Relational not Transactional

As you can see, I believe in transparency and upfrontness. I will have an honest conversation with each group to decide together on the timeline, goals and budget that meet both of our needs. I do this work because it is my soul’s calling – I am on this planet to give myself to community efforts that work to make things better for people and the earth. I see each of my “gigs” as an opportunity to build real connections with other changemakers and consider everyone I meet to be a lifelong relationship. We are in this together!

My Understanding of Money

Money is disproportionately and unfairly available to certain people and groups across the world. For thousands of years, white, colonial forces have hoarded resources and profited off of People of Color’s labor and land. Generational accumulation of wealth or deficit is real and directly affects every person on this planet.

In addition, the culture and economy in the U.S. reinforces very disturbing values. Teachers and folks at nonprofits should not earn 1/10th that of corporate executives. Artists should be paid livable wages for their essential contributions. The people growing the food and making the products across the world, especially in “the global south,” should be recognized and honored appropriately. 

Money is energy. How we budget is a representation of values. I was a non-profit fundraiser for many years and decided that while people have all kinds of reasons for different access to money, if they wanted to give it to a good cause, I was happy to help make that happen. I approach money conversations with groups with this spirit of generosity, historical context and culture.

The Personal Edges I Work With

As a white, middle class, physically able, extroverted, cis-gender person with a happy disposition I hold a lot of privilege. I am also Jewish and a woman with some of the associated internalized traumas and never-enoughess, and also the desire to give and care for others.

My story is one of multiple co-existing edges:

• I am a “middle class traitor” because I have betrayed the middle-class expectations put on me from family and society: I was “supposed” to be a doctor, elected official or CEO. Instead, I made the choice to be “downwardly mobile” and follow my heart to be immersed in non-profit, community-based projects and movements.
• And, I still have the whiteness and the safety nets that give me a boost. I recognize that my ability to make many life choices is because of these privileges.
• I believe it’s a duty of those with privilege to leverage it to make life more equitable for others. My life work is to cause ripple effects that can and will change systems.
• I am only one person and leveraging privilege does not mean to give everything away all the time and not be able to take care of myself.

As I Earn, I Give

I have direct relationships with individuals and groups of people with less current and historical access to work, resources and lifelines and I share my resources with them as much as I can.

And so…

Just like most people, I have financial responsibilities I need to meet; I seek to do so in a values-based path. For groups who are well funded with access to relative privilege and resources, I will ask for more. For groups I feel connected to and believe in, who have less access, I will ask for less. And I will work for free for the most marginalized of people and projects, as I am able. Relationships and community are my core “investments.”