Nonprofits cannot be wholly dependent on grants: A commentary by Kisha L. Webster
June 29, 2022
Like so many in our nation, I am holding space to acknowledge, process and heal from the white supremacist attack at a Buffalo, New York, grocery store and the massacre of 21 young children and adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. I come to this moment understanding that for many people, this is the latest in a string of traumatic experiences, the cumulative effect of each one more devastating than the last. This is a time for grief, but it is also a time for reflection.
Many are asking: Why are mass shootings escalating in frequency and casualty? Why are some elected officials adamantly opposed to reforms that would save lives? Why are we increasingly vulnerable in public spaces? Those questions are top of mind, but we must dig deeper if we want change. There are questions not just people who permit the proliferation of guns but for those of us in proximity to movement building.
Many people who enter the social justice space do so because they want to do good. They want to effect change. They want to ensure that people can live with dignity while having their basic needs met. But to survive in this space, many have had to rely on grants. As the demand on nonprofits increase–and the challenges facing communities intensify–I am realizing that nonprofits cannot be wholly dependent on grants.
Grants do not ensure sustainability but rather trap grantees into an endless cycle of chasing dollars and proving they are deserving of said dollars. Grants create a scarcity mindset, forcing nonprofits to stand out, compete and distinguish themselves to receive a small share of the pie....
Read the full commentary by Kisha L. Webster, co-founder and executive director of the Greenmount West Community Center.
(Photo credit: Getty Images/Donald Gruener)
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