Haben Girma

[ PODCAST EPISODE DROPPING SOON!] 🎤 What constitutes a culture of philanthropy within nonprofits and NGOs? How do I *see* that? 🎤 How has the field of direct giving by small donors, and monthly giving changed in the last 10-20 years? 🎤 What hurdles do we need to overcome to persuade donors of the importance of monthly giving? 🎤 Also: are there any tensions between the need for fundraisers to use ethical storytelling that starts from the agency of program participants, and what spurs small donors - at least in the global North -- to give? In my upcoming #podcast episode, I interview Erica Waasdorp, President of A Direct Solution, and a super experienced consultant on nonprofit fundraising, on trends in direct fundraising. We two 'Dutchies' are keeping it real 😉 Get ready to listen -- episode drops on Monday, June 17! You can find all past episodes here -> https://lnkd.in/d3VTUB2 Get ready to listen in -- episode drops on Monday, June 17! You can find all past episodes here -> https://lnkd.in/d3VTUB2 #podcast #ngo #nonprofit #fundraising #resourcemobilization #resourcedevelopment

7

2 Comments

People (person) - centered approaches (PCAs) in humanitarian and development settings should ideally avoid: 1) Loaded colonial language where speakers are referring to "local" communities as the "bottom" and use very outdated and racist "top down bottom up models." Inclusive and equitable language matters. 2) Preaching about useless needs assessments which communities do not want or need but middle managers from western regions leech onto in order to prove their relevance to donors. Shiny and glossy manuals should not be a priority. Instead, directly fund community based organizations and research institutions and empower them to make their own choices. 3) Ignoring inherited privilege which enables less qualified people to gain power within humanitarian and development organizations (global north vs global south) due to cronyism, and beneficial treatment and implicit bias. These actors must make a personal commitment to move themselves backstage. 4) Claiming support for #DEI initiatives while sidelining and gaslighting initiatives which may question power dynamics and missions of organizations that are mud-deep in colonial hierarchies and neocolonial agendas. DEI cannot work without honest discussions about unequal power dynamics within organizations. 5) Basing humanitarian and conflict setting "standards" on global north ideals without leaving space for wide differences in cultural and country contexts. Enough with the #nexus and standards. Communities need to advise donors on what works on the ground based on their local culture, customs, religious beliefs and traditions. #HNPW #anticipatoryaction #ocha #humanitarian #colonialism #neocolonialism

4

1 Comment

Let's talk about #AANHPI health! Did you know that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities face unique health challenges? From cultural barriers to language obstacles, accessing quality healthcare isn't always equitable. By breaking down health data and advocating for inclusive research, we can better understand the diverse needs of our communities and tailor healthcare services accordingly. Disaggregated data is key to improving outcomes for all members of the AANHPI community. #AAPIHeritageMonth #DataDisaggregation

14

1 Comment

📌As an #Advocacy Consultant, I tell you for free that advocacy requires collective effort for collective impact. 📌If we want to see things change for the better, then we have to work hand in hand, utilizing various platforms like the CSAAE Advocacy Networks to create awareness about the problems plaguing our community, identify allies and engage key stakeholders who have the power to turn the situation around. 📌Join us to learn how to actively participate in advocacy efforts for sustainable development. 👇👇👇 https://lnkd.in/dag-NZMV

9

Housing is a human right. However, millions of people with conviction histories are excluded from safe and affordable housing because of their criminal record. These exclusions do not keep communities safe, and in fact contribute to increased housing insecurity, homelessness, and incarceration.  A person’s conviction history should not be a barrier to having a place to call home. New proposed regulations from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will ensure that a conviction history is not an automatic disqualifier for public housing. Show your support for removing barriers to housing by submitting a public comment through the form that Vera Institute of Justice created to make it easy to show your support! (link in comments)

27

3 Comments

Cohere's fifth and final interactive workshop "Enabling Localized Refugee-led Advocacy" is now available on youtube! Watch it here: http://bit.ly/3QeJQCL The notable increase in global advocacy efforts for #meaningfulparticipation and #representation of people with lived experience has been undoubtedly important: - Institutions are beginning to respond to refugee-led calls for system change towards equity, - Global forums are placing pressure on local spaces to pay attention, - Participation is a fundamental way to to experience belonging, respect and worth. However, predominantly focusing our advocacy efforts on global conversations about meaningful participation within the #humanitarian sector could be a reinvestment in exclusive structures, giving a false sense of accomplisment! The workshop unpacks the value of supporting local and national refugee-led advocacy on specific issues of interests (such as work access, documentation, specific rights, health care, etc.) that concretely impact community lives. It emphasizes the need for international organizations to prioritize uplifting local movements for change across all levels of society. Transformative approaches are inherently political. How can we navigate the political dimension of funding and supporting movements for change in certain countries? What barriers do we need to overcome to resource local movements effectively and how do we overcome them? This session provides very concrete pathways for #INGOs, #donors, #institutions to gain operational understanding of the steps needed to improve practices and uplift localized refugee-led advocacy. Enjoy watching! With WeAreCohere, Diana Essex-Lettieri, TGEU, Coalition for Venezuela, ANA MARIA DIEZ, Miles T., Global Refugee-led Network (GRN) Emmy Fu and Safe Passage Fund [https://lnkd.in/eHtc-2M9]

13

Do you know about #BSCA? It stands for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Right now, The White House is doing a 15-day push to make sure more people know about BSCA--and urge Congress to take additional action. Today, they are recognizing the National Suicide Prevention Hotline #988. The BSCA invested $150M into this lifeline which provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress or crisis. In #Oklahoma... 👉🏼 1 in 5 people experience a mental illness every year. That's 789,800 people 👉🏼 1 in 10 Oklahoma students have reported attempting suicide in the past 12 months 👉🏼 54,000 Oklahoma kids live with major depression 👉🏼 Each week, 300 Oklahomans are admitted for urgent care or crisis mental health services I am grateful for 988 for being a low-barrier place where people can get immediate access to a mental health professional via call or text. Friends, check in with your friends--and if you're struggling with how to start the conversation, try one of these questions: “Let me know if I’m overstepping, but are you doing okay?" “You know if you ever need someone to talk to that I’m here, right?” “It’s fine if you’re not ready. But is there anything you want to talk about?” "I know you’re going through a lot right now. Anything I can do to help?” “It’s been a minute. How are you doing, really?” It's okay to NOT be okay sometimes, but please remember you are loved, friends. ❤️ Do what you need to do to take care of yourself--and we all win.

65

2 Comments

I'm thrilled to continue being part of the research team for the Assessing Diversity Equity in Volunteer Inclusion study funded by AmeriCorps. It's an honor to work with Mark Hager and Faiza Venzant, CVA, on important research that supports diversity and inclusivity in volunteerism." ADEVI is in its second year, and we are sharing more about what we have learned from the survey in a public brief report found on the CCVA website https://lnkd.in/eaEp3jDA Of particular interest is the type of information organizations collect on their volunteers. Mark Hager, ADEVI team lead, reflects on this topic and other ADEVI data in this recent article https://lnkd.in/eNWwtkZr. The graph below highlights the percentage of organizations that collect different types of information on their volunteers. The red and yellow shaded areas represent certain characteristics or demographics that organizations just aren't asking about. Why? In the ADEVI focus groups last spring, participants discussed some reasons. Why might your organization not collect this information? #ADEVI

14

1 Comment

“In a nation ranked 9th in the world in terms of child marriage prevalence, Malawi and its communities will make better progress if funders and CBOs can learn these lessons and embrace approaches like participatory mapping as the key first step in delivering sustainable and community-driven solutions.“ Read more about our work in Ending Child Marriage below

4

LGBTQ+ issues are diverse and complicated. Historically #LGBTQ+ people have faced discrimination in every area of their lives from employment to housing to healthcare. Along with AARP research, scholarly research supports the notion that LGBTQ+ people sometimes create strategies to avoid discrimination such as going back into the closet to find suitable housing, or forgoing essential healthcare which could ultimately lead to negative physical and mental health outcomes, thereby jeopardizing their longevity. AARP Policy, Research, and Thought Leadership has conducted research to increase our understanding of the lived experience of LGBTQ+ adults age 45+ in the areas of health care access, financial security, caregiving, isolation, and relationships (and more) through the Dignity Series. We began with AARP’s landmark research studies: Maintaining Dignity: A Survey of LGBT Adults Age 45 and Older in 2017, The State of LGBTQ Dignity 2020: A Supplement to Maintaining Dignity Pre-Covid-19, which was released in 2021 and Dignity 2022: The Experience of LGBTQ Older Adults.  In August 2024, AARP will release Dignity 2024: The Experience of LGBTQ+ Adults. For more information about our LGBTQ+ Research, go to www.aarp.org/LGBTQdignity

84

10 Comments

Applying for grants ? Since 1 in 5 people have a disability… …include disabled perspectives on ALL grant proposals. Here are some ways including disability can strengthen your proposal: ✅ Shows a greater emphasis on diversity. ✅ Encourages accessibility and universal design. ✅ Your project is more meaningful for more people. How to get started? ✅ Be sure disabled people are part of your team. ✅ Build strong demographic items for your surveys. ✅ Think about how people with disabilities participate in your project. ✅ Allocate and leverage resources to be ADA compliant. Need help? Drop me a line. I’ve secured over $50 million in grant funding and can help you put your best proposal together. #Grants #Accessibility #Disability #Inclusion Image description: Light blue box with black text: Why you should include disability in your next (winning!) grant proposal.

17

2 Comments

The Model Minority isn’t a Model of Health - But is Often Seen as One    It’s common practice for health data to group together Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders but simplifying a diverse group into one racial category can often obscure crucial insights, and even contribute to the harmful “model minority” myth.     Take cancer data: When grouped together, Asian Americans’ leading cause of death is cancer. But for Indian Americans specifically, deaths due to heart disease were *twice* as common as cancer. Asian Americans are not a homogenous group, so many commonly shared statistics about how AAPIs have stronger health outcomes than other racial groups, conceal real concerns within smaller communities.      I encourage you to check out this insightful article from Forbes to learn more about how equitable data practices can help us dispel the ‘model minority’ myth:    https://lnkd.in/drpxD-Df   #DataEquity #DataJustice #AAPIHeritageMonth

30

This looks like a great resource. "This map captures the vision, values and principles underpinning ethical survivor-controlled research, or research led by people with lived experience of neglect, abuse, violence, and/or trauma." https://lnkd.in/eUJ7ETFD #trauma #LivedExperience #TraumaInformed #LEXpert #Research #TraumaResearch #ServiceDesign

3

Are you tirelessly crafting evaluation reports, only to see them gather dust without making a real impact? You're not alone. Often, evaluation reports well-suited for academic circles and conferences fail to resonate with a broader audience. They lack the narrative and creative spark that ignites action and influence. Join me in Bern at IPDET and learn 📍 to morph your data into compelling stories. 📍 to be equipped with innovative storytelling techniques and communication strategies tailored to various stakeholders. My goal? To ensure your evaluation findings don't just inform but are utilised to inspire action and meaningful change. p.s. I would love to finally meet you face to face ;-)

9

👇🏼 Every issue is a disability justice issue. Every. Issue. "COVID-19– Despite the end of the Public Health Emergency, the pandemic continues. Disabled people who face greater health risks from COVID-19 must make a difficult choice of taking on risks to access care in settings where others are not masking, or reducing their COVID risk by forgoing important care. Meanwhile, 1 in 13 adults in the U.S. is experiencing disabling symptoms from Long COVID, and at least 18% of people with Long COVID are unable to return to the labor workforce after one year. Criminal Justice – People who are incarcerated at state and federal facilities are 2.5 times more likely to report a disability than non-incarcerated Americans, and many are denied their rights to basic accommodations. Additionally, encounters with law enforcement can be disproportionately dangerous for people with disabilities: Despite representing only 20% of the population, people with disabilities make up 30-50% of individuals subject to police use of force. An estimated one-third to one-half of people killed by police are people with disabilities."

5

'Build It and They Will Come.' Maybe one of the most damaging mentalities in nonprofit program design. How many resources are still wasted promoting 'perfect programs' only for them to stand chronically empty and under utilized? For those of us working on equity issues, we need to leave this mentality back in 1989 with Kevin Costner. Our job is to discover, understand, and remove barriers, advancing programs which elevate community identified and prioritized solutions. #Nonprofit #Equity #CommunitySolutions

8

3 Comments