Riff City Strategies’ Post

We’re not going anywhere. We have work to do. Read more in this letter from our President and CEO Julia Hatton: The pictured quote became my go-to sign off on the weekly staff emails I started sending during COVID (and still send). It was part public health advice, part mental health support, part community-building. I want to send the same message to every member of the Rising Sun community today. Take care of yourselves and each other. Regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, elections are stressful, and this is an objectively hard time to be part of this country. Personally, I’m trying—as a mom, a nonprofit leader, and as a human—to lean into what’s both necessary and effective in this moment: love, connection, and compassion. That’s my best take on what taking care of myself and others looks like, for me, right now. I acknowledge the gifts of agency and power I hold in both my professional position and my personal identities that allow me to say that. There are people who cannot prioritize love, connection, and compassion right now. Many of these people are those that Rising Sun is mission-driven to work alongside: folks with low or no income, people of color, and women. That’s why Rising Sun’s work is more important than ever. We’re not going anywhere. We have work to do. We’ll continue to build career pathways for economic equity and climate resilience because we believe it’s how we will achieve our vision of a just, sustainable future for ALL people and our planet. And we’ll do it in alignment with our organizational values, including: • Equity: We believe that all individuals and communities should have the respect, opportunities, and material resources necessary to thrive. We strive to produce and sustain racial and gender equity in our programs, policies, and organizational culture. • Resilience: We focus on and start with the inherent value and strengths of individuals, communities, and our environment. • Diversity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging: We know that diverse, equitable, just, and inclusive workplaces, where people from all backgrounds experience belonging, are inherently stronger, and that our team and leadership must be both talented and representative of the communities we serve. Our commitment to inclusion extends to all aspects of our programs. We’re here. For you, and with you.

⭐ As we celebrate Women's History Month, I'm reminded of the incredible strength and resilience of mothers everywhere 💪 💼 , juggling countless responsibilities each day. But amidst the chaos, let's not forget the importance of prioritizing our financial well-being. As a mom myself, I understand the challenges we face in balancing family needs with our own financial goals. But it's crucial for us to have the confidence to save and invest in our future. Whether it's setting aside money for our children's education, building an emergency fund, or planning for retirement, every dollar saved brings us closer to financial security. At SS&C Technologies we’ve helped over 500,000 individuals (and counting!) learn about the topics most important to them and be empowered to meet their financial goals. If your organization is ready to bring Financial Wellness into your workplace – check out our solution below. Together, we can create a brighter, more empowered future for ourselves and our loved ones. #WomensHistoryMonth #FinancialEmpowerment https://lnkd.in/gXJVbA8C

This morning, I find myself deeply saddened by the outcome of the 2024 election. For me, and so many others, this wasn’t just about politics—it was about hope. We’re told over and over: women can do anything. For a moment, I could see myself: a woman, a mother, and a person with a disability, in a future where leadership was reflective of me. Vice President Harris’s loss feels like a reminder that what we thought was a glass ceiling—ready to be broken—has now turned into a stone roof that feels impossible to move. As someone who has worked in nonprofit spaces and as an Americorps VISTA alum, I’ve seen firsthand how challenging it is to break through systems that have been built to hold us down. But I’ve also seen the power of perseverance, of lifting each other up, and the strength of community. As a mother, as someone living with epilepsy, I’m heartbroken and scared by the uncertainty of what this means for our future—our livelihoods, our health, our wellness. I’m worried for the future we are leaving our children. Change is slow. It’s hard. It’s defeating. And it requires a relentless pursuit, even when the path feels like it’s getting steeper. The 2024 election felt personal because it was. Today, along with many other Americans, I mourn, worry, cry, and fear. If you need to talk, reach out. If you need to take space, take it. If you feel alone, I’m with you. #Election2024 #Resilience #NonprofitWork #Equality #Community #Hope #GlassCeilings *post reflective of personal feelings, not affiliated with an organization or company*

It's Women's History Month and here at POINT we are ✨obsessed✨ with giving women community leaders the tools they need to amplify their impact. Did you know that women make up 75% of the nonprofit sector? We're not surprised 🫶 Women are incredible change-makers who care so deeply about doing more good in their communities. BUT for too long, this women-dominated industry has been overlooked by tech. They've had to use clunky, outdated software that doesn't solve the issues they face. And they've struggled to have their voices heard by male-dominated tech companies whose only goal is to exponentially grow profits. That's literally why we built POINT 🧡 Because women deserve the best. So from our women-led team to yours, keep kickin' butt and making change. We love you, we see you, and we support you! 👯♀️ Read more about our mission👇 #WomensHistoryMonth #SupportingWomen #FemaleFounder #WomenInTech #NonprofitProfessionals #WomenLeaders https://hubs.la/Q02nj8j_0

"As nations grapple with a changing global financial landscape, the thread between economic growth and women’s equality must continue to strengthen." I am looking forward to speaking at the Foreign Policy Her Power 2024 Summit, Ensuring Economic Equity for Women, on Thursday, April 18th 8:30am - 12pm. See the speakers and agenda at the link below if you would like to join us virtually for some, or all, of the Summit!

This research from Edward Jones has some eye-opening findings about how women are prioritizing – or actually not prioritizing – their personal finances and careers in favor of taking care of their families. Thanks to my colleague Vanessa Okwuraiwe for sharing her experience as a member of the "sandwich generation" and highlighting the work our industry needs to do to better support these women investors When we support women, we can help make a positive impact on not only them but families, communities and society. https://ow.ly/Iv8750TUQ5K

DEI needs to get back on track—these leaders have solutions! I just read this article and it resonated BIG TIME. I am highlighting the two sections that hit home but I invite you to read the full article! DEI IS NOT A CHARITY Keely Cat-Wells, founder and CEO of Making Space, echoed Thomas and added that many people treat DEI like charity. “I don’t think we’ve done a good enough job to tie impact to business strategy. And for so long we have looked at these issues and underrepresented communities through a charity lens and only a charity lens,” Cat-Wells said. “And that becomes problematic because then it’s like, oh, we’ll just either throw money at the problem or position underrepresented communities through this charity perspective and feel sorry for people. And that doesn’t get any systemic change to happen.” Cat-Wells brought up Kim Kardashian’s company Skims introducing a collection of shapewear for customers with limited mobility as a way to make a business case for inclusion. But she was also clear that a company’s commitment in these spaces shouldn’t stop there. “She did an amazing job and made a lot of money through this adaptive line. And I would love to think that she created this line because she fundamentally, genuinely cares about the disabled community,..." And boy do I feel this!!!!!!!!!!!!! ⬇ DEI LEADERS NEED A BREAK TOO It’s understandable and expected that the leaders charged with creating DEI initiatives can face immense fatigue from the work itself but also the lack of support in actually executing their objectives. “I see a therapist. Real talk,” Calvin J. Crosslin said. “You have to protect your mental health, your spiritual emotional health, your physical health, all of that. I rely on my team heavily. We’re in the trenches every day. We’re probably the only ones that understand just how depleting this can be emotionally, because of all the topics you’re talking about around humans can be a very emotionally draining. It’s a matter of sticking together, talking through things, and honestly as hard as the work is, being proud of the progress that you do make.” Thanks Carolina M. Veira for sharing this important article!

Are we actually as divided about the most critical topics impacting our lives as we may think? As it may sometimes seem? #DrewLindsay wrote about what the numbers say (apparently WHILE holding a baby) in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and it provides a super interesting view. My 2 Cents- It's an important, and valuable, but not complete view. 2 other forces are in play, which I think should keep us very concerned about the state of discourse and polarity: 1. The systems of distribution (news, social media, etc.) are designed and incentivized to further the polarization, not shrink it. It's in their business model and DNA. 2. As a result, while the numbers at the extreme are smaller than we think, they are also the loudest, and get the biggest stages (and funding, resources, etc.) So, while the distribution of opinions is more normalized than it seems, the extremes carry a much bigger weight and impact to their voice. The numbers reflect count, not weight. Flaw in setting the objective function. Final note- the research is survey based. We all know the flaws and gaps between what people say, and what people do, especially when it comes to highly charged political issues. Worth a read: https://lnkd.in/dC9hTX4X

I spoke at an event on Friday. The first speaker of the day Francesca Brunsden (amazing BTW) spoke about how she was being paid to speak for the FIRST time. People clapped. A room full of 60 women. Cheering that the speakers were being paid at an event that they paid money for. The event was amazing but.... How is it 2024 and this is a concept??? No one would show up to a corporate job for free. If your boss told you that you were being paid with exposure you would walk out. And yet here we are. Corporate women's day events not wanting to pay me. Women's ERG groups asking entrepreneurs to come talk for free. I don't say it enough. Women need to be paid. Paid for their labour. Paid for speaking. Paid for their advocacy (shocking I know). Moms at Work is fully funded by our Moms at Work Collective. This group of women pay an annual fee not just because it is an amazing community but because it funds all our free resources that teach ALL women to ask for more. You buy our courses, join our collective and hire our coaches and YOU ensure my team can make this better for you. It funds our advocacy work for pay transparency (to pay women more). It helps us help women negotiate over a million dollars more PER YEAR. Why? Because nothing bad happens when women earn more money. Thank you to the Gather Society for an amazing event. We have so much work to do. Glad to do it together. Join the Collective. Grow your bank account, career and feel what community feels like while supporting a mission you believe in.

My dear friend/former colleague, Dana Cummings, EdD, CFRE and I had lunch yesterday. We worked together nearly two decades ago and have stayed in touch ever since – though we have reconnected more over the last year or so. During our lunch, we talked about philanthropy, our careers, and where we see the sector, and yes, we reminisced about the “good ole” days in our early careers. She recently left her role to start consulting, and I am in between roles (as I have previously posted about). I thought about our conversation the rest of the day and into this morning. While there are several topics from our lunch that I could write about, the one that stuck out to me was this trend of women in their mid-40s leaving the sector. “It’s like women hit 45, and they just don’t want to deal with it anymore,” one of us said – maybe both of us said it! I can’t remember. The “it” can be a variety of things—burnout, toxic environments, an inability to speak out against inequities, or passive-aggressive comments. Early in our careers, we admitted that we accepted things we knew weren’t right—men commenting on our looks and dress and unrealistic expectations from leadership. We left meetings with a meek smile and stayed polite in all circumstances. Now, women are either speaking out (and facing consequences) or leaving the sector. As we talked, I said to my friend, “With so many bright, articulate, and strong women leaving the sector to become consultants, who is going to work in nonprofit organizations? Who will be the next group of leaders working for nonprofits?” Sure, the big national organizations will be able to fill leadership roles (though studies show most will be men). However, for local and medium-sized nonprofits, we need people to work in the sector, not just consult. The sector is going to be needed now more than ever, and we need to support the most important resource—the full-time employees. Edit to add: tagging of the person I had lunch with - wanted to get her permission :)