One of the Stand Outs
By Patricia D. Keenan, Vice President of Advancement, Community, and Equity, Ellis Early Learning
Most fundraisers and people working in other areas of philanthropy are friendly, make good conversation, and are good listeners. It’s a job requirement—some stand out for their empathy, not merely kindness but by offering a true spirit of solidarity. Elsa Gomes Bondlow, of the Social Equity Access Fund, is one of those “standouts.”
It is a great honor to participate in the Social Equity Access Fund's website opening to share my reflections on our shared work of building a better world and the special meaning to Elis Early Learning of having been chosen for this grant.
Ellis Early Learning, known to many as Ellis Memorial, was founded in 1885, but it was not created at that time. The creation continues. The work of bringing together the mission, summarized in the tagline “where all children thrive” and all members of the community in a way that is valued and respected, is a journey toward equity. And that will never be over. As in our lives as individuals, becoming stronger, kinder, and more empathetic. One does not “arrive.”
These ideas are not original, nor are they unique to philanthropy. However, traditional approaches to securing philanthropic support are not usually equitable. In nearly 40 years as one of few African Americans in the Boston area with a career focused on individual giving, I have rarely worked where the staff made a concerted effort to make inclusivity a fundraising priority. There is so much pressure to drive faster towards securing the most significant amount of money as efficiently as possible, i.e., from the fewest number of people. This is productive and efficient financially, but what does it achieve in equity and community building? How does this serve power-sharing? The concentration of power among the wealthiest stakeholders, which is the absolute norm at most larger nonprofits, often brings isolation from the community being served. Isolation reinforces inherent feelings of “us and them” and who is worthy and who is not. Isn’t that what so many organizations strive to reduce?
"Ellis Early Learning, known to many as Ellis Memorial, was founded in 1885, but it was not created at that time. The creation continues. The work of bringing together the mission, summarized in the tagline “where all children thrive” and all members of the community in a way that is valued and respected, is a journey toward equity. And that will never be over. As in our lives as individuals, becoming stronger, kinder, and more empathetic. One does not “arrive.”
The Social Equity Fund’s investment in operating support reduces the pressure to compete with better-resourced development offices for the consideration of individuals accustomed to philanthropy. The norms of recruiting, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding potential major supporters are hard to deliver in a small agency where “all hands are on deck.” The customary personal touches, so deserved by all supporters of every level, are routine for nonprofits with dedicated staff for these purposes yet are Herculean tasks for the under-resourced.
Providing all-day, year-round care to children whose families require vouchers means holistically partnering with caregivers. If a family needs a car seat to bring their child home safely at 5 pm one night, we have provided a meal for the family and purchased a car seat. The Social Equity Funds' “no strings attached” investment allows us to provide additional professional development for early career educators and additional educational resources for classrooms when needed without applying for a grant.
