In 2022, there are four recipients of the MPNL Award for Black Emerging Fundraising Professionals: Leigh Ann Asare, Marsha Clyne, Muna Mohamed and Zahra Baptiste.
Spearheaded by Nneka Allen (the founder of the Black Canadian Fundraisers’ Collective) and Múthoní Karíukí (an MPNL alumna), the award promotes Black leadership within the philanthropic and nonprofit sector by making education more accessible through financial support. It’s awarded to Black Canadians with aspiring fundraising careers and those working as professional fundraisers.
We asked each recipient of the MPNL Award for Black Emerging Fundraising Professionals how they see themselves as change-makers.
Leigh Ann Asare
Women of Colour are often overlooked in many important conservations. As a woman of Colour, these hardships have prepared me to become a leader of change. The intersectionality of my race, gender, and socio-economic background has shaped my experience and has allowed me to understand the need for equity. Throughout my lived experience, I have been an advocate for my community. My educational experience has taught me that funding is unequally distributed towards black-led and black-serving organizations.
Growing up in a low-income community, I witnessed how imperative funding was to the betterment of my community. Since then, I have been on a mission to serve as a bridge that joins various communities to serve and assist one another. I believe this will allow communities to work harmoniously to address the socio-economic challenges we face in society. The MPNL program has equipped me with the tools to become a good leader and an effective leader of change. This award will help further my educational experience and guide me to continue to become an advocate for equity within the non-profit sector.
Marsha Clyne
When asked questions such as “How do we see ourselves as changemakers?” we think we must develop a grand idea that would have a massive impact, would spark a global movement, and we often think it has to be something great. The same thoughts ran through my mind when I got asked this question, and I thought about what big, creative action I could and should take to solve a social problem. It dawned on me that a changemaker doesn’t need to have a grand idea but just the courage to take action.
With that in mind, I see myself as a changemaker that first recognizes my place in the world—knowing that all change begins with the self, looking objectively at the good in me and sharing it with the world. Spending time knowing myself, who I am, and how I can best serve would help how I view the world.
Secondly, conditioning myself to be empathic. Being able to demonstrate empathy creates trust, and trust creates empowering, honest relationships and a reciprocal society. As changemakers, we must let the spirit of generosity grow and continue to inspire others by being passionate, authentic and genuine to ourselves and the people around us. So, to answer the question, I see myself as a changemaker who knows that change is a journey.
Muna Mohamed
The question I hope to explore more deeply in my work is “What will it take for philanthropic institutions to fund ethically and long term the work of grassroots movements whose mission is to eradicate racial injustice?” I would like to see a philanthropic sector that is resourcing racial justice movements in a way that is conducive to their success. In my experience, this means practicing trust-based philanthropy with grassroots movements and moving away from project-based funding to multi-year resourcing that keeps movements afloat.
I believe that philanthropy is an ecosystem, that in order for this system to operate and more importantly to change, it requires the labour and brilliance of difference. I see my role as a connector and educator in this critical work. I carry a background and extensive experience as a group facilitator, trying to understand how to best hold space for critical conversations and connections that catalyze the kind of change that we hope to see in our networks.
Zahra Baptiste
I’m a nonprofit communications professional living in Toronto. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, I combine a love of storytelling with a passion for global social justice. For most of my career, I’ve been using my creative skills to support fundraising efforts in community development, food security and international cooperation spaces. Early on in my career, I recognized the power imbalance inherent in fundraising communications that can perpetuate racism, colonialism and inequalities.
Today, I focus on ethical fundraising communications. My goal is to develop best practices in decolonial and anti-racist fundraising communications for the international cooperation sector, recognizing that very little guidance is available for organizations who want to improve in this area.
I joined the MPNL program in 2022 to further this goal and build on the work of other researchers in this field. I was inspired when I learned that the groundbreaking report “Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy” was produced by graduates of the MPNL program. I’m proud to be a recipient of the MPNL Award for Black Emerging Fundraising Professionals.
The MPNL program thanks the Black Canadian Fundraisers’ Collective for establishing this award to promote Black leadership in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector and to make professional education more equitable and inclusive. (Photo of water is courtesy of Chris Chan.)
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 in For homepage, News & Events
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