Dear *|FNAME|*,

It has been almost two months since I returned from my sabbatical, and I remain grateful for that time away. While I returned to work reinvigorated, I am also reminded of how challenging it is to be working in the social sector today. Last week, a string of attacks based in racism, anti-Semitism, and hate left us all feeling unsettled. Earlier this month, our team watched as the Kavanaugh confirmation reinforced bitter divides in our country. We think about immigrant families separated at the border and how fear is driving so much turbulence in the world.

At ProInspire, we are challenging ourselves to think about how we can support each other in turbulent times. How do we live into our values of equity, authenticity, courage, and collaboration? What do we need to do differently to build a more equitable and just society? We are deepening our work around race equity, partnering with nonprofits and foundations, and supporting individuals working to change systems. Read on to hear about some of the latest happenings and let us know how you are thinking differently about your work.
 

Sincerely,

Monisha and the ProInspire team

Equity in the Center

The 2018 Equity in the Center Summit was held on October 9th – 11th, and registration was sold out with over 180 participants! Nonprofit and philanthropic leaders from across the country engaged in rich discussion about decolonizing the social sector, addressing race equity in an intersectional context, and the management and operational process to shift an organization’s culture from Awake to Woke to Work. You can view videos of most session on our Facebook page.

Custom Programs

Over the last few months, we have supported a number of partners with trainings, coaching, and leadership programs for their staff and fellowship programs. Recent partners include:

• B.A. Rudolph Foundation Scholars: Workshops on career purpose, community and network building
• Center for Nonprofit Advancement: Coaching for participants in the Executive Preparation Institute
• Exponent Philanthropy: All-staff retreat
• Newman’s Own Foundation Fellows: Workshops on managing up, giving and receiving feedback

ProInspire Fellowship in Digital Finance

As of September, all five ProInspire Digital Finance Fellows are in place at their US Government Agencies (Millennium Challenge Corporation, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, US Department of State US Department of the Treasury, USAID). Fellows are building capacity in digital finance at their own USG agencies and helping to build interagency knowledge through establishing a working group, hosting convenings and roundtables, and an in country test case in Senegal.

ProInspire Board Retreat Focused on Race Equity

In September, ProInspire’s Board of Directors had a full-day retreat focused on race equity, facilitated by Ericka Hines, ProInspire’s Senior Advisor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. During the retreat, Board members spent time understanding:

• How our social identities impact the way we view ourselves and others view us

• The difference between race, racism, white supremacy and race equity and how they intersect

• ProInspire’s work to impact structural racism and achieve racial equity

• The board’s role in promoting race equity

The Board came away with a number of next steps to advance how they support our organization around race equity.

ProInspire Alumni Blog Posts

What We Are Reading