Celebrating Women in Fundraising, Featuring Yolanda F. Johnson

Jeff Schreifels 

Welcome to March. It’s Women’s History Month, which seemed to me like a great opportunity to talk about how women are shaping and changing the field of fundraising. Which is why I’m so excited to share today’s episode with you. I had the pleasure of sitting down with special guest Yolanda F. Johnson of YFJ Consulting and Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy. And we had an incredible conversation. Listen in to hear more about her work, and to hear her perspective on how we can lift up women in the non-profit sector. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

 

Recorded 

Welcome to the Nothing But Major Gifts podcast from Veritus Group featuring Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels. Twice a month, we bring you the latest and best thinking about major gift fundraising so you can develop authentic relationships with your major donors. Here are your hosts, Richard and Jeff.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Welcome to the podcast today. I’m Jeff Schreifels. And I’m so excited to be here today with a very special guest. Today I’m speaking with Yolanda F. Johnson, the President and Founder of YFJ Consulting and Women of Color in Fundraising and Leadership (WOC), which specializes in fundraising, philanthropy, and best practices for equity and inclusion. And since we’re celebrating Women’s History Month right now, for today’s conversation, we’ll be taking a look at some of the challenges, and also celebrating the successes of women in the non-profit sector. Thank you so much for being here Yolanda.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Thank you so much for having me. I’m thrilled to be here with you today.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Well, first, I’d love to start off the conversation by asking you to share a little bit about yourself and the work you’re doing and what’s all happening in your life right now.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Ah, so many wonderful things are happening. We have really kicked off the year with WOC and I have personally… I don’t ever make New Year’s resolutions, but what I do is I always… if we think of the power of language and the power of words. So I choose a word that helps inform; I don’t allow myself to be bound by the word, but rather it’s a guiding sort of a point of light. And for 2024, it’s intentionality. Yeah, and the subword is intersectionality because when you’re intentional, you can find the intersections and it’s a wonderful thing that happens.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Yeah. So this year, some things that we’re really looking forward to in my life, of course the work of YFJ Consulting continues with our brilliant clients. You know, everywhere the work exists at the intersection. Intersection! Feel like we’re gonna be… what was the show? Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and whatever the word was… (laughter).

 

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s right.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

(Laughter.) Yeah!

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

But I’m dating myself there, I guess.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

I know you are. But what am I? (Laughter.)

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Oh, good, good. But to really focus on helping people from a fundraising perspective, but also advising from the philanthropy and grant making side and then in between there ensuring that the entire sector thinks more inclusively. So to that end, I’m very, very excited about some things that are happening here in Women’s History Month. Of course, it’s a very busy time for all of the different hats that I wear. I’ve just joined the Women’s Philanthropy Institute National Council, and WOC is going to be partnering with them on a very special event, which is the place where all of my worlds converge in the most beautiful of ways. So it’s about women, philanthropy, and the arts. I’ll be giving some opening remarks followed by a beautiful panel that features Jeannie Sager as the moderator. And we’ve got some wonderful panelists that really span all of the different types of performing and visual arts. And then we’re going to head into an abridged version of a special performance of women composers; a concert lecture that I developed with two friends of mine, Doctors Brooke Bryant and Michael Eisenberg. We’re bringing in a harpsichord on one side and have the piano on the other.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s awesome. I know Brooke. I know Brooke.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

You do?

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Yes. Yes. She’s awesome.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

We’ve been friends for a really, really long time. And we share that sort of, you know, we’ve crafted a life where she has a Doctorate in Historic Musicology, but she’s an amazing fundraiser. And, so I have built my career in philanthropy and in fundraising and never stopped singing. And so, yeah. It’s one of our proudest scores; it’s the tenth anniversary of music she wrote. So we’re excited. We’ll be performing it throughout the month of March at lots of different venues. But we’re kicking off at The DiMenna Center for Classical Music to talk about women, philanthropy, the role that women have played in supporting the arts, and then the role that women have played in creating music and art. And then we’ll have some refreshments at the end to celebrate. So if you’re in the New York City area, we invite you to join us.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

I totally want to see this. This sounds fantastic. You’re a busy woman. You’re like the Renaissance Woman. You’re in everything. I love it. I love it.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

There are only two paths, though. I know it seems like a lot, but it’s really, the whole reason I got started in philanthropy was because of music. When I was a senior in college getting my performance degree, and a lot of orchestras were closing, and my professor said, “What are you going to do?” And I said, “I’m gonna learn this other side of what keeps the arts alive.” But then I was like, “Oh my gosh. I can use philanthropy as a tool for women, for racial equity, for the arts, for youth development, for people with disabilities.” I realized the power of it to make change.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s awesome. I love it. Okay, I gotta ask you this question. I know you’ve been an incredible advocate for women and women of color in fundraising. Let’s talk about first, what are some of the successes you’re seeing and celebrating right now for women in our sector?

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Well, we all knew that 2024 was going to be a very interesting year. Contentious in its own ways. But, you know, the election cycle, and just so many things happening. Well, what we didn’t know is that it would start out of the gate. You know, with some of the challenges that we would see. But I think, you know, the win for women and for women of color is aligned with and akin to the very mission of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, which is that we get away from the scarcity mindset and that we find those ways to work together, to champion each other, to continue moving the good work forward. And so I’ve just seen so many wonderful things on a personal and professional level, seeing women of color, and women in general, come together, collaborate, look ahead at what the year is going to bring and be really strategic and intentional about the ways that we can impact our sector and society as a whole. So I’ve seen many different exciting things come up. But you know, the real key is for us to support each other.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

I love that. And I love the whole concept of embracing abundance. You know, kind of getting away from that scarcity mindset that many of us… it’s hard to do. So that’s amazing. Those are great things to celebrate. But what do you see some of the bigger challenges being right now facing women in fundraising?

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Well, there are some of the more obvious challenges. That we still have a wage and pay gap. We’re going to really be looking at equal pay days this year in partnership with some other organizations that champion equal pay for women. But the paradigm has shifted, and the dynamic has shifted as well, because it’s a different hiring environment. Women and women of color are now looking to see if roles really fit them and their lifestyles and their needs. And so it’s been interesting, what we’ve seen, you know, as far as the service sector is concerned, with a lot of that, but I think that the work continues there.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

The work continues for the workplace itself. Just to create environments that are more inclusive for women, that are more thoughtful as far as that’s concerned, and really set people up for success. Because there’s so much talent out there. And I think that during this particular year, where thinking about diversity, thinking about equity and inclusion is, you know, how else can we describe it than it’s under attack in many different ways? How do we stand together just to clarify and redefine? You know, I had a quote, I do some Monday motivational quotes at times, and the proudest one to date, well, one of them I think. I said, the true work of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is not about what’s less than; it’s not anything about deficits.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Right.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

It’s not saying that no one is greater than, it is saying that we’re all equal to. And so how do we… for a person who was not a math person (laughter), but it’s all in the math of life, is it not? So just helping people understand how it just weaves together a more beautiful society and sector when we continue to think that way. And, you know, women, women of color, are the backbones of their communities, and really of many of the workplaces as well. So to just be able to continue to strive… shouldn’t have to strive. To continue to advocate for proper recognition, pay, promotions, opportunities.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Yes. So delving more into that wage gap part, what do non-profit employers need to know to be a part of the solution there?

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Well, non-profit employers, and those in the search community… and I’ve seen a lot of leaps and bounds like of growth over the past few years. That power dynamic has shifted. It used to be, “This is what it is.”

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Right.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

“This is the role. Don’t I have 100 people clamoring for it?” And then the clamoring stopped. And then it was like, “Oh, you know, I have to think about, does this work for the woman? Does this work for her lifestyle? Is she a caregiver?” Maybe she’s not, you know, there are assumptions made, even when you’re not a caregiver, then can you work an extra 80 hours a week, you know? But really, there have been studies that have proven when, you may not have children, or you know, be coupled in any way that you then are doing lots of other things in your life. So just not making assumptions. It’s the same thing. The same thing that is true about fundraising is true about life. And that is getting away from the transactional model and method. And I know that that’s up your alley.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

But it’s part of my life’s work in this sector as well. That we get to know people. People working together, understanding what people need, understanding how when you provide that, how you’re just going to spark that talent to be able to just, you know, achieve your goals and go beyond the goals. But if you’re not happy, if you’re tired, if you’re not paid well, then, you know, it just doesn’t work.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s right. What advice would you give to candidates who are unsure of whether they’re being paid for what they’re worth?

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Well visit the WOC job board. We were one of the first organizations to require salary transparency. I also testified before the New York City Human Rights Commission Committee on salary, transparency, and pay equity. Kept pushing through. Got lots of senators, lots of elected officials. I want to shout out PowHer NY, where I’m on the board, for advocating. And we just got it. The bills were just signed. You know? And it was a very exciting thing to see. So do your research. Understand what the going rate is for the women out there. Check the job boards, because we were one of the first places that would post that type of information. It would be posted other places without the salary range. And then they come to the WOC job board and say, “Oh!” So there was a recon mission going on (laughter) as far as that’s concerned.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

And I think that the employers just need to also do the assessment to take stock of, “What do you look like?” If it’s a woman, if it’s a woman of color? What’s your board look like? Is she going to be… You know, we were just talking, I’m from Nebraska. So I had something that I had coined, “first fatigue,” because I’ve been the first, one of the few, the only so many times in my life. And for a while I got tired of that. And then I started to realize the power of being a trailblazer. But if you’re trailblazing all the time, sometimes, you know, there’s a fatigue that can come with that. But I embrace it, you know, as often as I can. But is that what your organization looks like? Is she going to come into a winning situation? Or are you setting up a woman and a woman of color for success? And then on a deeper level, we have to talk about the relationships, you know, I talk about scarcity mindset within groups of women of color, but then also on the other side, are you dealing with allies? Or are you dealing with people who are not allies, when it comes to non-people of color? And so there’s a lot of stuff that we have to sort through, and that we have to be really honest about. And I think that for those who are looking for their next opportunity, they have to have honest conversations with that potential employer in order to know on both sides of it.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Yeah. You know, speaking of allies, something I think often as a middle aged white guy in the fundraising industry, there are a lot of us in there, is how can I be a better advocate for women and women of color in particular? And I don’t mean to put this all on you to make my job easier, obviously. But I wanted to ask you if there’s something you’d like me or other non-profit leaders to know about how we can be better advocates and allies.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

So WOC has a sister organization called Allies in Action Membership Network. And that was created because of the outreach we were receiving around 2020 around allyship. And what I would say is, I’ll talk about the four pillars of allyship.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Great.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Which are education, legislation, inclusion, and action. And under action comes philanthropy, because you put your dollars to work as well.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s right.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

But really, at the crux of it all, is not prescribing. So what I mean by that is listening, and not thinking that what you think is the right answer, or the right thing, or the right path forward. Hearing from people about their experiences. Sometimes there’s a give and take, and there’s a space for you to be able to share, you know your thoughts, but sometimes just listen. Just listen, because then you’ll start to understand, because as human beings, we all know that as far as implicit or unconscious bias is concerned, we all have it by virtue of being human beings, right? We’re here on the earth together, we all have biases, you know, and we just have to, you know… allies who listen are some of the greatest allies. They take action in partnership, and thoughtful action, because they educate. They understand the role that legislation plays in it, especially in a year like this. They think more inclusively, which simply also means to think differently.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

It’s so easy. I call it the New York City city-block mentality, and probably other cities too. But you know, in New York City, you’re not going to go further than a block if you’re tired, you got home, if it’s for food, or whatever other vendors that you have. It’s just going to be convenient. But when we’re thinking more inclusively, it’s like you’re putting together a panel. You could go to the usual suspects, the people that you know. You’re friends with them. They’re nice people. But how many different perspectives are you really gleaning? Can you take the extra day or so, or few hours, to go to your team and say, “Who else could we get? Who’s equally as qualified? Who’s equally as brilliant? But perhaps we haven’t platformed them yet?” So it is just thinking differently. It’s not thinking deficit, it’s thinking differently.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

So when you don’t prescribe, when you listen first, you take thoughtful action, you educate yourself, then that’s really impactful and effective allyship. And accepting the truth about the imbalance of equity, and the history of really the world and of this country in particular. And you may not have all the answers, but accepting the truth is really important. And because right now the pendulum has swung, and we’re experiencing the backlash, because there’s a beautiful quote; it’s truly unattributed. Several people have taken kind of credit, but, you know, “To those accustomed to privilege, equity can seem like oppression.” Right?

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Yes.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

So when we have all of the economic theories of like white resentment, all the different things that can happen. Allies in Action is currently doing some research on white fatigue. We saw it start in April 2021. We’ve had our eye on it since the advent of the COVID vaccine. We knew that it was coming. And it’s here. It’s here full force now. And it’s like, how do we work together to get past this, to accept the truths of the history and what they mean for us right now and to be able to work together to find meaningful solutions.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

That’s right. I agree. That’s so good. Well, for women who are interested in non-profit management and leadership, what mentorship opportunities do you see out there for them?

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

I see so many opportunities. And also, you know, we’ve always talked about that word mentorship, which is extremely important. What I would say as far as mentorship is concerned, there are many different opportunities out there within professional organizations. Organically finding a mentor; reaching out to someone and just asking if you can chat with them. I know WOC has a program called Mentor Match, but we also have a program called Check-In Chicas that is an executive accountability program. Sometimes you don’t need a mentor. You just need somebody to talk to who understands your lived experience, right? So we pair people up that way.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

And then I would say the other thing is sponsorship, because mentorship and sponsorship are related and they’re similar, but you know, sponsorship goes a step further. A mentor relationship could be I’m giving you some free advice. We’re meeting up for coffee; we’re meeting on Zoom. And sponsorship just takes it a step further. It’s like taking action on that person’s behalf. And so I think we want to see mentorship continue to evolve into further sponsorship as well.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

I think that’s great. And I think it’s really important too. I love that sponsorship idea. I want to delve into that more myself.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Which is perfect for you, though, Jeff. It is, because mentorship, there are some nuances around it, where there may be certain comfort levels that are you know, it’s somebody that looks like you, somebody that you have that shared lived experience.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Totally understand.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Check-In Chicas, definitely. When it comes to sponsorship, we need the people in those positions of privilege to be sponsoring, you know, as a means of equity and inclusion. So you are a perfect sponsor, and you have sponsored people probably not even realizing it, and you’ve done a lot in your allyship journey. But yeah, so sponsorship is that area where the allyship can even come into play more powerfully.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

I kind of look at it, Yolanda, that it’s really going to be white men in power, who understand what equity means and are able to share and give up some of that. And it’s, unless we do that, it’s going to be very difficult to reach that equity state where people are not only equal, but that they have the same opportunity. And it’s going to have to come from us who are in power. Right now, it’s white men. And we’ve got to acknowledge that and figure out… and the sponsorship idea, really is a big part of that, I believe.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

Well, lastly, I want to ask you this, because I know a lot of people want to hear about this. But what was one of your biggest career… who’s been one of your biggest career inspirations in your past? Who has inspired you the most?

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

I would have to say that I’ve been inspired… you know, even the way that I grew up, I always say I was raised by a village of people strategically placed. I’m a person of faith. I say they were strategically placed by God to guide me to where I needed to be in my life. And I feel that way about my career. I’m so grateful to so many different women. There’s one woman who comes to mind though. Way back when I was a young person, I had just moved to New York, and I went to, you know, a professional organization meeting. And she grabbed me by the arm, she was like a one woman DEI Committee. And she’s a white woman. You know, but she knew it, she got it. And she grabbed me by the arm and said, “I’m gonna get you…” It was so hard to even get into committees, you know, at that time, but she brought me on board. And she had been just the greatest mentor to me. So here’s a shout out to Laurie Croton out there.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

But so many. I’d be remiss to name names because there’s so many. But there have also been, you know, women, it was a wonderful woman, I’ll give her a shout out. I’ve given it to her before, but Carmel Napolitano. She’s a friend, she’s part of the allies group. We’ve been friends for many years. And she’s the person who helped me understand my worth. You know, I had become so complacent where I was, and then I was telling her my salary. She thought I was joking. And she began to open my eyes to, you know, the real salary range that I should have been looking at and I’ve never turned back since. Like, she really sparked something in me. And it was just having lunch with her and her sitting me down and saying, “Whoa.” You know? And we all need a person like that, you know, and to keep those networks and things going. So I’ve been very blessed to have many different people in my life, my family, friends, colleagues that helped with my career trajectory.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

And what’s cool is you’ve taken that and you’ve passed it on. I’m sure there’s many women out there that would say that you are their inspiration for their career.

 

Yolanda F. Johnson 

Well, thank you.

 

Jeff Schreifels 

So Yolanda, thank you so much for being here today and for this really inspiring conversation. If you want to connect with Yolanda, be sure to check out the show notes because we’ll have all the information in there. And if you’re listening in right now, I hope you’re feeling encouraged by the stories and by our shared goal to champion women in fundraising. If you’d like to join a community of fundraisers who are dedicated to supporting each other I hope you’ll join our free online community. You can use the link in the show notes to create a profile and get started. So thank you all, and we’ll see you next time.

 

Recorded 

Thank you for joining us for the Nothing But Major Gifts podcast from Veritus Group. Richard and Jeff also write an ongoing blog that you can subscribe to for free at veritusgroup.net. Please join us again next time.