Nicole, Nneka and Camila and Face2Face host David Peck talk about Collecting Courage, the right to heal, truth and experience, historic exclusion and why the time is now.

To learn more and purchase the book head here.

About the Book:

Collecting Courage is a powerful and moving collection of personal experiences written by Black fundraisers that chip away at the idea of an inherent goodness of the charitable sector. So how can a sector that exudes such external benevolence be the cause and source of pain and trauma in the form of macro and micro aggressions as documented in these stories? It has to do with who holds power and influence; it has to do with white supremacy, inequity and racism and it has to do with deeply entrenched beliefs, behaviours and exclusionary policies and practices that have been ‘normalized’ within the sector.

These personal testimonies document racism, survival and the pre-eminence of 14 accomplished Black North American Fundraisers, 5 from the United States and 9 from Canada. This collection of works also speak to the journey of asserting Black identity in all-white work environments. The writers speak of their quest, often thwarted in the charitable sector, to bring to their workplaces the love they have inherited from their struggles to survive in a white dominated society. These brilliant, first-person narratives give voice to a more accurate and complete picture of philanthropy and charity in North America.

Gail K. Picco Books, an imprint of Civil Sector Press.

About the authors:

Camila Pereira was born and raised in Brazil, Camila comes from a very mixed family including Black, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Native Indian. She understood from a very young age that race relations, identity and gender roles were central not only to her family but to herself and that skin color in Brazil dictates your role, future and existence within society.

Since childhood Camila has been involved in philanthropy through her family’s community initiatives. Her career in the nonprofit sector is a means to contribute towards the eradication of all forms of prejudice preventing the advancement and betterment of humankind; she is a fundraising professional in Toronto and a coach to Brazilians involved in philanthropy and fundraising in Brazil and Canada. Camila holds a PhD in Public Policy/Public Administration & International Relations from Howard University-USA.

Alongside her career, Camila keeps a strong connection with her family in Brazil and loves spending time with her husband - Adrian and cat – Lila and travelling.

Nicole Salmon was shaped by her Jamaican identity and deeply influenced by spending 2/3 of her life in Canada, Nicole is a skilled communicator who embraces her natural curiosity and thirst for variety and new challenges. An avid reader, gardener, sports enthusiast and mentor, Nicole is anchored by family, committed to service, building connections and deepening personal relationships.

Spending over twenty-five years working in the non-profit sector managing a variety of fundraising portfolios, in 2014 Nicole founded Boundless Philanthropy, a fundraising consultancy providing a range of services, including interim leadership, board and leadership development. She is a former Director of Fund Development at Oxfam Canada.

She serves on the Boards of Realize, an organization working to improve the lives of people living with HIV and other episodic conditions, and WellFort Community Health Services. A Book Review Panelist with The Charity Report Literary Hub and an inspired member of a Black Canadian Fundraisers group.

Nneka Allen is a black woman, a descendant of the Underground Railroad, an Ojibwe of Anderdon Nation, a momma and a sixth generation Canadian. Born in the 70’s, Nneka was raised during a time of Black power and acute political awareness in North America.

As a lover of justice, Nneka has inspired philanthropy as a Fundraising Executive in the charitable sector for the last 20 years.

Nneka is also the principal and founder of The Empathy Agency. She helps organizations deliver more fairly on their mission and vision by coaching leaders and their teams to explore the impact identity has on organizational culture and equity outcomes.

Nneka’s ultimate joy is her daughter Destiny, an Environmental Scientist working with Indigenous communities in British Columbia. Together Destiny and Nneka continue their family legacy of philanthropic activism in Canada.

Image Copyright and Credit: Collecting Courage

F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.

For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.

With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound.

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