Many of us are on an active learning journey to deepen equity by disrupting colonial structures and traditional charitable models of ‘the way we do things. We’re asking questions like – who is leading, who is making decisions, and who has access to resources? And how can we shift power in ways that are meaningful and don’t inadvertently cause harm?

The Elmina B. Sewall Foundation (Sewall) is on this learning journey and has been exploring different ways they can transform themselves and how they work. Based in Maine, Sewall seeks to improve the well-being of people, animals, and the environment while fostering relationships that strive for social equity and community resilience.

Over the last four years, Sewall has been using a range of strategies to shift power to communities including:

• Changing the typical strategic planning process so that Sewall’s priorities are a mirror of community priorities defined through a listening process

• Community organizations co-designing how they want to see Sewall’s resources used and prioritizing resource allocation

• Working with other funders to align resources and reduce competition

• Bringing an equity lens to center youth and BIPOC leadership organizations and providing dedicated capacity building

• Active relationship building in communities to expand who has access to resources

• Working towards community-based grant-making
  Adopted trust-based philanthropy practices such as simplified applications and multi-year, unrestricted funding.

Join this conversation with Gabriela Alcade (tbp project steering committee member) and Lauress Lawrence from Sewall, together with representatives from community-based organizations, Fowsia Musse from Maine Community Integration and Lisa Sockabasin from Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness.

They will discuss the strategies being used to shift power in Lewiston-Auburn and Wabanaki communities, and their experiences about what is working, and what they are learning along the way.

Speakers

• Gabriela Alcade TBP Project Steering Committee Member, Executive Director, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

• Lauress Lawrence, Community and Equity Learning Partner, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

• Fowsia Musse, Executive Director, Maine Community Integration

• Lisa Sockabasin, Co-CEO, Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness.