Advancing Racial Equity In Philanthropy, Non-Profit, and Fundraising
2021 Breakin' It Down Conference - October 22 & 29
THEME: Resilience and Re-Imagining Tomorrow
In March 2020, no one could have anticipated or even thought how different the world would look one year later. During this time, the Breakin' It Down planning committee reached out to our constituents of nonprofit, fundraising , and philanthropy professionals and community advocates by creating virtual programs that focused on effective communication and engagement, organizational and individual mental health and wellbeing, and crisis-resilience. The global pandemic has transformed the nonprofit fund development profession in ways none of us could have imagined. Its impact and evolving challenges are deep and pervasive, and demand a strategic and skillful response.
In 2021, Breakin' It Down takes up the question of going beyond "back to normal." Join us in exploring the theme "Resilience and Re-Imagining Tomorrow." Together with nonprofit industry and community leaders, we will examine how we can use this moment to re-imagine current practices and build resilience with intention.
*Please note that agenda and speakers are subject to change.
WHAT PEOPLE SAID ABOUT BID
"Learned some new things and met some great people at Breakin' It Down Chicago. I look forward to implementing strategies in Doris & Clara Community Initiative and staying connected with the people I met.
Thankful for opportunity."
- Cheronda Everett
PARTNER
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JESS MYERS
Fundraising Content Officer
Doctors Without Borders Canada
Jess Myers is a marketing and communications specialist currently working with Doctors Without Borders Canada as the Fundraising Content Officer. Jess has worked with international humanitarian and development organizations to develop ethical storytelling campaigns, create strong branded content and drive social impact. She is a passionate advocate about the responsibility we have as fundraisers to uphold the dignity and agency of the communities we work with.
MO WAJA
Marketing Storytelling Expert and
Fundraising Strategist & Digital Integration Specialist - Blakely (Ontario, Canada)
Mo Waja is a professional speaker, marketer, author, podcast host and producer, and is a Fundraising Strategist & Digital Integration Specialist at Blakely specializing in unique, out-of-the-box fundraising campaigns and digitally integrated fundraising campaigns. As a marketer, Mo has worked with personal, non-profit, and for-profit brands in the charitable, software, and financial sectors, amongst others, developing successful storytelling strategies. As a speaker, Mo has spent tens of thousands of hours coaching business professionals, non-profits, post-secondary students, and campaign advocates in the art of professional speaking and communication, and has delivered sessions on topics ranging from fundraising and marketing ethics to digital storytelling strategy, to social media and e-philanthropy, to personal and professional branding.
TONY ALVARADO-RIVERA
Executive Director
Chicago Freedom School
Tony is a multi-issue community builder working and living within an anti-oppression and harm reduction framework. Most recently, Alvarado-Rivera completed his tenure at Broadway Youth Center as the Mentor Program Coordinator. Additional experience includes work with the groundbreaking About Face Youth Theatre and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in New York.
ANGELA DOWELL
Chief Financial Officer
Chicago Community Loan Fund
Angela Dowell re-joined CCLF in August 2014 as the Controller. In September 2016, Dowell was promoted to Vice President of Finance and promoted again in 2018 to Chief Financial Officer. In this position, Angela is responsible for the accounting and finance operations of CCLF, including the production of periodic financial reports, maintenance of an adequate system of accounting records and comprehensive set of controls, enhancing the accuracy of CCLF’s reported financial results, and complying with generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards. In addition, Dowell oversees investor relations, including fundraising for new capital investments and maintaining existing investor relationships.
Dowell has held numerous accounting and finance roles over the past 10 years in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors and gives back to her community. She is a member of the Minority Advisory Board for Southern Illinois University’s College of Business. She is also a member of the Finance & Audit Committee for Disability CDFI Coalition and serves on the Not-for-Profit Committee for the Illinois CPA Society. Dowell additionally volunteers as a presenter on nonprofit finance and accounting for various groups.
Dowell is a CPA with a Bachelor of Accounting degree from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Business Administration degree from DePaul University. She was recently awarded SIU-Carbondale’s College of Business ‘Emerging Saluki Leader Award.’ This award honors alumni who have graduated from the college within the past 15 years for their outstanding work within business, academia or government sectors, nonprofit organizations, and their community service. Dowell was recently named one of The Chicago Defender’s 2018 “Women of Excellence” award recipients and one of Crain’s Chicago Business‘ Notable Women in Finance in 2019. Additionally, after serving on the National Disability CDFI Coalition’s (NDCC) Finance and Audit Committee, Angela was elected 2019 Treasurer.
JOAN GARVEY LUNDGREN
Senior Director of Resource Development
The Chicago Community Trust
Joan Garvey Lundgren is senior director for resource development at The Chicago Community Trust. Before joining the Trust, Garvey Lundgren spent 14 years at the global humanitarian organization CARE USA where she held a number of positions, ultimately serving as executive director and acting AVP of corporate partnerships. In this role she led CARE’s private sector engagement, charged with bringing new investment to CARE’s work, influencing business policy and practice and driving new opportunities for the communities CARE serves. Prior to CARE USA, Garvey Lundgren was a development officer for the Cambodian Association of Illinois, helping to establish the Cambodian American Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial in Chicago, the first of its kind in the U.S. She has held short-term assignments in Rajasthan, India and London.
Born and raised in the Chicago area, Garvey Lundgren holds a BBA from The George Washington University and an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago.
CARLIL PITTMAN
Founder and Executive Director of Goodkids Madcity
Carlil Pittman is the Founder and Executive Director of Goodkids Madcity. He proudly describes himself as a "26-year-old Black Male and Father" from the West Englewood community of Chicago. Carlil's passion for young people and violence prevention has pushed him to continue to fight for resources and equity in the lives of youth in the city Chicago.
As a young person , Carlil has helped to lead efforts that have written and passed laws for the State of Illinois. Carlil spent years developing and creating community change with students in Northlawndale College Prep High School. Through Goodkids Madcity, he worked with Vic Mensa to give out over 20,000 pairs of shoes, after a police bait truck incident in the Englewood community. He has been featured in documentaries produced by NBC that depict life in Chicago and how young people in his organization are helping to impact the lives of youth in the city.
Carlil was also a keynote speaker of WE Day Chicago in 2019 , where he spoke in front of 20,000 students and teachers. He was even presented the opportunity to take youth to South Africa with NBA players to learn more about history and the celebration of Nelson Mandela's legacy. Carlil currently works in the Englewood community, where he helps to serve the community that raised him and where he is raising his four boys of his own to be outstanding leaders in their community.
"In order to create change and better opportunities for our people, we must be able to breakdown the stigmas and normalization that trauma places on the lives of the community." - Carlil Pittman
STEVEN SHAW
Community Engagement Director
State Government Affairs
Verizon
Steven Shaw has over 20 years of experience spanning the private, government and nonprofit sectors, particularly providing administration and advisory services. Steven is currently the Community Engagement Director for the Chicago and Milwaukee markets within the Public Policy & Government Affairs practice at Verizon. This Community Engagement role encompasses three primary areas: Education & Advocacy, Partnership (grantmaking), and Thought Leadership.
Prior to Verizon, Steven was the Interim Executive Director of the KLEO Center, a Southside community-based nonprofit organization. In his most recent government work, Steven served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle; this role included external responsibilities such as representing the President at government forums and community events, and internally advising the Bureau of Economic Development and the Office of the Chief Information Officer in executing a billion dollar project portfolio. Prior to working for the County, Steven was an Associate Principal at Civic Consulting Alliance, providing strategy and management advisory services for public sector clients; one of his Civic Consulting clients was Cook County and Steven's consulting team created the County's Economic Development strategy. Steven began his career as a Strategy & Operations Business Analyst at Deloitte Consulting.
Steven earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Morehouse College, and a Master in Public Administration degree with a focus on nonprofit organizations and social enterprise from the Harvard Kennedy School.