The status quo is no longer acceptable. Black Lives Matter, and we commit to fight racial injustice.

Dear I Live Here I Give Here Community,

These past few weeks have brought new light to some of our country’s most abhorrent injustices. We have witnessed heinous actions that have forced us to look deeper and inward, both personally and organizationally, to develop a plan of action that addresses how we will ignite change. This message will provide you with both an update reaffirming our values and steps that will renew our commitment to addressing injustice.

We stand proudly in solidarity with the Black community. At I Live Here I Give Here, we stand firmly against racism, injustice, and oppression.

We must demand change — within ourselves, our families, our communities, our businesses, and across our society at large. And it is imperative that we take action. We grieve with you, with our community, and with the nation over the horrific murders and abuse suffered by so many. But it is not enough to grieve.

Over the past few weeks, the team at I Live Here I Give Here has been taking time to actively listen, learn, and re-evaluate the metrics by which we judge our organizational success. We have been speaking with key constituents, stakeholders, board members, and council members. And with even more intention, we are committed to fulfilling the goals of our strategic plan to improve inclusion, diversity, equity, and access across the Central Texas giving community. We vow to work more diligently to address inequities within our own organization and programs, and we will continue to urge Central Texans to take action for equity and embrace generosity at this critical time. Furthermore, we are focused on supporting and amplifying the work of our nonprofit organization members.

Our mission, 365 days a year, is to inspire and grow generosity across Central Texas. Our organization is centered on empowering every person in the community to take an active role in shaping its future and creating change. We do this work to create a future for our community that is more equitable, more just, more vibrant, and more resilient. We are committed for the long haul, acknowledging the movement behind this moment. Here are some of the actions we are taking immediately:

Doubling down on our commitment to recruit more diverse and specifically BIPOC representation on our staff, board, advisory councils, and within our programs to increase representation by at least 25% by 2022.
Amending our Board of Directors by-laws to recommit as an organization to practice anti-racism.
Implementing mandatory courses on implicit biases for all staff.
Utilizing our Data Committee to conduct a thorough analysis of the way philanthropic funds are distributed demographically on our platforms to help illuminate collective issues and bias. We will share data and findings publicly and with our nonprofit members and develop tools to help others advance equity.
Asking our Community Advisory Council (CAC) to evaluate our programs with a diversity and inclusion lens and to make recommendations for improvement.
Developing a more comprehensive Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) experts panel at the annual Austin Involved Board Internship Program and expanding scholarship opportunities to provide access for more BIPOC to attend the program. Thanks to CAC member and former member of the ILHIGH Board of Directors, Terri Broussard Williams, an additional scholarship fund has been established to support a BIPOC program graduate for use toward fulfilling their board giving commitment when joining a nonprofit board.
Using our communications and programs to encourage Central Texans to give back through their time, talent, funding, and voice to stand up to racial injustice.
Actively reaching out to BIPOC-led and social-justice-oriented nonprofits to encourage participation on ILHIGH’s platforms to bring additional awareness to their causes and provide customized training to ensure successful fundraising campaigns.
Using our platform to amplify the voices and work of BIPOC-led nonprofits, nonprofits advancing racial and social justice, and directing donors, volunteers, and advocates to these causes.

We know that there are pervasive inequities across the Central Texas community, and, according to a recent survey conducted in partnership with Mission Capital and other community leaders, we have identified these gaps are only widening. The need to support nonprofit organizations focused on advancing equity and justice has never been greater. We invite you, and are counting on you — generous Central Texans — to join us in supporting these causes.

We value open dialogue and would like to hear from you. We appreciate your recommendations and perspectives as we work toward fulfilling our mission to inspire generosity while also building a more equitable and prosperous future for all in our community. ILHIGH can be that bridge to impact, helping generous people make their mark — their way — on the City they love. Please feel free to connect with me directly at courtney@ilivehereigivehere.org.

We will continue to keep you posted and will leave you with one more thought. The future may be uncertain, but there is one thing we know: simple, daily acts of generosity add up to collectively manifest transformative change.

Courtney Manuel

Executive Director

I Live Here I Give Here