COMPASSPOINT'S RESOURCE MOBILIZER PRACTICE PODS 2024
This spring, CompassPoint will continue the Resource Mobilizer Practice Pods, a learning community for social justice nonprofit fundraising staff who identify with the role of resource mobilizer and who want to build their knowledge and practice of this role with their peers.
Organized around areas of practice in fundraising and resource mobilization, The monthly sessions will support up to 35 members to further explore ideas and practice approaches shared in our From Fundraiser to Resource Mobilizer training and our Resource Mobilizer’s Circle.
Practice Pod members shared this about their experience in 2023:
It is an incredibly supportive space, from organic peer coaching to witnessing the growing confidence of especially our younger fundraisers in the pod. It gives me great hope and motivation to practice resource mobilization and invest in these cycle breaking practices in our field.
My pod was a great sounding board, support group, ideas exchange... the people and facilitators were authentic, open-hearted, it was so refreshing.
I think the community aspect of the prospect pods has affected me the most. As far as my resource mobilization practice, the material presented has helped to ground me and build a strong foundation.
The Resource Mobilizer Pods series helped me see that I can create more alignment between my fundraising skillset and organizing.
If you’re looking for more space, time, and community to help you put resource mobilization principles into practice, join us!
What is the role of a resource mobilizer, and how different or similar is it from fundraising and development?
- Resource Mobilizers are people who facilitate the flow of both financial and non-financial resources in service of social justice.
- We are development staff who are actively working to shift our fundraising practices and organizational culture in ways that are more aligned with social and racial justice values and goals.
- We are “in the system, but not of the system” which means we need to actively try new ways of communicating and being as we raise funds. We need peers for mutual learning and support because there aren’t neat answers or one roadmap to mobilize resources in more liberated ways!
Who is this space for?
We are building a multiracial peer space that centers Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color experiences and perspectives in resource mobilization.
It's important and valuable to have a foundation in concepts and practices of resource mobilization before applying! We strongly recommend (but don't require) folks to have participated in our From Fundraiser to Resource Mobilizer training before joining. If you are committed and curious about continuing to build resource mobilization practices and principles, this monthly space is for you.
What Does This Learning Space Look Like in Action?
Beginning in May, we will convene up to 35 folks who meet monthly (as consistently as they can) as a large group and in smaller “pods” of people interested in sustained conversation, reflection, and practice along different learning threads (see below).
Dates and Learning Topics
Each monthly meeting will include a full group discussion, deeper check-ins & goal-setting in pods, and an opportunity to share back with the full group. Each pod will have different learning goals and will be supported by a pod facilitator.
All meetings will be held online via Zoom from 9:30 am - 11:00 am PT. Consistent participation brings this community to life! We ask that folks save these dates in their calendars, and commit to joining as consistently as they can.
Online Meeting Dates:
Wednesdays from 9:30 am to 11:30 am PT
- May 22
- June 26
- July 24
- August 28
- September 25
- October 23
- November 13
You'll choose one Practice Pod (focused on one of the topics below) and learn and practice with that pod over six months:
How to Participate
To apply to be part of the 2024 Resource Mobilizer Practice Pods:
Fill out this application form by April 25th, 2024 >
Make sure you are familiar with the refund, transfer, and cancellation policy >
We will respond to folks and let them know if they have been selected by April 29th. The first session will be May 22nd! Please make sure you can attend all or most of the program dates and save the dates in your calendar.
This program is a multiracial space and all are welcome to apply! We will prioritize participation from BIPOC resource mobilizers.
The fee to participate in this year’s Resource Mobilizer Circles is $275. We’ll follow up with selected participants with a registration link to secure your spot.
If you have questions about the program, please email stevel@compasspoint.org.
MEET THE TEAM
Steve Lew (he/him)
CompassPoint Facilitator
Steve Lew organizes resource mobilization for CompassPoint, and as a leadership coach, he supports new and seasoned development staff on their leadership and organizing practices in fundraising and resource mobilization. As a long-time CompassPoint trainer and facilitator, Steve has worked with many organizers, activists, and leaders of color through the Fundraising Academy for Communities of Color, the Fundraising Bright Spots program, and more recently, From Fundraiser to Resource Mobilizer: Changing Our Perspectives and Practices to Shift Power. Steve continues to be in praxis as a volunteer who organizes fellow donors for social movement groups.
Allison Celosia (she/they/siya)
Peer Facilitator
Allison Celosia is abundant. Based on unceded Tongva land, they are a fundraiser and a steward for economic justice. She is a second-generation Bisaya American and the proud daughter of immigrants. Allison’s professional path is deeply rooted in the nonprofit sector, from arts to capacity building, to youth organizing and immigration policy. Outside of fundraising, Allison is active with local labor organizing. She encourages softness as a strength. They also mill their own flour and do a lot of home-baking projects.
Andrea Cousins (she/her)
Peer Facilitator
Andrea mobilizes resources to advance grassroots power and racial justice in Black, Brown, and immigrant communities. She has a background in financial management and 20 years of experience in professional fundraising roles with small and large organizations, including directing workplace giving, university annual fund, and capital campaigns, grant writing for community development, and leading individual giving programs for public policy and racial justice advocates. Andrea participated in CompassPoint’s 2022 Resource Mobilizers Circle where she began to realign her fundraising work to demonstrate the values and liberation of working in a practice of resource mobilization. She delivers on these values as Development Director for Working Partnerships USA and on the Board for Parents Voices Oakland.
Sadé Dozan (she/her)
Peer Facilitator
Sadé Dozan is the Chief of Operations & Development at Caring Across Generations; she anchors a national care-movement organization dedicated to reshaping the landscape of care. Her focus is on transforming the way we approach fundraising. Her journey has been a winding road through the intricate landscape of effective fundraising and donor relations, providing strategic guidance that makes a lasting impact. She navigates donor relations with a unique perspective: fundraising is a form of organizing. Her mission is to revolutionize how we perceive resource development and philanthropy across all movement work. Sadé uses her voice, as a leader, as a speaker, as a disabled Black Latina, to serve as a catalyst for action. Her work is a reflection of her profound dedication to social justice, equity, and the holistic well-being of organizations devoted to positive change.