One Year Reflections

As I look back on my first year as executive director at CCF, this chaotic time in our country has led me to be reflective on my own identity, how to make sense of the political moment we’re in, and what that means for CCF’s role in movement building moving forward. As a queer immigrant woman of color, having experienced myriad discriminations across cultures and societies at the intersections of my identities, I found a home in the world of movement building work.  For me, what we fight for and invest in long-term is a movement of belonging. But as we know, progress is never an easy or linear path.

I look to my years of global movement building to help me process and gain perspective about our current political climate and what the recent setbacks mean for movement building in this country. I have seen the power of organizing when directly impacted communities get together and demand their rights under restrictive governments. It is important to recognize that the same rights being fought for around the world are similar to rights being fought for here. The hierarchies of power exist everywhere, but the manifestation of it is different. And while the context driving each movement is different around the world, the root of inequality is the same — it has always been about who has the power, wealth, and privilege, with which to perpetuate injustices and inequities. When the threat of oligarchy and authoritarianism is on the rise, it is more important than ever to sustain movements and power shifting efforts for the long-term.

I have seen the power of organizing when directly impacted communities get together and demand their rights under restrictive governments … And while the context driving each movement is different around the world, the root of inequality is the same — it has always been about who has the power, wealth, and privilege, with which to perpetuate injustices and inequities. When the threat of oligarchy and authoritarianism is on the rise, it is more important than ever to sustain movements and power shifting efforts for the long-term.

During this moment, I take inspiration from communities leading movements around the world that have experienced daunting barriers under repressive regimes. Even when they were faced with the thought that change may not happen in their lifetimes, they still had the courage and self-determination to continue to take action. The Marea Verde Movement (or Green Wave Movement) in Latin America is a movement that comes to mind. It is a feminist movement on decriminalizing abortion that started a couple of decades ago in Argentina that expanded from country to country — Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile, and recently, Mexico — across issues and identities. Its success is reflective of the power of people standing up for their own lives, even under a society and culture with strong religious influence and Draconian laws on reproductive freedoms.  

When we look at the long arc of movement building around the world, we can see that the need for global grassroots power building strategies is the same as movements in our country: We need to invest early and for the long-term in order to sustain their growth. It takes decades of organizing and mobilizing before there’s a tipping point or a pivotal moment that can spark a national conversation, shifting political discourse and public opinion. For example, ​​the mass mobilization behind the Movement for Black Lives after the murder of George Floyd was built on the legacy of civil rights movements and decades of organizing to end racism and oppression. And while these moments of public outrage were pivotal for their growth, they knew that a strong infrastructure was also needed in order to last beyond the attention cycles of the public. 

When we look at the long arc of movement building around the world, we can see that the need for global grassroots power building strategies is the same as movements in our country: We need to invest early and for the long-term in order to sustain their growth.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from seeing allies worldwide creating change for their communities, it is that we have to be patient because change takes time. More importantly, having a strong foundation in place is critical for movements to be able to persist and endure. The moment we find ourselves in is a clear and resounding call for all of us to stay engaged and continue building the infrastructure needed for our many movements around the country, so that they can sustain and expand their power building efforts. CCF will remain focused on supporting progressive grassroots cross-sector movements organizing at the frontlines of social change. We cannot be tentative and incremental in our work and scope. We will think beyond the current levels of philanthropic giving to unlock larger resources through donor organizing and innovative financing.  

As I reflect on CCF’s role in movement building during our country’s current political climate, what has made global movements successful are also the same principles that anchor our work at CCF: 

• Early Investments: Movement building is not just collective action and mobilizing from the base, but it also requires early and sustained support to emerging grassroots organizing and allowing time for the movement to grow and flourish. 

• Long Endgame: Having the patience to provide philanthropic long-term commitments and support over time is critical for movements to be sustainable, effective, and impactful. We need to stay the course for the long haul and create the spaciousness for it, while recognizing the urgency of the moment we find ourselves in. 

• Powerbuilding: The most effective movements are decentralized, intersectional, and allied across borders and movements. Investing in power building and organizing progressive grassroots movements that are cross-sector and cross-issue needs to be prioritized in order to achieve long-term transformative systemic change.

• Movement-Led Solutions: For movements to be successful, it’s critical to center the leadership of communities directly impacted to have the agency, vision, and control of resources to make their own decisions and strategies for solutions. 

CCF has always been a movement partner by design. We have centered community-led and identified solutions since our inception 35 years ago and are among the pioneers of trust-based philanthropy. We have stayed committed to our north star of being accountable to movements and power building by centering community-driven solutions and building trusted relationships with community partners and funders. This has been key to what we do, and it’s why I’m here and what continues to inspire me about our work.

We have stayed committed to our north star of being accountable to movements and power building by centering community-driven solutions and building trusted relationships with community partners and funders.

In order for philanthropy to be effective in supporting social movements, we need to be transparent in our giving, responsive to the priorities and needs of the movements we support, and accountable to those movements. Philanthropy needs to be willing to shift power and control, and cede that power to communities. The juncture we are in is a wake-up call for philanthropy to provide movements with what they need, sustain them for the long-term, and most importantly, step aside so that the communities can lead on the strategies and solutions.

CCF will be exploring how we can deepen our work supporting movements as we head into our strategic planning in the new year. I will be reaching out to movement and community leaders in the new year to hear what their strategies and needs will be in the immediate term. I also hope to connect with each of you about how we can be an even more effective strategic movement partner. Our work would not be possible without your continued partnership, so I invite you to stay engaged with us as we resource and scale movement infrastructure around the country in the years ahead.