Anti-Racism in Action
What would your anti-racism look like, if Facebook and Instagram shut down?
That is the question that Rachel E. Cargle asks in A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining. At SVP Portland, we offer more than just skilled volunteerism and pooled giving opportunities – our dedicated volunteers, who we call Partners, are business professionals who contribute their expertise pro bono because they want to invest in our community and work toward greater equity in early learning. Being an SVP Partner invites you to be actively anti-racist by meaningfully engaging in work that dismantles systemic inequities.
Our work to address inequities in access to preschool education is anti-racism in action because, as Cargle states, anti-racism is “an ongoing process that demands a more critical way to exist in the world – one that dismantles the current corrupt system and establishes a reality that values equality and equity for all.” She says that knowledge, empathy, and action are essential elements of effective allyship. “With knowledge, empathy, and action, we move from the head to the heart and feet.”
The head means knowing there are inequities and wanting to make a change...but that is not enough.
The heart means listening to our community and caring about how they want to be supported.
The feet means engaging in meaningful work that moves the needle toward more equitable outcomes for our children.
At SVP, our Partners use their heads, hearts, and feet to make noticeable change for the nonprofits we support in a way that is fulfilling and impactful.
As Cargle reflects, “To hold intention over impact is to sidestep the real work, the only work that matters.” Our dedicated Partners are core to what we do at SVP Portland. They are deeply committed to our mission and contribute their skills, money, and influence to build the operational capacity, scale of impact, and overall resilience of local nonprofits. They work hand-in-hand with community leaders by advising on strategic planning, business modeling, marketing strategies, operations, board governance, financial sustainability, and leadership development. When Partners provide pro bono business services to the nonprofits we support, they are able to maximize their impact by transforming multiple nonprofits at once.
SVP Partner Kelly Starkey shares, “In my eight years with SVP, I have moved between giving financially, volunteering in person, and lending my strategic business skills to the organization pro bono. The result? Tangible change I can see within the community.” The work we do alongside our nonprofit partners is transformative, and the return on investment for our volunteers is also apparent. We offer them an opportunity to use their heart and feet, actively engage in social change in our community, and be true allies.
