OUR APPROACH

Community

Centric

Fundraising

We are proud practitioners of Community Centric Fundraising (CCF) — a values-driven movement that challenges traditional fundraising norms and centers equity, relationships, and the well-being of the communities nonprofits exist to serve, rather than the preferences of individual donors.

CCF didn't emerge from a boardroom. It grew from conversations that writer and nonprofit leader Vu Le began publicly in 2015, building on years of dialogue with leaders of color — especially women of color — and white allies who felt deep dissonance with the way the sector had long practiced fundraising. Those conversations sparked a gathering of Seattle-area executive directors and fundraisers of color, who came together to explore how fundraising could be reimagined to align with equity and social justice.

The movement stands on the shoulders of organizations and thinkers who paved the way long before CCF had a name — among them the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training, The People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, and the foundational work of Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Grace Lee Boggs, James Baldwin, and many others.

In the summer of 2020, the CCF Founding Council — Andrea Arenas, Erika Chen, James Hong, Rehana Lanewala, Vu Le, Anna Rebecca Lopez, Michelle Shireen Muri, Christina Shimizu, and Dr. Sean M. Watts — officially launched the movement with its 10 Principles. The movement has since grown into a global effort, with regional councils now forming across multiple continents.

We are grateful to carry this work forward. Our practice is guided by CCF's core pillars, and we encourage you to learn more about the full movement at communitycentricfundraising.org.

Our work is guided by its 8 core pillars:

• COMMUNITY FIRST: The community’s needs and voice shape every strategy, not donor preferences

• REDISTRIBUTE POWER: We actively work to shift power toward those most affected by your mission

• RACIAL EQUITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE: Fundraising practices must reflect and advance equity at every level

• COLLECTIVE OVER TRANSACTIONS: Building authentic relationships, not extractive donor transactions

• MUTUAL BENEFIT: Donors and communities thrive together, generosity flows both ways

• TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY: Honest communication with donors, staff, and the communities you serve

• WELLBEING OF FUNDRAISERS: Sustainable fundraising means caring for the people who do it, too.

• CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY: Embedding generosity into your organization’s DNA, not just your development staff