Black Lives Matter

Chapter Leadership Brief 6.18.2020

By Craig H. Shelley, CFRE, Chapter Treasurer & Managing Director, Orr Group

That’s it.  That’s the leadership brief for this week.

I’d considered an essay on how the dominant white culture so evident in our major gift pipelines and boards of directors serves as an obstacle to the sector changing systemic racism.  I’d contemplated a call to action for the chapter to play a role in breaking the homogenous nature of our profession.  At its core that homogeneity contributes to philanthropy’s inability to direct capital to organizations most proximate to the challenges we seek to solve.  I can tell you those things are important to me; those words will come and more importantly I commit to do better personally and as a leader in this chapter to ensure not just diversity but racial equity.

But at a time when actions will speak louder than words, there is nothing more eloquent I can add to the dialogue than to echo the sentiments of so many and the rallying cry of a movement whose time is way overdue, black lives matter.