Leader to Leader: Responding to Race and COVID-19

Nonprofit leaders speak with NYNMedia on confronting the twin challenges.

Nonprofit leaders, including Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group, shared views on how COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement are changing the nonprofit sector with NYNMedia.

“Recent events create an opportunity to prioritize outcome data on black Americans and target our investments accordingly. Each of us in the nonprofit sector can have real impact by collectively shifting our attention to those outcomes that bring about economic well-being. We must significantly improve early education opportunities, designed to drive the number of children entering and completing college, perhaps the single most reliable predictor of long-term success. Lending institutions must re-think their risk profiles and success factors, adjusting their lending to enhance the economic development results of poor neighborhoods.”

Read the full article—with perspectives from nonprofit leaders in the arts, health, workforce and youth development, and other sectors—in the first of two articles discussing the changing nonprofit sector: Leader to Leader: Responding to Race and COVID-19 (part 1).

Leaders of nonprofits are looking ahead and adapting to changing conditions, and the crisis has presented an opportunity to create real change. “Independent of COVID-19, nonprofits face structural challenges that limit our progress in improving the economic wellbeing of marginalized populations. The pandemic has only exacerbated and amplified our difficulties in advancing meaningful change. At some point, we must come to terms with the stark reality of how not-for-profits are capitalized,” said Ms. McMahon. Read the second part of this in-depth look at the nonprofit sector: Leader to Leader: The Post-COVID Nonprofit.

June 19, 2020June 19, 2020

Celebration of Juneteenth

A Message from Christine McMahon, President and CEO of The Fedcap Group
June 19, 2020

Today is Juneteenth, a commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and a celebration of Black Americans’ contribution to making the nation a stronger democracy and more just society.

Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free—two and one half years after President Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation.

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor…” —General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865

The celebration of June 19th was coined “Juneteenth” and became a day for African Americans to reassure one another, pray and gather remaining family members.

Today, Juneteenth is enjoying a phenomenal growth rate within communities and organizations throughout the country. Institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Henry Ford Museum and others have begun sponsoring Juneteenth-centered activities with the goal to cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture, and to celebrate African American freedom and achievement.

Across America, companies and individuals are sharing in a moment of silence during Juneteenth to recognize the ongoing struggle for justice for all. We want to honor this historic day with a moment of silence as well. Please take some time out of your day today to pause and reflect on this significant occasion, remembering the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Thank you for taking part in honoring the legacy of Juneteenth.

June 15, 2020June 15, 2020

Reflection and Knowing Your “Why”

“Life is a reflection of what we allow ourselves to see.”

There are times in one’s life where there is a need to spend some concentrated time just reflecting … on the memories of the past, the realities of the present and the opportunities of the future. These moments allow us to clear the noise and give our brain a much-needed rest. I find that these moments are especially critical in times of struggle and stress. As CEO of a large company, while time is a commodity, moments of reflection are a necessity.

We owe our staff the best of ourselves, the sharpest thinking and the best decisions; this comes from a rested, reflective mind. But, honestly, reflection is not always easy. This may be why many leaders tend to shy away from it. Reflection requires us to slow down, exercise our curiosity and accept responsibility.

An article in the Harvard Business Review that I especially liked discussed the difficulty in reflection. “At its simplest, reflection is about careful thought. But the kind of reflection that is really valuable to leaders is more nuanced than that. The most useful reflection involves the conscious consideration and analysis of beliefs and actions for the purpose of learning. Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning. This meaning becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions. For leaders, this “meaning making’ is crucial to their ongoing growth and development.”

The ability to pause amidst the chaos and untangle information is a critical skill of great leaders. Clay Scroggins’ Book “How to Lead in a World of Distraction” suggested a tip that as a leader I have found invaluable: Know your why: Why you do what you do, why you say what you say. Your why becomes the filter through which you can decide what you really want to focus on, the messages you really want to convey.

During this time in our country, there is much to reflect on, much to interpret, and much to learn. It is my hope that you, as leaders, hit the pause button and take the needed time to reflect and become better acquainted with your “why.”

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June 9, 2020June 15, 2020

The Biggest Psychological Experiment in History is Running Now

What can the pandemic teach us about how people respond to adversity?

June 5, 2020June 15, 2020

A Hazardous Moment for Black Health

The coronavirus pandemic and the videotaped killings of black men threaten to harm the health of African Americans nationwide.

June 5, 2020June 10, 2020

Our Children Are Watching

As this painful week comes to an end, I am left thinking about the children. How are they internalizing what they see on TV? How do we answer their questions?

This week of pain comes at a time already fraught with tension, compounding the destructive force of COVID-19 and the resulting financial crisis that is hitting our most vulnerable and marginalized communities the hardest.

Our collective children are growing up and learning about their world, now with disturbing events unfolding in every direction. I wonder how we explain these times to our children. What will they take away from this point in time? I listened to George Floyd’s second grade teacher remember him as a pleasure to have in class, a quiet boy who liked to sing and wanted to be a Supreme Court justice. I think of all the children at that age, lives innately full of hope, positivity and wonder.

I have also listened to our staff describe painful and anguished conversations they are forced to have with their children. Some of you are having “the talk”, not about the birds and the bees, but rather preparing your children for racism. I am listening to parents soberly explain how the reality of racism affects their own hopes and dreams for their children and what will be required of them as they grow up.

I can’t imagine looking into the eyes of any child, preparing them for hatred. Yet a large portion of our society must explain to their children the limitations they will face.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be proud of the world into which we have brought our children? It should be a place where they could all feel safe to pursue limitless possibilities, one where there is no need for “talk” to warn that their road will be different, harder and even dangerous.

We must stand in solidarity with those demanding an end to systemic racism and violence. We must do better. We owe our children a better world.

We cannot allow this heartbreaking reality to continue.

Our children are watching.