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Solidarity Lessons from a Year of Crisis and Change
Solidarity Lessons from a Year of Crisis and Change is part of BMP’s Movement Infrastructure Series, which offers ideas, approaches, and practices to strengthen individual organizations and broader social movement […]
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Equity in Motion: Why Sustaining the Work Matters Now
Mercedes Brown, BMP Director of Race Equity Assessment There is no shortage of evidence that racial equity work remains necessary. What feels different right now is what it takes to […]
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New: Solidarity Syllabus Blog Series
The SolidarityIs team at the Building Movement Project is excited to kick off an ongoing blog series: the Solidarity Syllabus. It’s rare these days to have space for intentional learning […]
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BMP’S 2025 End of Year Report
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re proud to share our Impact Report—a snapshot of the tools, research, and solidarity-centered support BMP offered during what many have called the most […]
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The Leadership Philanthropy Needs Right Now
A blog highlighting San Francisco Foundation’s CEO Fred Blackwell’s interview with BMP’s Executive Director Janis Rosheuvel on May 22, 2025 Published by Romana Lee-Akiyama, Senior Director, Institutional Advancement, BMP “We’re […]
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New Resource | Security to Wellbeing Framework Practice Guide
This offering from the Building Movement Project is based on the Security to Wellbeing Framework, created by service providers for service providers. Its goal is to create a space for providers to reflect, assess, and step into social change work.
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New Brief | Movement Lessons from the First 100 Days
Movement Lessons from the First 100 Days is part of BMP’s Movement Infrastructure Series, which offers ideas, approaches, and practices to strengthen individual organizations and broader social movement ecosystems.
Many of the recommendations in this brief emerged from conversations and inquiries that arose in BMP’s work with nonprofit organizations, working groups, and networks before and during the first 100 days. Through a series of interviews, a survey of the sector, and weekly field meetings with grassroots and national organizations, BMP captured a glimpse of how organizations around the country grapple with a range of multi-layered consequences.
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Meet BMP’s Newest Team Members: Janaé and Priti
Our team at the Building Movement Project has grown in the past few months, and we wanted to introduce you to our newest staff members! Read on to get to […]
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Sustaining the Safety Net: How Service Providers are Navigating Political Uncertainty
This blog covers the recent impacts Direct Service Organizations (DSOs) have felt through the onslaught of presidential Executive Orders and legislation that threatens their financial stability, the communities they serve, and even their right to exist altogether. BMP reached out to DSOs around the country and learned: funding is still a concern, the demand for their services is increasing while their staff capacity is stretched thin, yet they are building power and adapting.
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FAQ: Nonprofits in the New Landscape
The Trump Administration has issued a number of executive orders and memoranda on a range of issues such as immigration, DEI, the federal workforce, and funding for non-governmental organizations. For many communities and nonprofits, the current landscape is confusing and alarming. In this FAQ, we focus on how nonprofits could be affected by the current landscape.
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Fortifying the Frontlines: How to Protect Social Movements Under Attack
Attempts to silence progressive social movements in the United States are not new. In this blog, Janis Rosheuvel, BMP’s Executive Director, shares insight on how understanding the opposition's strategy, identifying the areas in our work that must be fortified, and having the resources to address them can support movements and nonprofits now while building an ecosystem that allows us to gain strength for the future.
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Webinar Recap | Meeting the Moment: Nonprofit Security and Infrastructure
Hosted by Building Movement Project, Emergent Fund, and Women Donors Network Quick Access: Presentation Slides, Recording, Transcript, Sounding the Alarm: Nonprofits on the Frontlines of a Polarized Political Climate Report […]
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White House’s freeze on federal funds threatens critical nonprofit services and activities
Building Movement Project has been monitoring executive orders being issued by the Trump Administration with an emphasis on understanding the impact on nonprofit organizations. The Building Movement Project is monitoring executive orders issued by the Trump Administration to assess their impact on nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve.
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BMP’S 2024 IMPACT REPORT
In 2024, Building Movement Project stood alongside our colleagues on the frontlines of social movements and nonprofits, supported the building of solid infrastructure for our sector, and published timely research […]
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New Resource | Co-Executive Directorship Learnings
As BMP transitions from a decade of operating under a co-directorship model back to a single executive director, this moment offers an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned that can […]
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Fortifying for the Future: 5 Infrastructure Promises from Building Movement Project
by Janis Rosheuvel, Executive Director at Building Movement Project Fortifying For the Future: 5 Infrastructure Promises from Building Movement Project We once more find ourselves as a sector in a […]
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New Report | Sounding the Alarm: Nonprofits on the Frontlines of a Polarized Political Climate
Nonprofits are facing a range of unique threats and challenges in today’s political climate. As the 2024 elections near, BMP is releasing a special report, Sounding the Alarm, to raise […]
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From Service to Action: A Case Study on a Memphis Organization’s Civic Engagement
by Hector Malvido, Senior Manager of Partnerships at Building Movement Project Setting the Table Ahead of the 2024 election, voters are already breaking records in early voting compared to the […]
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AANHPI Movement Challenges, Community Needs, and Infrastructure Recommendations: 2024 Election and Beyond
Originally published on asianlawcaucus.org Between July and September 2024, the Asian Law Caucus (ALC) and the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), in partnership with Aurora Commons and the Building Movement Project, […]
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One Year of Genocide, Decades of Solidarity
By Priti Nemani, BMP Staff In October 2023, as the genocide in Gaza began and Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim community members began experiencing backlash and scapegoating here in the United […]
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Continuing BMP’s Legacy: A message from BMP’s New Executive Director
Dear BMP Community, It is with great pleasure that I write to let you know I have assumed my role as Building Movement Project’s executive director. I come to this […]
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Transitions and Transformations: 25 Years of Activating Change at BMP
by Frances Kunreuther In 1999, while I was working at Harvard’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, I convened a group of 20 people from across the United States to talk […]
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Webinar Recap | Blocking the Backlash
Hosted by Building Movement Project Quick Access: Presentation Slides, Recording, Transcript, Blocking the Backlash: The Positive Impact of DEI in Nonprofit Organizations Report During the 60-minute webinar, Building Movement Project’s […]
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From Security to Wellbeing: Reflections from Our First Cohort
by Hector Malvido, Senior Manager of Partnerships For a decade, the Building Movement Project (BMP) worked in New Mexico with service providers committed to amplifying and strengthening the voice and […]
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The 2024 Elections and Beyond
Fortifying Ourselves, Our Organizations, and Our Ecosystems Election cycles can be opportunities to deepen community engagement, sharpen narratives, and clarify organizational and movement values. As we head towards the November […]
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New Report Explores the Positive Impact of DEI in Nonprofit Organizations
BMP’s latest Race to Lead report, Blocking the Backlash: The Positive Impact of DEI in Nonprofit Organizations, investigates the impact of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on nonprofit staff and […]
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Listening and Learning: Reflections on a Decade with the Building Movement Project
After more than eleven years on staff at the Building Movement Project, my last day is June 28, 2024. I transition out of BMP proud of the work we have […]
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Announcing BMP’s Incoming Executive Director
The Building Movement Project is pleased to announce the appointment of Janis Rosheuvel as Executive Director, effective September 16, 2024. Rosheuvel will lead all aspects of BMP’s work to provide […]
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Webinar Recap | Reckoning with Sustainability
Hosted by Building Movement Project Quick Access: Presentation Slides, Recording, Transcript, Reckoning with Sustainability: Black Leaders Reflect on 2020, the Funding Cliff, and Organizing Infrastructure Report On Wednesday, May 29, […]
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Social Justice Nonprofits Facing Multiple Threats Need Solidarity and Support
by Deepa Iyer, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives In today’s polarized political climate, nonprofit organizations are contending with a range of issues that could hamper their vital work to advance systems […]
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Webinar Recap | For the Long Haul: Supporting and Sustaining Leaders of Color
Hosted by Building Movement Project Quick Access: Presentation Slides, Recording, Transcript, Push and Pull Report On Thursday, April 4th, 2024, Building Movement Project hosted a 60-minute webinar. During the webinar, […]
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Moving from Words to Actions: How can nonprofits prepare their staff to have hard conversations about race?
by Mercedes Brown, Director, Race Equity Assessment, Building Movement Project Three years have passed since many nonprofit organizations began to make a more concerted effort to become more racially equitable […]
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Join Us: Solidarity Is 2024 Programs
Join the Solidarity Is 2024 Programs by the Building Movement Project to enhance your skills, deepen connections, and advance justice. Explore virtual gatherings, a rapid response lab, and a transformative solidarity cohort.
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New Survey to Assess the Impact of Current Political Climate on Nonprofits
Nonprofits around the country are confronting a myriad of challenges and restrictions in the current political climate. Since the US Supreme Court rejected the use of affirmative action in higher […]
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New Report | Reckoning with Sustainability: Black Leaders Reflect on 2020, the Funding Cliff, and Organizing Infrastructure
The latest report in the Movement Infrastructure series, Reckoning with Sustainability: Black Leaders Reflect on 2020, the Funding Cliff, and Organizing Infrastructure captures insights and wisdom from more than 50 […]
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Building Movement Project’s Executive Search
Against the backdrop of increasingly polarized political and social divisions, BMP’s organizational health is stronger than ever. With a solid foundation of fiscal strength and a respected organizational reputation, BMP […]
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New Report | The Push and Pull: Declining Interest in Nonprofit Leadership
This report presents findings from BMP’s 2022 survey of more than 3,000 nonprofit staff on the factors related to their aspiration to top leadership roles, as well as the experiences […]
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Meet BMP’s Newest Team Members: Ava and Romana
Our team at the Building Movement Project has grown in the past few months, and we wanted to introduce you to our newest staff members! Read on to get to […]
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New Report | 100 DAYS OF BUILDING POWER AND SOLIDARITY: OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS FOR PALESTINIAN, MUSLIM, AND ARAB GROUPS IN THE U.S.
Since late 2022, the Building Movement Project has released a series of reports on the infrastructure needs of various communities and movements in order to provide ideas and recommendations to […]
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A Special Announcement from BMP’s Co-Executive Directors
January 11, 2024 We have important news to share with our Building Movement Project Community. On the eve of BMP’s 25th Anniversary and after 10 years of shared leadership, we […]
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Building Movement Project Welcomes Romana Lee-Akiyama as Senior Director of Institutional Advancement
January 8, 2024 On January 8th, we are thrilled to welcome Romana Lee-Akiyama to the Building Movement Project’s staff as the Senior Director of Institutional Advancement. In this new role, […]
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Webinar Recap | Security to Wellbeing Framework
Quick Access: Presentation Deck, Recording, Transcript On Thursday, December 7th, 2023, Building Movement Project hosted a 60-minute webinar on our Security to Wellbeing Framework: a tool for direct service organizations […]
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GUIDING SERVICE PROVIDERS TOWARD SOCIAL CHANGE WORK: A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE OPPORTUNITY
November 30, 2023 | Héctor Malvido, Senior Manager of Partnerships, Building Movement Project Building Movement Project (BMP) is organizing a cohort slated to begin in Q1 ‘24 to further refine […]
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Meeting the Moment: The Role of Nonprofit Service Organizations in Making Broad Social Change
On December 7th, the Building Movement Project (BMP) is excited to host a conversation about the Security to Wellbeing Framework (SWB), a new tool that supports service organizations to begin or expand their social change work.
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Webinar Recap | BB4C Pro for Consultants
Quick Access: Presentation Deck, Sample Report, Recording, Transcript On October 19, 2023, Building Movement Project hosted a 60-minute webinar on our new Race Equity Assessment resource: Building Blocks for Change Pro […]
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New Resource | Writing A Solidarity Statement: Considerations and Process Questions
The summer of solidarity is upon us. News headlines are full of stories about strikes happening in Hollywood, workers advocating for equitable pay and work conditions in delivery and retail […]
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Webinar Recap | BB4C Info Session
Quick Access: Presentation Deck, Sample Report December Info Session Recording November Info Session Recording August Info Session Recording July Info Session Recording June Info Session Recording Building Movement Project hosts […]
Read More Meet BMP’s Newest Team Members: Maham, LaShayla, and Héctor
Our team at the Building Movement Project continues to grow and deepen, we want to introduce you to our newest staff members! Read on to get to know Maham, LaShayla, […]
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Building Blocks for Change | Monthly Info Sessions
Join the Building Movement Project’s (BMP) Monthly Information Session to ask questions and learn more about our new race equity assessment, Building Blocks for Change (BB4C). Building Movement Project developed […]
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Webinar Recap | Community Conversation: Asian American Groups Respond to Crises and Build Power
Quick Access: Recording, Transcript On March 30, 2023, the Building Movement Project hosted a 75-minute conversation about the infrastructure needs, both short and long term, of Asian American groups that […]
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New Report | Balancing Act: Asian American Organizations Respond to Community Crises and Build Collective Power
Over the past three years, Asian American organizations have been engaging in a precarious balancing act: responding to community crises in the form of targeted violence while simultaneously building solidarity […]
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Lessons learned from BMPs new race equity assessment development process
Written by Mercedes Brown (Director of Race Equity Assessment, BMP) In my previous blog, I celebrated the public launch of Building Movement Project’s (BMP) automated race equity assessment, Building Blocks […]
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Supporting the Real Needs of All Nonprofits: Where Is More Infrastructure Needed?
Chris Cardona, Frances Kunreuther, Sean Thomas-Breitfeld The social sector provides vital services, connection, and advocacy in the U.S. and around the globe. Nonprofits represents more than 10% of the U.S. […]
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Meet BMP’s Newest Team Members: Adaku, Camryn, and Jasmine
Our team at the Building Movement Project has grown in the past few months, and we wanted to introduce you to our newest staff members! Read on to get to […]
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Webinar Recap: Race Equity Assessment Info Session (Building Blocks for Change)
Quick Access: Recording, Transcript, Presentation Deck Download the Sample Report On February 16, 2023, the Building Movement Project hosted an Info Session webinar for our new Race Equity Assessment: Building […]
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Building on years of research, BMP’s new race equity assessment is the tool nonprofits need
Written by Mercedes Brown (Director of Race Equity Assessment, BMP) Last week, Building Movement Project (BMP) launched Building Blocks for Change (BB4C), an automated race equity assessment to help nonprofits […]
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New Report: Funding Movement Infrastructure Brief
Download the Report: Funding Movement Infrastructure This report is the second in Building Movement Project’s (BMP) Movement Infrastructure Series. Funding Movement Infrastructure (January 2023) draws upon our ongoing work to encourage philanthropic […]
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2022 Highlights from Building Movement Project and Solidarity Is
Written by UyenThi Tran Myhre (Movement Building Coordinator) As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on my time at Building Movement Project and SolidarityIs. My one year […]
Read More Webinar Recap: Meeting the Need: Building the Capacity of Community-Based Organizations
Quick Access: Recording, Transcript, Presentation Deck Download the Report: Meeting the Need: Building the Capacity of Community-Based Organizations On December 1, 2022, the Building Movement Project hosted a webinar to […]
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NEW REPORT – Movement Infrastructure Series Meeting the Need: Building the Capacity of Community-Based Organizations
BMP surveyed leaders in the nonprofit sector to find out what they needed to maintain and build their organizational infrastructure in order to fulfill their mission. The survey explored challenges that organizations face in achieving their mission by first asking respondents about four overarching domains that are key to maintaining and building nonprofits: 1) Operations, Communications, and Development, 2) Staff Wellness and Development, 3) Strategy and Evaluation, and 4) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Read More Webinar Recap: Making and Taking Space: Preparing Organizations for Leadership Progressions
Building Movement Project hosted a conversation with four New Mexican leaders on the planning, challenges and lessons learned from their Executive Leadership transitions and how they worked through them.
Read More Webinar Recap: The Long Arc of Building Power: Election Debrief with New Mexico Women of Color
Quick Access: Recording, Transcript On November 11th, 2022, the Building Movement Project hosted a conversation with civic engagement and movement leaders based in New Mexico to discuss the challenges, opportunities, […]
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Meet BMP’s Newest Team Members: Lisa, Mercedes, and UyenThi
Our team at the Building Movement Project has grown in the past few months, and we wanted to introduce you to our newest staff members! Read on to get to […]
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Webinar Recap: Funding Movement Building in New Mexico
Quick Access: Recording, Transcript, Move the Money Resources On April 14th, 2022, the Building Movement Project hosted a conversation with philanthropy and movement leaders based in New Mexico to discuss […]
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When do Boards reach the “Tipping Point” from diversity to equity?
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld (Co-Executive Director) Over the past six years of our Race to Lead initiative, I’ve been curious about how we measure progress towards making nonprofits and our […]
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Solidarity and Community as a Healing Balm in Atlanta
Featured image via Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta. March 16th marked the one year anniversary of the spa shootings in Atlanta which killed 8 people including 6 Asian female […]
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Webinar Recap – Trading Glass Ceilings for Glass Cliffs: A Conversation with Black Nonprofit Leaders
Quick Access: watch the full webinar recording, read the transcript, and download the report Last week the Building Movement Project hosted a national webinar where Sean Thomas-Breitfeld (Co-Executive Director) unpacked […]
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NEW REPORT – Trading Glass Ceilings for Glass Cliffs
The Building Movement Project has released Trading Glass Ceilings for Glass Cliffs: A Race to Lead Report on Nonprofit Executives of Color. This new report focuses on the experiences and challenges […]
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Sparking Hope in Challenging Times
Here at BMP, we are immensely grateful to the individuals, organizations, and networks that have supported, engaged with, and sustained our work throughout this difficult year. At a time of […]
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Webinar Recap – Women of Color in Philanthropy: Centering Community and Advancing Equity in New Mexico
Quick Access: Recording & Transcript Last week the Building Movement Project held a conversation with four women of color working in philanthropy in New Mexico, moderated by our New Mexico-based […]
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Racialized Transitions and Glass Cliffs
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld (Co-Director) The Building Movement Project’s latest report – Making (Or Taking) Space – sheds light on the added challenges involved in executive transitions where a person […]
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Teaching Beyond 9/11: Lessons for Solidarity and Justice
Written by Kitty Hu (Communications and Programs Assistant) For many young people in K-20 classrooms today, 9/11 is a day frozen in time, but we must recognize it is part […]
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Support Native Leaders, Organizations, and Communities On and Beyond Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Written by Catherine Foley (Communications, Programs, and Operations Associate) Next Monday, October 11th marks Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which commemorates, honors, and celebrates the history and culture of Native American peoples. […]
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Strengthen Your Solidarity Practice During Hispanic Heritage Month
Written by Anna Castro (Manager, SolidarityIs) Beloved Chicano activist, Betita Martinez, once said, “I still believe if we’re ever going to really have the power and build a movement strong […]
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How Nonprofits Can Mark the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 and Its Aftermath
September 11th is a day that holds significance for all of us, individually and collectively. Some of us hold lasting memories of that terrible day and its aftermath while others […]
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Power Up Internship Program’s Class of 2021 Graduates
The Power Up Internship Program launched in mid-June with a cohort of 20 outstanding youth leaders. More than 230 youth leaders ages 18-25 applied for the program and finalists were […]
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Celebrate Our Demands: Acting in Solidarity with LGBTQ Immigrants Beyond Pride Month
Written by Anna Castro (Manager, SolidarityIs) I attended my first Pride event during my junior year of high school. I told my mother I was visiting museums in Downtown Los […]
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Introducing the Summer 2021 Power Up Internship Program Cohort
Building Movement Project and Solidarity Is are proud to announce the Summer 2021 Cohort of the Power Up Internship Program. Over the course of the next two months, we will […]
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BMP Releases Move The Money to Catalyze Support for Social Movements
On June 23rd, the Building Movement Project (BMP) released Move The Money: Practices and Values for Funding Social Movements and launched the new project with a national webinar featuring Crystal […]
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New on the Solidarity Is This Podcast: Centering and Uplifting Asian American Communities
In the May 2021 episode of Solidarity Is This, Bo Thao-Urabe (the executive and network director of the Coalition of Asian American Leaders – Minnesota) joins Deepa Iyer to share how […]
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Solidarity Stories: A Toolkit, Case Studies, and Reflection Questions for AAPI Heritage Month and Beyond
At a time of increased anti-Asian hate and ongoing violence targeting Black, indigenous and Latinx communities, solidarity is a practice that can anchor us. Over the past year, BMP and […]
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Webinar Recap — Building Power: A Conversation with Nonprofit Leaders of Color in Public Office
Quick Access: Recording, Transcript, BMP + New Mexico, On the Frontlines report, Race to Lead Revisited report, Race to Lead in New Mexico Earlier this week, the Building Movement Project […]
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Lessons and Action Items for AAPI Heritage Month
Written by Catherine Foley (Communications, Programs, and Operations Associate) May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), a national observance that is marked by celebration, joy, and appreciation among […]
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One Year Later: New on the Solidarity Is This Podcast
After more than a year of living in a global pandemic, we are in a time of reflection and transition. How do we make meaning out of what we have […]
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Why Nonprofits Should Care about the George Floyd Murder Trial and Verdict
We were already seeing the headlines, video footage, and testimony in the trial about the murder of George Floyd, when we heard the news of another Black man, Daunte Wright, […]
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Webinar Recap – Looking Back, Looking Forward: Nonprofit Leaders of Color on COVID-19, Equity, and Justice
In March, the Building Movement Project hosted a national webinar to explore the ongoing effects of the pandemic and structural racism on nonprofits. Jorge Gutierrez (Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement), Laura […]
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Webinar Recap – One Year Later: New Mexico, COVID-19, and Leaders of color
Quick Access: Recording, Transcript, On the Frontlines Report Last Tuesday, the Building Movement Project hosted a webinar with four nonprofit leaders of color in New Mexico on how the COVID-19 […]
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What’s Ahead for US Nonprofits: One Year of COVID, the Stimulus Bill, and More
Written by Catherine Foley (Communications and Operations Associate) It’s been one year since the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns in the United States. The individual and collective trauma, grief, and […]
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Finances, Funding, and the Racial Wealth Gap: Strategies for a More Equitable Future
Written by Tessa Constantine (Research Analyst) The past year has seen scores of Americans face hardships as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. From mass unemployment, to increased need for food […]
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4 Takeaways for Nonprofits from the r/WallStreetBets, GameStop, and Robinhood Episode
Written by Anna Castro (Manager, SolidarityIs) The first month of 2021 came with a series of shocks and surprises. Among the surreal events of January, we witnessed what some in […]
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Re-Applying a Generational Lens
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld (Co-Director) The Building Movement Project started exploring generational differences using a race-based lens twenty years ago. The emphasis on race has also been our primary lens […]
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Between Resistance and Rebuilding
Written by Deepa Iyer (Director of Strategic Initiatives) Four years ago this month, I was facilitating strategy conversations about the Muslim ban, an executive order issued by the Trump Administration […]
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Support, Invest, and Engage: A Resource List for Non-Black People in Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Written by Catherine Foley (Communications and Operations Associate) This Black History Month should be different. After enduring months of overlapping crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on […]
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New Mexico Nonprofit Leaders Talk Solidarity in COVID Times
Written by Leah Steimel (New Mexico Coordinator) Leaders of ten New Mexico service nonprofits gathered in mid-November 2020, virtually, to share their insights and challenges with building alliances and gaining […]
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Learning, Collaborating, and Building Capacity for Equity
The Building Movement Project is part of a group of race equity practitioners and consultants convened by Equity in the Center at the end of 2019. Despite the challenging and […]
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Our Inaugural Power Up Internship Program Cohort
This fall, BMP and SolidarityIs launched the Solidarity Semester, a five-week online program for young people to learn about movement building and solidarity. This year, youth have shown up on […]
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Meet BMP’s Newest Team Member: Anna Castro, Manager of SolidarityIs
Written by Anna Castro (Manager, SolidarityIs) This week, I joined BMP as the Manager of SolidarityIs, a project that develops tools, trainings, and narratives for organizations and individuals. I’ve worked […]
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Solidarity Semester and Beyond
Written by Kitty Hu (Communications & Administration Intern, Fall 2020) The Fall 2020 Solidarity Semester has officially ended, but the opportunity and need to sustain solidarity work remains. Over the […]
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How Can We Prepare Ourselves Beyond the 2020 Election?
Written by Catherine Foley (Communications and Operations Associate) Updated 11/5/20: The IG Live with Deepa Iyer has been moved to Tuesday, November 10th at 6pm ET. The days and weeks ahead […]
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Webinar Recap: Nonprofit Leaders of Color Confront COVID-19 & Structural Racism
Last week, the Building Movement Project hosted a webinar on the release of our newest report On the Frontlines: Nonprofits Led by People of Color Confront COVID-19 and Structural Racism. We […]
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Webinar Recap: Race to Lead in New Mexico
The Building Movement Project (BMP) recently hosted a webinar on the newly released publication, The Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap in New Mexico: A Race to Lead Brief. The findings of the report […]
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Practicing Solidarity and Hope in Movement Building
Written by Kitty Hu (Communications & Administration Intern, Fall 2020) “Part of my resilient practice is to hold onto hope. It’s not rainbows and unicorns and blind optimism,” offered Greisa […]
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Poverty & the Pandemic: How Service Providers Can Build Community Power
Written by Olivia Peña (Networks and Learning Practice Coordinator) The release of the Census Bureau’s latest data on U.S. poverty highlights the realities and challenges that lower income communities face. […]
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Opportunities for Young Activists: Reflections and a Call to Action
Written by Catherine Foley (Communications and Operations Associate) SolidarityIs, in partnership with the Building Movement Project, is launching a five-week online movement education program for young activists that will take […]
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Webinar Recap: Race to Lead in the Memphis Area
Earlier this month, the Building Movement Project (BMP) partnered with Momentum Nonprofit Partners to present the findings of a new publication, The Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap in the Memphis Area: […]
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Webinar Recap: Race to Lead in the Milwaukee Area
Written by Tessa Constantine (Research Analyst) The Building Movement Project (BMP) recently hosted a webinar on the findings of the newly released brief, The Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap in the […]
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Black Women in the Nonprofit Sector: New Findings from the 2019 Race to Lead Survey
Written by Ofronama Biu (Senior Research Associate) The recent Black Lives Matter protests in response to police violence have resurfaced conversations about anti-blackness in the workplace. What do Black women […]
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Three Takeaways from BMP’s Race to Lead Revisited Webinar
The Building Movement Project (BMP) recently hosted a webinar on the findings of the newly released report Race to Lead Revisited: Obstacles and Opportunities in Addressing the Nonprofit Racial Leadership […]
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BMP Releases Race to Lead Revisited
The Building Movement Project (BMP) is pleased to announce the release of Race to Lead Revisited: Obstacles and Opportunities in Addressing the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap. This is the first […]
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BMP Supports Black-Led Organizations in Movements for Justice
It’s been two weeks since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Since then, we have seen protests around the country demanding justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, […]
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Three Takeaways from “We’ve Been Here Before: Community-Based Nonprofits Confront Crises”
On May 13, the Building Movement Project and SolidarityIs hosted the second webinar in our “Nonprofits and COVID-19” series. The webinar featured Ashley K. Shelton of The Power Coalition, Seema Agnani […]
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We Need to Collect More Data During COVID-19 (and Believe It!)
Written by Tessa Constantine (Research Analyst) Last week, learning of the news of President Trump saying during a press conference that light, heat, and injecting disinfectants could cure the coronavirus, […]
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Race Equity Is Essential Work
Why Organizations Cannot Postpone It Even In Times of Crisis Written by Gerald Mitchell (Consultant, BMP Organizational Race Equity Assessment) UPDATE 5/14/2020: We’re interested in hearing examples of what your […]
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The Nonprofit Sector and the ‘Shake Shack Effect’
Written by Deepa Iyer and Frances Kunreuther This article is cross-listed on the Philantopic blog. These days, we’re hearing a lot about how federal legislation passed in response to the […]
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Three Takeaways: Our Conversation with Grassroots and Movement Leaders on COVID-19
Written by Deepa Iyer On April 14, 2020, Building Movement Project and Solidarity Is hosted a webinar with four women of color who work with Latinx, Asian, Black, and Native […]
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Mapping Our Social Change Roles in Times of Crisis
Written by Deepa Iyer. This article is cross-listed on Medium.com. I am a rapid responder but over the past few weeks as the coronavirus pandemic has spread across the world, […]
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Spaciousness and Solidarity in the Time of a Pandemic
Written by Deepa Iyer The past few weeks have seemed like one interminable day, and perhaps you, like me, have been moving through periods of feeling disoriented, confused, outraged, and […]
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A Message from Building Movement Project: Sustaining Non-Profits in a Time of Crisis
Like all of you, here at Building Movement Project, we are grappling with the sudden changes affecting our workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. These are times of uncertainty and confusion. At […]
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New Release: Collaboration Across Race in the Reproductive Movement: A Case Study of the Reproductive Health Equity Act in Oregon
We are pleased to announce the release of our most recent publication, Collaboration Across Race in the Reproductive Movement: A Case Study of the Reproductive Health Equity Act in Oregon, […]
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Webinar Recap: #OurNeighborhoods Anti-Displacement Toolkit
The Building Movement Project (BMP) recently hosted a 60-minute webinar featuring Quinn Rhi of National CAPACD and Manisha Lance and Karimah Dillard of Raksha, Inc. Quinn presented the new #OurNeighborhoods […]
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Squads, Spaces, and Sustainable Movements
Written by Deepa Iyer Over the past three years, I have participated in the Solidarity Summit, a space for movement leaders working on racial justice issues. We meet regularly to […]
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Beyond Hashtags and Slogans: When Solidarity Becomes Transformative
Written by Deepa Iyer Reflect for a moment. Have you attended a protest, a rally, or a march in the past year? Have you used a hashtag online to indicate […]
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Introducing Solidarity Is
Written by Deepa Iyer I am excited to join Building Movement Project where I will be supporting BMP’s movement building initiatives and leading Solidarity Is, a project that I have […]
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More Than Food: How Service Providers Engage Their Communities and React to Policy
Written by Helga Garza The Common Good Action Project is a cohort-based program that BMP developed to support nonprofit leaders in New Mexico to learn how to align their direct […]
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Webinar Recap: Census, the Citizenship Question, and the Community and Organizational Response
Recently, the Building Movement Project (BMP) hosted a 60-minute webinar featuring XP Lee (Program Manager for Policy & Special Projects with the Minnesota Council on Foundations), Joseph Shoji Lachman (ACRS Civic […]
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Organizing for Communities to Be Counted in Census 2020
Written by TC Duong For the 2020 Census, the Trump Administration proposed adding the following question to the form: “Is this person a citizen of the United States?” Fortunately, the […]
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Take the 2019 Race to Lead Survey Today
In 2016, the Building Movement Project conducted a national survey on race and leadership in nonprofits. The data from that survey led to the development of the popular Race to […]
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Webinar Recap: Engaging Constituents, Addressing Root Causes: Food Banks and Beyond
Recently, the Building Movement Project (BMP) hosted a 60-minute webinar featuring Randi Quackenbush and Lyndsey Lyman of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier (FBST) and Alicia Swords, Associate Professor at Ithaca College. […]
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Webinar Recap: How Social Change Happens, the View from Detroit
Written by Noelia Mann On Feb. 26, the Building Movement Project (BMP) hosted a webinar designed to help listeners explore how service providers and organizing groups work together to shift power. During the […]
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2018: The Year in Review
2018 has been Building Movement Project’s busiest year ever! We’ve been crisscrossing the country talking about the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap, documenting how groups are working across boundaries to create movement for social change, and supporting important place-based […]
Read More Resisting Nonprofit Complicity in Family Separations
Written by Noelia Mann Family separations at the US/Mexico border have been at the forefront of the national conversation over the last several months, with good reason. Amid daily reports of terror and trauma at […]
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Confronting Our Complicity in Racial Inequity
GEO Guest Post Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld If Monday’s plenary inspired us to dream about GEO’s 2038 vision, the discussion during Tuesday’s lunch snapped us back to the fierce urgency of […]
Read More Tools to Engage: Resources for Nonprofits
Building Movement Project’s new resource database Tools to Engage: Resources for Nonprofits is officially LIVE! Loosely based on the structure of the popular NICE Guide, this website is an interactive, multi-level search portal […]
Read More Race to Lead Launches Successfully
On Tuesday, June 6th, the Building Movement Project launched a new report, Race to Lead; Confronting the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap, and a corresponding website, racetolead.org. We’re pleased to see that the […]
Read More New Report and Website Highlight Lessons from Nonprofits, Leadership, and Race Survey
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld The Building Movement Project launched a new report — Race to Lead: Confronting the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap— and website – www.racetolead.org – based on data from more than 4,000 […]
Read More How to Think Differently about Diversity in Nonprofit Leadership: Get Comfortable with Discomfort
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld It would be an understatement to say that the past few months have been uncomfortable. The national election was downright ugly, and it exposed just how […]
Read More Job Announcement- Research Associate
About the Building Movement Project For over a decade, the Building Movement Project has been advancing the potential for nonprofit organizations to have an impact on building movements for progressive […]
Read More Why Race and Leadership?
Written by Frances Kunreuther We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the Nonprofits, Leadership, and Race survey. Over 2,500 surveys have been completed, representing all 50 states except Wyoming […]
Read More Understanding Movements for Social Change:
An Interview with Sean Thomas-Breitfeld This interview was conducted by Nell Edgington and reposted from Social Velocity. To read the full interview, click here. Nell: What is the role of leadership in […]
Read More What Race is Your Organization?
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld Race is often a hard thing to talk about, especially in increasingly multicultural nonprofit organizations where there may not be an obvious numeric majority; and it […]
Read More Feeling Triggered Over “Diversity”
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld A recent article in the Harvard Business Review by a trio of social psychologists raised fresh doubts about whether corporate diversity initiatives really work. To be sure, this […]
Read More Winning: Rights and Respect
Written by Frances Kunreuther In reproductive justice circles, the victory of the Respect ABQ Women campaign received a flurry of attention in the fall of 2013 when Albuquerque voters defeated a ban […]
Read More Happy Tax Day!
Written by Alvin Young In celebration of tax day, we at Building Movement Project wanted to present two informative links to understanding tax policy. First, the latest blog post by Kim […]
Read More BMP Welcomes New Staff Member, Alvin Young
My name is Alvin Young and I am excited to be joining Building Movement Project as its new Program Assistant. I look forward to fulfilling the BMP’s administrative needs, external […]
Read More The Scale of the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld I started my career working for organizations led by people of color. I never thought this was a remarkable thing, but lately I’ve become more aware […]
Read More BMP Welcomes New Staff Member, Tina Law!
Written by Tina Law My name is Tina Law and I am excited to be joining the Building Movement Project as its new Research Associate. BMP has been an invaluable […]
Read More Reflection on Movement Leadership
Most of the time, we talk here about the leadership of organizations related to age, race, gender, style, outcomes, and social change. We think about leadership pipelines and transitions, and […]
Read More Boards: A Historic Relic?
Written by Kim Klein This entry by Kim Klein was first published on July 19th as part of her monthly advice column “Dear Kim” for the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT). BMP’s Co-Director, […]
Read More Three Secrets of Effective Leadership I Learned from Linda Campbell
Written by Aaron Handelsman Four summers ago I was a frustrated community development officer for a large bank, venting in my living room to a friend. As a third-generation Detroiter, […]
Read More The Next Generation of Leaders We Really Need in Detroit
Written by Linda Campbell In addition to being on the BMP Project Team, Linda Campbell is a CSI fellow and has been a convener of the People’s Platform in Detroit. This […]
Read More Wise Fools
Written by Frances Kunreuther I went with trepidation. It was the second convening of Wise Fools – convened by Ginny McGinn at the Center for Whole Communities and Akaya Windwood from the Rockwood […]
Read More Feminist Answers to Nonprofit Questions
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld As Women’s History Month comes to a close, it seems like a good time to reflect on the debt that the not-for-profit sector owes to the […]
Read More Team Member Linda Campbell Chosen for CSI Fellowship
We are happy to announce that our Project Team member Linda Campbell, who leads our work on the ground in Detroit, has been chosen as a 2013-2014 Field Fellow at […]
Read More Looking for Collective Stories in Black History Month
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld This past week, an article about Black History Month by Theodore Johnson in The Atlantic really moved me. Johnson writes that our focus on historical icons makes this […]
Read More A New Year
Written by Frances Kunreuther One thing that I learned in 2013 was how to blog! Okay, I know I am late to the field, but it is still shocking how […]
Read More Happy Poverty Day!
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld You didn’t know Poverty Day was a thing? I kid, it’s not really something worth celebrating, but this is the one time a year when we […]
Read More Detroit (Still) on My Mind
Written by Frances Kunreuther Last week, Linda Campbell wrote about her experiences in Detroit. In These Times has a terrific article, Detroit’s Downfall: Beyond the Myth of Black Misleadership, by Marilyn Katz that gives […]
Read More 20th Anniversary
Reflections on the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship Written by Frances Kunreuther This weekend I will be in Baltimore to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Annie E. […]
Read More Detroit People’s Platform and Convention held at Marygrove College
Written by guest Patrick Geans is a reporter for the Michigan Citizen, a weekly local publication that focuses on economic and social development throughout Michigan’s urban communities. This piece was written following […]
Read More Learning to Lead
Written by Sean Thomas-Breitfeld Although it’s popular to think of a select few individuals as “natural born leaders,” people actually learn how to lead. And much like the other elements of […]
Read More Webinar Recap: Vision for Change
Written by Caroline McAndrews Last week, Helen Kim and I hosted a webinar that reviewed the findings of Vision for Change: A New Wave of Social Justice Leadership. The report was based on […]
Read More BMP Welcomes New Project Team Members!
The Building Movement Project is excited to announce the addition of two new members to our Project Team! Dushaw Hockett and Andrea Plaza will begin their tenures on the team […]
Read More BMP Study Featured in Chronicle of Philanthropy Article
Our upcoming study on younger nonprofit executive directors was featured in a Chronicle of Philanthropy piece about what it takes to be at the helm of an organization. The report, written by […]
Read More Key Findings from What Works: Developing Successful Multigenerational Leadership
“With up to four generations at work, nonprofit leaders are now struggling to make room for the ideas and skills of newer generations, while figuring out how to support the […]
Read More Building Movement Project in Detroit
While the Building Movement Project is a nationally-focused organization, we’ve always had a very special relationship with Detroit. Linda Campbell – long time Detroit resident and member of the Building […]
Read More Background and Media Coverage of Detroit
According to most of the articles and reports published about Detroit since the census, the city is a wasteland that people are flocking from, but if you visit Detroit or […]
Read More Building Movement Project Featured in Nonprofit World
This month’s issue of Nonprofit World features both an article written by Building Movement Project Director, Frances Kunreuther, and another profiling BMP’s Director of Civic Engagement, Trish Tchume. Frances Kunreuther’s article, Are You […]
Read More BMP Team Members Featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The front page story in last week’s Chronicle of Philanthropy featured the staff of the SouthWest Organizing Project, along with their Executive Director, Building Movement Project Team member Robby Rodriguez. The article […]
Read More Voter Participation for Nonprofits
The Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network is hosting a special web training event: “Voter Participation for Nonprofits” Thursday, August 12th 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM ET This webinar will focus on principles […]
Read More Making Social Change Case Studies: Additional Web Resources
Resources available in PDF format and on the web: Queens Community House * Visit their website * Identifying Values: a step by step exercise used during a community building retreat. […]
Read More BMP Contributes to Open Government Dialogue
The White House has launched an “Open Government Initiative” in order to generate new ideas for creating a more participatory, transparent, and collaborative government. The first step in this process […]
Read More ACCESS Project Participate in First Arab American Advocacy Week
The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services’ (ACCESS) project – the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) – came together for the first annual Arab American Advocacy […]
Read More Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network
NVEN says that, “communities served by nonprofits were the highest turn-out groups at the 2008 presidential election polls.” The organization recently released a report titled, America Goes to the Polls: A […]
Read More Philanthropy’s Leadership Gap – The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Read the transcript of a live discussion about whether charities are doing enough to prepare their next generation of leaders. Caroline McAndrews (Director of Leadership and Communications for Building Movement Project) […]
Read More Understanding the Next Generation of Nonprofit Employees: The Impact of Educational Debt
A study conducted for The Building Movement Project by Amanda Ballard. Educational debt rates have skyrocketed in the past decade, raising concern that educational debt will deter graduates from public […]
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