Aligning Mission with Practice with Sheetal Puri

Is your nonprofit aligned with your values or is it perpetuating harm? How does the culture within our organizations shape our effectiveness and well-being?In today's episode, we're diving into the realities many of us face in the nonprofit sector. From acknowledging ethical dilemmas in our work practices to recognizing our alignment (or misalignment) with organizational values, we discuss the complexities of working for a cause.

Sheetal Puri, our guest today, has dedicated her career to non-profit fundraising, marketing and communications for organizations globally. Having raised hundreds of millions for multiple organizations over the past 15 years, Sheetal’s commitment to the sector has given her the insight to identify areas in present day fundraising models that perpetuate colonial modes of power and prevent the ability to practice and implement our core values and missions. She is a strong advocate for community-centric approaches to fundraising that prioritize the return of power and agency to those who have experienced disempowerment.

Key Highlights:

Finding Your Value Alignment: There are immense benefits of working in a vision-aligned environment. It's about empathy, understanding, and the shared commitment to our mission – but what happens when there’s a disconnect?
Overcoming Power Dynamics: Power dynamics often muddy the waters of transparency and authentic connection within a team. Maria discusses how she has transitioned from withholding information to embracing openness when team members raise complaints or concerns.
The Courage to Speak Up: The importance of voicing our concerns within the sector cannot be understated; that might mean finding allyship, or even considering something as bold as unionizing. It’s crucial that we create an atmosphere where open conversation is not just allowed, but encouraged.
Leadership's Responsibility: Those in leadership roles carry the responsibility of aligning an organization's actions with its stated values. This includes implementing policies and fostering environments that empower trust and autonomy among employees.
Advocacy and Allyship: A significant segment of our discussion revolves around the roles of fundraisers, the privilege they hold, and the impact they can make in advocating for organizational changes—especially regarding racial equity and diversity issues.

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