Centering the Voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in Discussions of Traditional Volunteerism

Abstract

This working paper is neither a ten-step plan nor a best practices manual. It’s a starting point. It is a thirty-something-page recognition that the nonprofit sector can foster an unwelcoming environment to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). It is a space to center the experiences, hesitancies, and frustrations of BIPOC individuals who volunteer in Minnesota. It is a needed dialogue of why BIPOC volunteers feel disengaged with larger, traditional nonprofit organizations. The purpose is to inform and motivate volunteer administrators and managers to reflect (and hopefully begin acting) on how their organizational structures and operations uphold systemic racism in volunteer engagement. Volunteerism is still collectively characterized by the white experience. Too many research articles fail to separate the experiences of BIPOC volunteers from their white counterparts. We need more thorough studies of the barriers and structures in place that prevent BIPOC volunteers from engaging with larger service organizations. That is why this paper is built upon the insights of Minneapolis BIPOC volunteers who were gracious enough to join in a number of listening sessions facilitated by the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement. This paper is written by a middle-class twenty-five-year-old white woman from Minnesota. I am neither a BIPOC individual nor an expert in eliminating systemic oppression. However, that does not excuse me from fighting for racial equity. I have a responsibility to challenge the norms that benefit and prioritize white individuals, especially when they relate to my studies and work. I am trying to elevate the voices of BIPOC volunteers as part of the larger discussion about racial inequity in volunteerism. For this reason, to be faithful to these experiences detailed by BIPOC individuals, I will rely on their voices as much as possible.