The “L" Word: Reframing Our Role in a System That Isn’t Built for Liberation
Dear nonprofit leaders and professionals,
“For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.” — Audre Lorde
“Equity is not charity—it is a necessity.” — bell hooks
I got into nonprofit work to do some good. To sleep at night knowing I was part of the solution. I wanted to make the world a little less brutal, a little more humane. But somewhere along the way, I had to confront a harder truth: nonprofits are not a solution to systemic issues. In fact, a lot of harm has been done by the hands of good intentions. Missions not led by people with lived experience often miss the mark of true accessibility. Politics, gatekeeping, and restricted funding can leave staff disillusioned and communities navigating systems that look suspiciously like the ones they were trying to escape. If you're a nonprofit professional who also belongs to the community your organization serves, you’ve probably asked: how do I keep doing this without burning out? How do I hold onto hope when the system feels rigged?
Here’s the uncomfortable reality: nonprofits are not the solution to systemic oppression, because they were designed to operate within that same system. Despite DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) initiatives, nonprofits are shaped by capitalism and reliant on philanthropic dollars from individuals and institutions that often profit from the same inequalities we’re trying to address. Wealthy donors receive tax breaks for “giving back,” while recipients are expected to prove they’re “deserving.” Organizations compete for scraps. Trauma gets commodified at major fundraising events. (And we wonder why burnout spreads.)
This realization shook me. If this work isn’t actually solving systemic oppression, what is the answer? Do I have to quit and find something more ethical while I’m already burned out? Is there truly any ethical work? I avoided these questions for years because I was afraid of where they might lead. But the idea of liberation cracked something open for me. It helped me see that I didn’t need to abandon this field entirely, but I did need to change how I was showing up in it.
“The L Word” or “Liberation” can sound abstract, intense, even polarizing. But liberation isn’t a word we should fear losing funding over. It’s the lens we need to adopt if we want this work to mean something. As Dean Spade writes, liberation is about “being able to perceive what’s happening clearly, and respond to it” instead of doubling down on broken models just because they’re familiar.
If nonprofits can’t dismantle systemic injustice, what can we do? We can ease the burden. Food. Shelter. Healing. A new beginning or a second chance. We know that when people are resourced, they’re able to survive, organize, imagine, and build. That is no small thing. Nonprofits can be that support, and as we head into a future of decreased federal funding, it’s going to be critical to find alternative funding for these safety net programs.
Our work is most effective when it is rooted in solidarity with movements that address the root causes of oppression. That means rejecting competition with other community-based organizations. Why hoard donors when we can share them? It means shifting from a savior mindset to one of shared struggle. It means questioning the way we define success, whose voice gets centered, and what we're willing to risk for the communities we serve.
At the heart of this reframing is the understanding that our liberation is interconnected. Racism, transphobia, housing injustice, climate collapse are all symptoms of the same sickness. It’s scarcity mindset that keeps our communities disempowered and our work siloed. Our solutions have to be interconnected too. We have to work in collaboration, not competition. You, as an individual fundraising professional, don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be fearless. But you do have to choose each day how you will engage with the power you hold.
That’s where a liberation mindset comes in. And no, it’s not a branding exercise. Liberation is about disrupting white dominant culture within us and around us. It’s about building relationships based on care, not control. It’s about refusing to believe that “business as usual” will get us to justice.
Working Towards a Liberation Mindset
So what does that look like in practice?
First, we can breathe. Seriously. Take a deep breath. This work is lifelong. Liberation is not a KPI (Key Performance Indicator); it’s a daily grounding practice. We don’t get there by rushing or panicking. We get there by pausing, planting our feet, and asking better questions.
We can shift from transactional to relational models of communication. Are we exploiting someone’s story to meet a fundraising goal? Are we asking for consent (and honoring it) at every step of the storytelling process? Are we centering dignity or pity? Create a protocol for sharing stories that is consent-based and collaborative, not exploitative.
We can lower the barriers to access. Ask yourself: do people need to prove they are “deserving” of care to receive your services? If yes, interrogate why. What would it take to make your programs unconditional? Bring funders and board members along in this process. Explain why reducing barriers is not just compassionate, it’s ethical.
We can treat donors as part of the community ecosystem. Communicate with them and bring them along in your learnings. Explain your values and make sure that there is alignment. Tell them why your organization might be turning down certain grants or adopting new practices. Trust that the right donors will grow with you.
We can say no to misaligned money. Scarcity tells us to take whatever we can get. Liberation asks us to discern. If a funder’s values don’t align with your mission, walk away. That sends a powerful message (to the donor, to your board, and to your staff, and the people that benefit from your mission) that integrity matters more than optics.
We can transform conflict. In moments of tension with colleagues, board members, funders, it’s easy to fall into blame or gossip. But gossip doesn’t build liberation. Accountability does. Curiosity does. Repair does. Make space for nuance. Create clear protocols for conflict resolution early on that center relationship, not punishment.
These are not easy practices, but they are possible. More than that, they’re necessary if we want to build nonprofit cultures that are not only more sustainable, but more honest, more liberatory, and more aligned with the world we say we’re trying to build.
I used to think liberation meant leaving the nonprofit sector. Now I see it’s about staying and showing up differently. It’s about rejecting romanticism without abandoning hope. It’s about refusing to accept a system that commodifies care and weaponizes scarcity, while choosing to fight within it. Because when we resource our communities, we’re not saving them—we’re fueling the people who will dismantle the systems we can’t. We can work together with marginalized communities to clear the path to a kinder world. And that’s work worth doing.
Recommended Resources:
You don’t have to do this alone. There are a lot of incredible people that have written on these topics for decades. While not a comprehensive list, I’ve found inspiration from thinkers like Dean Spade, Angela Davis, Edgar Villanueva, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, and Mariame Kaba, who’ve been pushing us to think beyond reform and into transformation.
Dean Spade
Mutual Aid (2020)
Love in a Fcked Up World* (2025)
Angela Davis
Freedom is a Constant Struggle (2016)
Edgar Villanueva
Decolonizing Wealth (2018)
Mariame Kaba
We Do This ’Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice (2021)
Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care (2023)
Audre Lorde
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches (1984)
bell hooks
Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (1994)
Sincerely,
Queers
About the Guest Writer
Eli Barnard (he/him) joins the Queer for Hire team with 7 years in nonprofit development and communications, specializing in team workflow improvements and ethical storytelling. Before focusing on development, he spent several years supporting C-suite executives and Board Members to complete operations projects including government reporting, org-wide DEIB initiatives, and cross-departmental initiatives. He also has two and half years experience establishing a community-based nonprofit from a grassroots operation through the first year of grant funded programming. This background in non-profit operations gives him a practical edge in aligning fundraising with organizational goals.
Eli has managed communications for complex fundraising campaigns, including matched end-of-year campaigns to raise up to $1M in total giving. His holistic approach combines donor communications strategy with creative execution - overseeing video production teams, photographers, and website development vendors while planning both virtual and in-person stewardship events that deepen donor relationships. He implements trauma-informed storytelling frameworks to ensure ethical representation in all development materials.
Eli has experience organizing in trans and queer communities and his values are rooted in community-centric fundraising, restorative justice, and interconnected liberation.
About Queer For Hire
Queer For Hire provides fundraising support to Queer nonprofits, LGBTQIA+ cultural competency to straight-led organizations and corporations, and individual coaching for Queer professionals.
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