month journey anchored in self-care, community care, and racial equity. Please join us in welcoming the members of Catalyst Collective Cohort 2 below.

The Catalyst Collective is a community of practice designed to support BIPOC leaders as they navigate the professional and structural challenges that leading nonprofit organizations often create. Our community of practice prioritizes holistic well-being, shifting organizational culture, and sustainability. Leaders also create meaningful connections and build shared power to advocate for tangible changes that will foster a more supportive and sustainable experience for BIPOC leaders.

Program Intentions

The vision behind Catalyst Collective is to create a space where leaders can show up fully and change decision making power within the social sector by bringing the dreams, desires, and self-determination of leaders of color to the forefront. Through virtual convenings and collaboration, Catalyst Collective will:

Meet the Cohort

Alia Harvey-Quinn
Founder & Executive Director, FORCE Detroit

Dawn Wells-Clyburn
Executive Director, PUSH Buffalo

Elizabeth Dorante
VP of Programs, Hispanic Unity of Florida

Esther Shin
President, Urban Strategies, Inc.

Evelyn Burnett
Co-Founder & CEO, ThirdSpace Action Lab and ThirdSpace Reading Room

Gina Lyles
Founder & Executive Director, The Hive

Jessica Paz-Cedillos
Co-Executive Director, School of Arts & Culture

Kenia Morales
Chief of Staff, Equis

Maya Minhas
Director of Cultural Organizing and Partnerships, The League

Mia Harnos
Chief Operating Officer, Wayne Metro Community Action Agency

Michele Harper
Director of Race Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Evident Change

Molly Kaufman
Co-Founder & Executive Director, University of Orange

Nadia Elokdah
VP & Director of Programs, Grantmakers in the Arts

Naomi Walker
Vice President, Economic Policy Institute

Ruthie Dineen
Executive Director, East Bay Center for the Performing Arts

The Soundtrack of Energy

In celebration of our second cohort launch, the members of Catalyst Collective Cohort 2 have crowdsourced a collection of energizing songs. Enjoy our tunes at “Catalyst Collective Energy Playlist” below and on Spotify.

Honor Our Voices

by the Asian American staff members of ProInspire (Namira Anani, Monisha Kapila, Camille De La Rosa, Neriel David Ponce, and Monica Biswas)

June 6, 2023

As AANHPI Heritage Month came to a close last week, the Asian American staff members of ProInspire are honoring our voices by sharing our stories, disrupting white supremacist narratives, and taking up space. The model minority myth has no place here. Our vast diasporas struggle to be contained by acronyms. In this co-created blog, the South Asian and Southeast Asian staff members of ProInspire–with Bengali, Punjabi, and Filipino backgrounds respectively–share how we each honor our voices, both personally and professionally and through our cultural and ancestral wisdom. Beyond a heritage month, we strive to honor our voices year-round.

What does it look like to honor your voice as an Asian American leader, and more specifically, as a Southeast or South Asian leader? How does ProInspire support your ability to honor your voice?

My identities invite nuance and I use my voice to ask others to notice, appreciate, and celebrate the richness of not just my existence, but that of all of the different communities I am a a part of.”

Namira Anani, Director

Namira at NYU DC

Honoring my voice as a South Asian Muslim means seeing speaking, writing, designing, and otherwise creating boldly as a political act. Speaking truth to power is a Prophetic act. Naming my experiences disrupts the model minority myth, pushes against a world that wants to flatten and stereotype each of my identities, and uplifts one story of someone who sits at the intersection of many different identities. I have not released my claim on “Asian,” “Muslim,” “South Asian,” “American,” or “Bengali,” despite pressures to pick one or engage in either/or thinking around who I am. My identities invite nuance and I use my voice to ask others to notice, appreciate, and celebrate the richness of not just my existence, but that of all of the different communities I am a a part of.

ProInspire has been so great in creating space for appreciating and diving into intersectionality and an intersectional approach to exploring our identities. We get to introduce ourselves with all of the different identities I hold and we name how there are so many different aspects of identity that make individuals who they are. 

Share your favorite cultural and/or ancestral practice or wisdom you’ve picked up from friends or family.

I am Bengali and Muslim, and as an adult, I am now recognizing certain hobbies and behaviors of my elders and ancestors as resiliency practices. My Nanu (my maternal grandmother) practiced yoga, prayed and called on the names of God constantly, stayed hydrated with ice cold water every day, and maintained skincare routines. These practices all require you to pause what you’re doing, slow down, breathe, and focus on nourishing yourself.

Monisha Kapila, Founder & co-CEO

When people ask about why I founded ProInspire, I talk about my childhood growing up as a first generation immigrant, and the values my parents brought from India and taught me.”

Former and current ProInspire staff at Monisha’s 2022 Diwali Party

I honor my voice by honoring my history as an Asian American. When people ask about why I founded ProInspire, I talk about my childhood growing up as a first generation immigrant, and the values my parents brought from India and taught me. 

ProInspire supports me to honor my voice by creating an environment where we can bring our full selves to work. I love sharing my culture and was able to host a Diwali party last year for current and former team members. It was so beautiful to have ProInspire folks young and old (including kids) gather together!

Share your favorite cultural and/or ancestral practice or wisdom you’ve picked up from friends or family.

My family is Punjabi (from the state of Punjab in India) and we are big dancers. I learned Bhangra, Bollywood, and Bharatnatyam dancing growing up and maintain those cultural practices. Bhangra is very free form and I think everyone should try it. I have even taught Bhangra dance moves in some of our ProInspire trainings!

Camille De La Rosa, Communications & Engagement Manager

Honoring my voice also looks like channeling my creativity to amplify stories of the global majority and cultivating a world where leaders of color, like myself, can thrive on our own terms.”

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) 2019 staff. Photo credits: Steven Lam; Lettering by Camille De La Rosa

Honoring my voice as a Filipino American leader means continuously crafting the pieces of my own [hi]story, while also thinking about how I can expand the possibilities for the Filipino diaspora. My voice is grounded in the foundation of my immigrant parents’ dreams, stands on the shoulders of the manongs who first settled in Little Manilas across America, and soars far beyond everyone’s expectations. Honoring my voice also looks like channeling my creativity to amplify stories of the global majority and cultivating a world where leaders of color, like myself, can thrive on our own terms.

One way ProInspire supports my ability to honor my voice by providing an AAPI affinity space where we meet on a monthly basis. We check-in and discuss various topics on our hearts and minds–from reacting to interesting articles to sharing musings around our respective motherlands. I’m also surrounded by supportive colleagues, especially our communications team, who have found ways to merge my digital illustration talents with our programs and projects. Following my participation in the September 2022 PLI training, I was inspired to create a graphic visualization that we’ve since integrated in our PLI promotions and our Howspace (the online collaboration tool we use to host our trainings).

Share your favorite cultural and/or ancestral practice or wisdom you’ve picked up from friends or family.

During one of my visits to the Philippines in 2017, I stayed with a dear Tita (aunt) of mine who first introduced me to grounding, which is defined as “direct skin contact with the surface of the Earth, such as with bare feet or hands, or with various grounding systems” by the NIH. To combat jet lag, she insisted we head outside in the middle of the afternoon, take off our shoes, and stroll through the grass together. I still remember the sensation of the blades of grass tickling my feet.

I wonder how many times my ancestors must have done this, walking barefoot through their lands–long before grounding had a name. I know this practice isn’t solely a Filipino one. It feels far more universal. My first time grounding was such a powerful experience that I’ve since incorporated it into my weekly routine, especially when I’m feeling disjointed and disconnected from my environment.

Neriel David Ponce, Strategist

In moments when I feel small or shy to speak my mind, I lean on them to speak my truth courageously and unapologetically.”

Neriel (top row, left) sitting on the virtual 2022 CAPAL WLP panel “Breaking Barriers: AANHPI Leaders in Public Service

I honor my voice by remembering my mentors and movement leaders before me who have helped pave the road and expanded access to spaces previously not welcome for us. In moments when I feel small or shy to speak my mind, I lean on them to speak my truth courageously and unapologetically. 

When I first started at ProInspire, I was asked to speak on a panel with other Asian American leaders in the social sector. It felt powerful to see myself on that panel with them, and humbling to be able to storytell and learn from each other’s experiences. This was definitely a work highlight at ProInspire, especially at such an early tenure here!

Share your favorite cultural and/or ancestral practice or wisdom you’ve picked up from friends or family.

I love to eat and I love to cook. I feel like children of immigrants can all relate when I say that food speaks volumes in the ways our families have not had the language to express love, gratitude, or an apology.  To be able to cook Filipino food, in the traditions of both sides of my family and with my own twist, feels like an incredible way to honor traditions and carve out my own legacy for my own future generations. Right now, my favorite dish to cook has been a sour-sweet-spicy Siningang na salmon, with coconut rice on the side.

Monica Biswas, Director

Share your favorite cultural and/or ancestral practice or wisdom you’ve picked up from friends or family.

…[A]nd I have continued to learn, grow and expand over time. This learning is rooted in the belief that we can never know it all and that we are all interconnected.”

Monica sitting next to her colleagues at our 2022 ProInspire team retreat, listening during a session.

An important spiritual practice that has been passed down to me from my grandparents to my parents to me is that learning never ends. While my maternal grandmother’s formal education ended at grade eight, she was always learning and reading, and connecting with members of her community. My mother and father also had their own ways of following this practice, and I have continued to learn, grow and expand over time. This learning is rooted in the belief that we can never know it all and that we are all interconnected.  


There is nuanced power in using the “AANHPI” acronym, and we also acknowledge that within the umbrella, “‘AANHPI’ (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders) encompasses a wide range of countries, ethnicities, nationalities, and identities.” (Program Leaders Working Group). In a microcosmic example, our AAPI affinity space is currently made up of South Asian and Southeast Asian staff members with Bengali, Punjabi, and Filipino backgrounds respectively, and we have no Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander folks on our team. We’ve also wrestled with the personal and political definitions of the term “Asian American,” and how we, as Asian Americans, share beautiful similarities with our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander siblings and hold significant differences, as illustrated in this 2022 U.S. Census Bureau article. We invite and encourage you to dive deeper into the nuances of these vast diasporas and support Asian American, Native Hawaian, and Pacific Islanders beyond a month.

Resources to check out as a starting point:

  • Discover why AANHPI Heritage Month is celebrated in May
  • Explore the origins of the Third World Liberation Front (TWLF)–multi-ethnic coalitions of student organizations from San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley, formed in the late 1960’s, which gave birth to Asian American Studies and Ethnic Studies programs
  • Follow our colleagues over at AAPIP (Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy)–a justice-minded national philanthropy serving organization that provides unique community spaces for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and allies in philanthropy
  • Check out this 2021 Time article on Black and Asian solidarity
  • Discover your next favorite read in this Penguin Random House round-up of Historical Fiction by AANHPI authors!
  • Tune into Bravespace from The Smithsonian — a compilation of music and sounds created by Asian American women and non-binary artists for meditation and healing (commissioned in 2020)

Lessons Learned for Why a Teams-Based Approach Can Advance Equity

by Monica Biswas and Rosie Aquila

Monica and Rosie have partnered on the design and facilitation for three of ProInspire’s team-based cohorts. These reflections and learnings stemmed from their experiences, observations, and feedback from participants in these programs.

April 20, 2023

ProInspire’s work with team-based cohorts started in 2018. At the time, we were observing that senior leaders of color who held the equity work for their organizations were struggling to gain support with staff or board members. 

But what if we could bring these teams together to build alignment? This idea sparked a collaboration with our partner Change Elemental, who at the time had previously worked with boards around racial equity. With support from Kresge Foundation, we convened small teams of staff and board members from multiple organizations to work together to develop race equity priorities for their organizations. 

Since then, ProInspire has partnered with Meyer Foundation, Kauffman Foundation, and Kresge Foundation to convene grantees in four additional team-based communities of practice to support organizations to advance racial equity. In these cohorts, teams of two to six staff or board members from different organizations engage in learning sessions, peer sharing and relationship building, as well as coaching for the organizational team. 

Over the years, we’ve observed just how effective this model is for advancing racial equity within organizations. With our fifth community of practice wrapping up, we’re excited to share with you key learnings about this approach. 

But first, let’s talk about the ways we’ve seen racial equity work done in the past. While these approaches might be the “standard,” they’re not exactly tried-and-true because they’re often not sustainable or effective when it comes to organizational transformation. 

Individual Capacity Building. Has this happened to you? You just attended a conference or training, where you felt inspired and eager to put things into practice back at your organization. When you return to work, you try to apply your new skills and strategies. However, no one else has had the same experience, and it’s a struggle to transfer those valuable insights to others. What felt like a great opportunity now feels like steering the Titanic. Over time, other priorities take control and you lose steam. And, if you leave the organization, that knowledge and insight goes with you. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. We see this happen all the time when it comes to racial equity work. The bottom line is that change shouldn’t be held by a single individual because organizational transformation requires collective learning, commitments, and action. 

Consultant Outsourcing. Another way we’ve seen racial equity work held is when an organization hires an external consultant to create a plan for them. The consultant does extensive data gathering, synthesizes the information, and produces key findings and a race equity plan as their deliverables. The challenge here is that the consultant’s work is often held by the organization as a rigid plan — after all they probably paid a lot of money for it —  and that prevents the organization from embracing emergence and being responsive to new insights and shifting contexts as their organization evolves. If there’s one constant in life, it’s that things change. Holding a race equity plan in your organization as a rigid document is not going to support you long term. And once the consultant leaves with their ‘expertise,’ the staff has not built up the capabilities to continue the work themselves. As a result, the organization’s progress is halted.

If these are some common challenges to how race equity work is traditionally approached, what makes a team-based cohort different? Here are some of our key takeaways from what we’ve observed and learned about this model.

FUEL in-person convening in October 2022
  1. A team ensures persistence of the work. When you have a team focused on race equity transformation, others can continue the work even when an individual member leaves your organization or takes a step back to rest or focus on other priorities. The 2022 Catalyzing Leadership for Equity report from the Urban Institute also notes that a team-based approach encourages participants to think about equity and change beyond their individual capabilities and leadership development, but rather held as a “collective process that is distributed in neighborhoods, across communities, at the local level, and in organizations and institutions.”
  2. A team allows different perspectives to inform the work. Diversity is always valuable, and is especially essential when you’re developing a race equity strategy for your organization. For the strategies to truly meet the needs of an organization, you need input from folks with different identities, positions in the organization, and lived experiences and perspectives. Rather than one person’s opinion driving an organization’s plan, a team-based approach purposefully brings in different perspectives, which ultimately leads to more comprehensive strategies and a shared commitment to a plan. In our cohorts, we bring together folks with diversity across multiple dimensions: racial/ethnic and other identities, as well as varying roles and levels of positional authority. These perspectives serve to inform the development, and the ultimate implementation, of your race equity strategy.

We’ve also observed that in addition to the team aspect within one organization, bringing together multiple teams in a cohort for learning and relationship-building also adds significant value for an organization’s change process. 

  1. A facilitated cohort with regular touchpoints provides a consistent cadence to keep focus on the work. A common barrier to advancing equity goals that we hear from organizational leaders is time. Too often, leaders are unable to move their racial equity strategies forward because they feel constrained by other day-to-day priorities of their work. We encourage leaders to reframe how they hold racial equity as integral to all aspects of their work, so that it does not feel separate or in addition to. Having monthly facilitated cohort sessions helps create a structure to keep the energy alive, build accountability, and habitualize a team to meeting regularly, so that the work continues beyond the program and infuses racial equity throughout the organization.
  2. A facilitated cohort offers the team practice in building the race equity ‘muscles’ needed for transformational change. Race equity transformation goes beyond trainings and policies, and requires new ways of operating that shift away from white supremacy norms. This requires practice and experimentation—and staying power so that when things get uncomfortable or challenging (and they will!), the team is equipped to keep going. Having a facilitated space helps to build that muscle because there’s an outsider who can “hold the container” and guide folks through discomfort. For example, in our model, ProInspire’s facilitation team helps the cohort develop community agreements for a “brave space” that encourages participants to experiment, reflect, and iterate on new learnings. In turn, these agreements support participants with challenging norms of perfectionism. It’s OK to be in the messy middle—in fact, we encourage it! The facilitation team also guides teams through emergence by encouraging them to pivot when new insights arise, challenging one right way or objectivism. Finally, teamwork exercises allow individuals to practice collective decision-making that is not rooted in hierarchy. In building these skills, mindsets, and race equity “muscles,” the team can continue the work within their organization beyond the end of the cohort experience and without reliance on an external consultant.
  3. A facilitated cohort guides participants towards deeper vulnerability, trust, and relationship-building with their teams—and across the cohort. Throughout the cohort experience, teams are guided through what could otherwise be very challenging conversations that require candor, vulnerability, and authenticity. While the conversations are not always easy, what we’ve observed is that teams leave the program with more trust and a willingness to dive deep. Within organizational teams, staff with and without positional authority reported feeling more equipped to have challenging discussions about the inequities in their workplace even beyond the program. We also heard from white participants that as a result of the program, they felt ready to take on racial equity work in a more personally-grounded way. Some also named feeling less trapped in paralysis or deferring to their colleagues of color. What’s also meaningful to witness is the relationships that are established across the cohort! People of color who may be the “only” in their team or department found meaningful support from cohort members through affinity groups, and continue to connect after the end of the program. The cohort experience has also launched new partnerships and initiatives across participating organizations, even when they have different issue areas or missions.  

It’s been an exciting journey so far, and we continue to be in deep exploration about our team-based cohort model! 

Some questions we’re holding as we consider what’s next for this model are the value of cohorts that focus on a specific geography, or issue area, as well as the value of cohorts with a range of issue areas coming together to promote new cross-sector collaborations and ecosystem development. 

If you’re a funder and interested in discussing the team-based approach, we’d love to get your perspective and advice on some of these questions. Please connect with us here!  

If you’re a nonprofit leader and think you might benefit from this type of experience, we’d love to explore how we might partner together! Connect with us here!

Monica Biswas

Director, ProInspire

Rosie Aquila

Strategist, ProInspire

Not Just Surviving, But Thriving
ProInspire Exploring How We Step Towards Organizational Resilience

by Ashley Bernal

March 31, 2023

“Give Light and People Will Find the Way”

– Ella Josephine Baker

In my experience as a social scientist and advocate for racial justice, I’ve observed that racial equity is analyzed most often from a place of deficit. Justifiably so, as identifying racialized inequalities has served the purpose of highlighting the role that race plays in the lives and outcomes for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Americans. However, as a Black woman committed to racial equity in the social sector, I am guided by the words of the great civil and human rights activist Ella Jo Baker: “It is in the light that we will find our way forward.” Solely framing Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI leaders’ needs through the lens of systemic barriers has not been without consequence. To advocate for racial equity that will disrupt the social, political, and economic power imbalance, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI leaders are required to identify all the ways we lack to be considered worthy of support. To consistently pull from a place of lack dims the light of possibility for illuminating what’s going right. 

A hand holding a tree with its intertwining branches spiraling upwards as it expands towards the sunlight. The tree is surrounded by a forest with the sunlight peeking behind it.
A thriving tree image from Adobe Stock

As a new member of ProInspire, I join a team of folks committed to not only building organizational resilience with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI leaders in the social sector, but to also lead by example and be the change that we want to see. But, the truth is, in the past, we’ve fallen into this deficit trap too. Phrases like “capacity building” have positioned us to think of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI leaders and communities from a need-based perspective. We were dimming each other’s light and reinforcing white dominant norms in the process. The call was coming from inside the house! 

So as an organization, we are committing  ourselves to reimagine what it means to build capacity from a place of thriving, abundance, and joy. What would it mean for the social sector to view Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI leaders from a place of asset? What can a community of these leaders learn from one another when we center what they are getting right? What does it mean to thrive, to prosper, and to flourish as a leader, particularly in under-resourced communities, where identifying disparities remains paramount in garnering support? 

Our team has been wrestling with these questions together as a collective and, individually, through reflection and 1:1 conversations. As the new Director of Impact & Research at ProInspire, one of my first actions was to sit down with each member of our team to learn how my colleagues thought about the concept of thriving and see where we aligned. These conversations helped to set a foundation for what it means for us to thrive here at ProInspire as individuals, as an organization, and as members of an extended community in the social sector. Here are the themes that emerged from those conversations.

Thriving as Individuals at ProInspire 

The team discussed thriving as individuals as having a supportive community of coworkers. It was crucial to have trust, to feel fully supported, and most importantly, to have a team with evenly distributed workloads that supported a work/life balance. Each team member talked about how their ability to thrive was connected to not feeling alone and belonging to a community with colleagues who are “connected” to each other through a common goal. The team also expressed the importance of having the ability to invest in their personal development and growth that allows them to more effectively do their work. This included, but was not limited to, being able to do the work when they felt most inspired. 

Authenticity was another theme present in our discussions. The team felt that not having to perform for others and their prescribed perspectives allowed for the opportunity to form working relationships that would prioritize the work and not how they would be received. Being allowed to show up as you are, however you are, creates spaces for people to work more effectively and efficiently. Thriving meant doing the work from a place of purpose and not just getting the job done. 

Thriving as an Organization at ProInspire 

Our robust resourcing was key in how the team defined what it means for ProInspire to thrive. Each person discussed how ProInspire thriving as an organization meant having freedom to focus on work that was solely aligned with our commitment to racial equity. Remaining focused on our organizational objectives and not expanding beyond our area of concentration to meet funding goals gives ProInspire the freedom to grow and enhance our strengths. Thriving means to do what we do, and do it well. As an organization we are afforded the opportunity to develop deep relationships with funders and other organizations because of the freedom to not have to pursue every available opportunity to keep our doors open. For ProInspire, thriving is having the choice to say no.  

Thriving as an organization also means working collectively and collaboratively to build values alignment and move in the right direction towards our organizational goals. We challenge each other to push the work forward by engaging in generative conflict and invite each other to share diverse perspectives. We thrive when we lean into our differences as individuals. It helps us to see things from different perspectives that will ultimately yield more inclusive outcomes. 

Lastly, ProInspire thrives with a supportive Board of Directors that is fully committed to the growth of our organization. Having a fully aligned Board creates a holistically supportive structure where everyone is on the same page at every level. ProInspire is thriving because we are truly a team. 

Thriving in the Social Sector Community  

“If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.” Thriving as a community in the social sector means to develop a strong network of members at every level that understands the strength in numbers. The inconsistency of resource availability has unfortunately created a competitive environment, most often leaving behind organizations that don’t center white normative measures of success. For our team, an example of the social sector thriving is willingness to be more inclusive of perspectives and practices that not only challenge the status quo, but more importantly actually work. Thriving in this context creates opportunities for everyone to share their lessons of what’s working and what doesn’t. A social sector community thrives when it prioritizes redistributing power throughout community-based organizations, funders, and media where we actually operate as a community that values participatory and shared decision-making. 

Key Takeaways  

In our candid conversations, I found three (3) key takeaways on thriving for ProInspire as individual team members, as an organization, and as an active member in the social sector community: 

1. Thriving is not either/or. Thriving was not discussed as a destination or a definitive outcome. While we set goals, thriving is a process where you continue to find what works to progress the work further and further along. Once a flower blooms, you don’t shut down your garden. You take the lessons learned to have a more flourishing bloom the next season. 

2. Thriving is not zero-sum. In order to thrive, there must be a perspective shift away from scarcity. Organizations should view one another as allies and not adversaries.  

3. Thriving is not reactionary to deficits. For folks to really center and think about thriving, it must be intentional. White supremacy culture has created deficit mental models that are easy to fall back into. So to be able to think freely about growth, flourishing, and possibilities, there needs to be some coaching in the conversation.

Next Steps

Our vision of an equitable social sector community is one in which the measurements of success are no longer rooted in white dominant norms. Our leaders, organizations, and communities are not deficit-ridden vessels just waiting for a funder to fill the gap. We need a narrative flip from deficit to asset so that organizations are empowered to do the work that works best for them and foundations let go of rigid guidelines and measurements that do more harm than good. Shifting the narrative centers choice, trust, and reciprocity—not paternalistic charity.  

This year, ProInspire is leading a national project to take an active role in advocating for this narrative shift. We’re seeking Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI leaders from grassroots and community-based organizations across the country to participate in our project.

Funders need to know how they determine who gets funding support is rooted in white-supremacist measures of success that actually exclude many organizations who would benefit from the freedom to just do the work. But this research is not just about focusing on funders. We’re also looking for this to be an opportunity to build an extended community with Black, Brown, Indigenous, and AAPI leaders across the country who could benefit from hearing and sharing with each other just how they are thriving.

Follow ProInspire as we explore and illuminate the distinct leadership practices, strategic decision-making, and intentional behaviors of these leaders who create bold and transformational change in their organizations and communities.

Working in the social sector—while fulfilling—can be also exhausting, especially with incessant barriers like poor funding, under-staffing, and the overall devaluing of the labor and perspectives of the leaders who work, live, and thrive in their own communities. Ella Jo Baker, like many unsung Black women, used her light to guide many into the path of leadership that would ultimately empower their communities to thrive. 

It is in the light where we find the path to progress, and where we can lean into our strengths that allow us to grow as leaders, as organizations, and holistically as a community.  


We’re seeking leaders who identify as Black, Brown, AAPI, Indigenous, or a Person of Color from grassroots and community-based organizations to share your thoughts and experiences with how you, your organization, and your communities are thriving. 

Is that you? Take our survey today.

Ashley Bernal

Director, Research and Impact, ProInspire

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