When people think about nonprofit fundraising it’s not unusual for them to assume that fundraisers would seek and accept money from anyone or anyplace. After all, we all live deeply immersed in a capitalistic system, and everyone knows the challenges of raising enough money to support vulnerable people and important issues. So, why not do what corporations do and seek investments widely from any source?

The truth is, most community-based nonprofits are constantly hustling to make their fundraising goals, and we do work hard to get to those goals because we care about supporting our programs, and we want to pay our staff well – just like for-profit businesses. But good fundraisers work equally hard to ensure that the way we practice fundraising aligns with the values we express as an organization. There should be no space between the two concepts. The best organizations are proactive in ensuring this. We still exist in a world that proactively harms Black and Queer people. How and where we accept donations from people, corporations, and the government really matters as a means of accountability. We don’t answer to investors. We answer to our community. Then we find the right types of funding that align with that commitment.

In 2023 Lavender Rights Project’s longtime Development Director and community leader Randy Ford left to lead the Central District Forum. At that time, LRP was already experiencing a period of significant growth and needed another director-level Fund Development person with the practical experience to resource a growing and dynamic organization. LRP believes strongly in the concept of Black and Indigenous gender diverse people being at the forefront of liberation while being recognized for our ability to build. It’s important that we are leading all aspects of this work. While we engaged with lots of very talented people, we weren’t able to identify anyone with the lived experience an organization like ours requires. We had to think outside of the box. How could we fill this role that is so key to our organization’s sustainability, in a timely way, while genuinely honoring our mission and the people we serve? 

While our superstar Development Manager Angel Patterson is remarkable and demonstrates all the qualities of great leaders, he requested additional support to feel confident in assuming this leadership role. We knew that investing in Angel in this way was the way to get to where we needed to be and we began to see the search for our next Development Director as an opportunity to support Angel’s professional development and build Black trans leadership, all while maintaining a steady development practice.

Last Summer, a respected community leader introduced us to Daniel Hlad, a long-time fundraiser who has worked with an eclectic group of nonprofits over the past 20 years, including Black and Queer organizations (see bio here). A self-described “rabid ally,” Daniel immediately recognized the importance of what we were trying to do and agreed to join us for a two-year engagement to serve as our Interim Development Director and Angel’s mentor. We’re confident that with Daniel’s support, Angel will be ready to lead the department after this two year period. At that time, Daniel will step aside and hand the reins to Angel. Most importantly, we’re also confident that Angel’s lived experience and community-centered approach to his work will continue to keep the department rooted in our values during this time. 

We welcome Daniel and congratulate Angel! They are already working closely together to execute our strategies and make 2024 one of LRP’s most successful years yet. We also thank our donors at every level for their commitment to this important work. We couldn’t lead this work as beautifully nor as boldly without you on our team. You should be hearing from Daniel and Angel soon, but don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions (daniel@lavrights.org, angel@lavrights.org).