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Decolonizing Wealth: The Danger of the Singular Story

The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story. ~ Michael Marglois

Story-telling is the power behind fundraising success. This is how we fund our organization's pursuit of justice. As the “traditional” donor pool shrinks, our leadership teams continue to be majority white and we insist on excluding the solutions and thought-leadership of oppressed communities, we must ask ourselves some tough questions. Especially if we hope to manifest change through our missions in the future. What stories are you telling? Whose stories are you telling and from who’s perspective?

The avalanche of stories emerging regularly from the charitable sector is often expressing a singular white voice with one perspective and a narrow experience. This erases the abundance of solution-filled stories in the world and if we continue telling this one story, Nneka Allen believes our sector will continue its descent into irrelevance. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says, telling a singular story is dangerous. Sharing multi-racial, multi-ethnic stories is more honest, more accurate and inspires greater philanthropic investment. Exposure and relationship with these narratives have the power to transform us, our community and our work. How can we open ourselves to these stories so we can truly transform our world?

May 18, 2022 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)