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One of the greatest ways that leaders with disabilities and their allies can strengthen the organizations in which they participate is by helping to move them toward greater inclusion. That said, the role of an internal advocate is fundamentally different from that of an external change agent. Learn from some successful Jews with disabilities and their allies about how they’ve made change from the inside at their organizations.
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There are many ways to lead in Jewish organizations, from donating time and talent, to active participation. Some will take the ultimate plunge and choose to work professionally for a Jewish organization. In this session, we focused both on the types of opportunities available, and the ways to build on your network and use modern technology so that you may contribute your time and talent. [continue reading…]
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Foundation funding is at the core of many organizations. There is an art to every part of the process of working with a foundation, from grant proposals to program descriptions, to outcomes and aligning with funder priorities. This panel featured two leaders from the Jewish foundation world who introduced each of these topics, explaining both how you as a volunteer can help, and how you might join the foundation world as a professional. [continue reading…]
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Money makes the world go round, but relationships are what truly build lasting connections to donors and support for our organizations. This session will teach you how to build these connections, from finding prospects, to opening dialogue, all the way to closing a gift. This session focused on individual prospects, from friends to philanthropists.
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Whether serving on a board or helping with programs, getting things done in the nonprofit world is immensely easier if you understand how nonprofits work. This session gave the basics of nonprofit operation, including budget, mission and purpose, the role of the board, staff and volunteers, bylaws and grant agreements, and how you can get involved. [continue reading…]
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Best practices in diversity and inclusion have been hot topics in discussion around corporate recruitment, hiring and retention. However, disability inclusion often gets lost in discussions about talent management strategies. Global Disability Inclusion and Mercer have recently published an in-depth report detailing critical insights about the employment experiences of people with disabilities and how to prioritize the needs of employees with disabilities.
Featuring over 12 million data sets, the Global Disability Inclusion & Mercer report on The State of Disability Employee Engagement is an unprecedented opportunity for C-Suite leaders, Diversity Leaders and HR Professionals to better understand what is likely 15-20% of your employee population. We gathered the report’s lead investigators for a critical discussion on what works, what does not, and how to improve efforts to empower talented employees with disabilities.
Also part of this conversation was RespectAbility’s own Director of Inclusive Philanthropy and Development, Franklin Anderson. Franklin helped facilitate the discussion of how the Mercer report reflects critical lessons learned in the field of non-profit management and how organizations can better operationalize disability inclusion best practices.
JFCS and RespectAbility presented a free virtual event with Dr. Nelle L. Richardson. Dr. Nelle spoke on the intersectionality of race, gender, immigration, and disability, as well as her experience as a self-advocate. She shared her personal story of immigrating to the United States, pursuing an education despite a lack of support, living under systemic racism, and her successes as a woman of color with a disability.
Dr. Nelle Richardson
Photo courtesy of Rick Giudotti, Positive Exposure 109
Dr. Nelle L. Richardson is an ordained pastor, motivational speaker, counselor, life coach, and self-advocate. She recently received a certification from Cornell University in Women in Leadership: Navigating the Double Bind. As a motivational speaker, Dr. Nelle addresses disability and racial bias. She was a key speaker for a UN 2021 Forum: An Untold Narrative: Immigrant Women with Disabilities.
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Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms have become not just an important way to get out your message, but the most important way to get out your message. While everyone seems to have social media, a quick scroll through the average social media feed shows that we greatly vary in our ability to use these tools effectively and craft the messages that work. This workshop was designed to close that gap and will be useful not only to contribute to nonprofits, but in anything that you want to do. [continue reading…]
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As an end to the COVID-19 pandemic appears on the horizon, many organizations are considering a return to in-person events. As this occurs, it is important to ensure that events are fully accessible to the 1-in-4 adults who have a disability. While we return to in-person events, however, we should not stop hosting virtual events, which allow more people to participate. Seventy-two percent of nonprofit organizations say they have a policy of nondiscrimination against people with disabilities. But, few know how to take the simple steps to make their programming truly accessible. In this practical session, learn how to ensure events – both in-person and virtual – are accessible to all. For example, a recent national inclusion study conducted by RespectAbility, in partnership with The Chronicle of Philanthropy and The Nonprofit Times, found that even before the pandemic, only 14% of people say their organizations use video captions to ensure people who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the content. Captioning services are easy to use; yet 86% were not even attempting to take advantage of such tools. This session, led by RespectAbility’s VP of Communications Lauren Appelbaum and Senior Entertainment Media Associate Tatiana Lee, was designed to train organizations to ensure that their practices match their principles of inclusion. [continue reading…]
On Wednesday, June 9, we hosted an evening of networking and community building, led by RespectAbility staff, board and alumni of our Summer Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities. Attendees had the opportunity to join multiple Zoom breakout rooms for conversations with other likeminded creatives in the disability community, focusing on topics such as writing, directing, producing, self-advocacy and more. This event was only open to entertainment industry creatives who identify as deaf or disabled. [continue reading…]
