How Privileged Are You?
Sometimes even fundraisers need food for the soul.
Tom and I serve up over-sized portions on techniques, strategies and tactics, and other helpful (we hope!) stuff to help you with your job.
We’re a bit light on the broccoli equivalents. Not that we’re opposed to balanced mental nutrition for fundraisers, it’s just that sometimes it’s easier to reach for the bag of chips.
In The Agitator’s Blog Roll (look on the right hand column of The Agitator’s homepage), you’ll find a listing for Simone Uncensored. When I check this out it’s kind of like going to church, but more frequently than my erratic Christian Christmas and Easter attendance.
This week Simone did a post that hit a nerve. It’s titled Are You Privileged. In it she distinguishes between ‘earned’ and ‘unearned’ privilege. Chances are you’re part of those whose privilege is ‘unearned’.
That’s not a bad thing. But it sure would help your modesty, your personal development, and your skill as a fundraiser if you came to understand the difference.
First of all, most of my generation of fundraisers (folks 50-75) have ‘unearned’ privileges because we’re white, educated, heterosexual and male. We were born into privilege. (Blessedly that’s changing thanks to aging and retirements.)
While that’s unfortunate in and of itself, spare the self-flagellation. Instead, just recognize your affliction and do something about it.
- Your job is not to bask complacently in your ‘unearned’ privilege.
- Your job is to fight for an organization whose leadership and staffing combines the ‘unearned’ and ‘earned’ privileged.
- Your job is not to bask and lord it over others because you hit the genetic lottery.
- Your job is to involve as many folks as you can in building a just and humane society.
Want to know what your level of privilege is? Take the Privilege Quiz.
Then go to ‘church’ by reading and reflecting on Simone’s post.
Roger
6 responses to “How Privileged Are You?”
Behavioral Science Q & A
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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I grew up in a poor, uneducated, dysfunctional family but because I’m white my achievements are tainted by privilege? Never mind fighting against bias and racism for fifty years. I’m sorry, but I will never buy into the lame excuse of privilege that blames one group for the flaws we all possess.
I was born in a home for unwed mothers and raised by a single mother back in the days when no one did that. Grew up pretty much mired in dysfunction and abuse. Hey, and a woman to boot. But, yes, I was also privileged. Thanks solely to the color of my skin.
Jon Stewart, in his piece covering Ferguson, said “Imagine, on a consistent basis that you can’t get a cab even though you’re a neurosurgeon, because you’re black. Race is there and it is a constant. You’re tired of hearing about it? Imagine how fucking exhausting it is living it.”
Simone is right. We don’t talk about unearned privilege.
Your job is to go to a real church and read Luke 12:48. Much will be required from everyone to whom much has been given. But even more will be demanded from the one to whom much has been entrusted.”
And do we really need the cursing?
It isn’t about blame. It is about recognizing the privilege of race, gender, class, sexual orientation. All unearned…born. The civil rights movement recognizes unearned privilege. So does the feminist movement and the LGBTQ movement.
We fight for equity, which is different than equality. We fight to ensure that everyone recognizes his/her own privilege … And to know that that privilege (whatever it might be) gives us a lens of experience that we need I acknowledge. And to know that others may not have that lens and that might be a disadvantage. We have to stop talking about the disadvantages of being born black, female, poor…. And instead talk about unearned adva rages, too
Otherwise, we ei never create equity. So.. For example… Because I can financially afford to give more money, does that mean I should receive bettered ignition? Surely that is worth exploring. Simone
Like Simone, except for the woman thing, I’m very privileged. Fortunately, I was always taught to be aware of that. I know I didn’t earn most of it. And so yes, Chip, I do feel I owe. Much has been given, indeed.
Good reminder, Roger.
Hi again. Read Seth Godin’s blog, “The wasteful fraud of sorting for youth meritocracy.” Posted today, Tuesday, September 2, 2014. Wonderful piece.
And it talks about unearned privilege and meritocracy.