ABOUT Breakin' It Down

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The Breakin' It Down conference enriches and strengthens under-represented and underserved communities in the Chicago area by cultivating diverse change agents in the  nonprofit fund development field through relevant programming to actively strengthen their fundraising  capabilities, fund development and resources,  and mission impact. 

To be the pivotal platform that focuses on advancing racial equity and provides communication, cooperation, and collaboration among  diverse fund development professionals who want to serve under-represented and underserved communities .

To engage participants in dialogue about key challenges in the nonprofit, philanthropy, and fundraising sector and explore best practices and different revenue-generating and sustainability strategies, as well as how to meaningfully respond to the state of our society and shape it moving forward, inspired by a racial equity framework and lens of the practice of healing. 

GOAL 1.   Serve Our Communities.

• To provide learning, communication, and dialogue that focuses on the professional growth, opportunity, and advancement for the fund development professional in support of the communities  we serve. 
• To encourage cooperative collaboration among diverse communities who share  with us the goal of serving the under-represented and underserved.
• To stimulate community engagement and leadership aimed at the achievement of racial equity  as we participate in programs  that already exist in the communities to which we belong.

GOAL 2.   Improve Our Profession

• Provide programming which promote professional growth and opportunity.
• Provide quality learning  which educates and develops skills and resources for the benefit of the community served.
• Promote competence, ethical conduct, and professionalism.
• Strengthen professional networking across different areas of expertise in the field.

GOAL 3.  Eliminate Bias and Enhance Diversity and Inclusion

• Promote full and equal participation in the our profession and racial equity giving and grant making.
• Promote agreement on the centrality of diversity and inclusion.
• Eliminate implicit bias in the nonprofit profession and the philanthropic sector through promotion of racial equity lens and self-reflection.
• Encourage new approaches and commitment to healing to seemingly intractable problems.