Identity and Professional

Development: Supporting

Early-Career Professionals

of Color

Diane TranLance WitzigGordon GoodwinCori Lin

WELCOME

NAMEPRONOUNS

WORKWHY?

KEY IDENTITY(claps + snaps)

WHO SHARES OUR SPACE?

NAMEPRONOUNS

WORKWHY?

KEY IDENTITY(claps + snaps)

1) Acknowledged historical context of our physical space and its cultural significance

2) Modeled sharing our own identities3) Allowed people to self-identify and describe4) Made space to discuss culture explicitly5) Practiced ‘radical welcoming’ to create sense of

belonging

“META” SLIDE: What did we just do?

OBJECTIVES ● Understand underlying influence of whiteness and implicit

bias in management practices of Minnesota nonprofit staff

● Understand that retention and development of staff is the responsibility of managers, and needs to be identify-reflective

WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT

THIS* NOW?

WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT

THIS* NOW?

* “Diversity,” retention, race, pipelines, social sector

Race to Lead: Confronting the

Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap

By Sean Thomas-Breitfeld and Frances Kunreuther

“In other words, survey results consistently indicate less than 20% of executive

directors/CEOs of nonprofits are people of color. And this number has not budged for over

a decade.”

“Rather than focus on the perceived deficits of potential leaders of color, the sector should concentrate on educating nonprofit

decision-makers on the issues of race equity and implicit bias accompanied by changes in action leading to measurable results. This

transfers the responsibility for the racial leadership gap from those who are targeted (people of color) to those who oversee organizations as well as the sector overall, which needs to embrace systems change

work to ensure that its policies, practices, and culture are aligned with the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity.”

WHAT CAN WE DO?Using our eyes, heart, and hands...

FRAMING//CONTEXTHow do we view ourselves in the work we do?

● Do you acknowledge and decenter whiteness?● Are you aware of the nonprofit sector’s historical context?● Are you working to develop your cultural competency?

CULTURE//PRACTICESHow do we treat and interact with each other in our work?

● What are you doing to create a welcoming environment and a sense of belonging?

● Are you actively using your resources (networks, social capital, budget, etc.) to benefit your employees?

TACTICS//PROGRAMSWhat are the tools we use to do our work?

● Do you provide opportunities AND RESOURCES for your staff to improve in areas they struggle?

● Do you have development plans that are explicit about performance and promotion for all staff?

● Are you explicit about growth areas and strengths in evaluations?

CASE STUDY 1

CASE STUDY 2

OBJECTIVES : A REMINDER● Understand underlying influence of whiteness and implicit

bias in management practices of Minnesota nonprofit staff

● Understand that retention and development of staff is the responsibility of managers, and needs to be identify-reflective

QUESTIONS?