08 August 2020 Combatting Systemic Racism Using the Satir Model
Inspired by recent events in the USA, The Virginia Satir Global Network wants to take strides to combat systemic racism within its own organization and throughout its sphere of influence. A generous benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has offered to donate matching funds up to $100,000 to help support initiatives that use the Satir Model to create the changes to systems that will reduce and hopefully, eliminate racism.
As a VSGN board, we have identified three things we need to do as soon as possible to benefit from this amazing gift:
1. Raise funds as quickly as possible from within our organization, our affiliate organizations, and our connections, which will then be matched dollar for dollar by our benefactor. Please donate generously, if you are able, and soon, through the “DONATE” button at the bottom of the home page of our website https://satirglobal.org/. Receipts will be provided for your donations, which are eligible for a tax deduction in the USA, as VSGN has a 501C-3 designation. We will also be establishing a GoFundMe page in the near future.
2. Start to imagine and identify worthy initiatives which can be demonstrated to combat systemic racism. A formal Request for Proposals will be available as soon as possible and shared through our website “satirglobal.org” for those initiatives requesting funding through this special fund. For now, we will call it the CSR fund (Combatting Systemic Racism).
3. Participate in some of the activities- or other activities- which can help to educate ourselves and/or change the racist culture in which we live. We will publicize these as soon as we can for those of you who have not heard about them through the weekly community meeting, August 5.
4. Establish a diverse and inclusive advisory committee to help make recommendations to the Board regarding how we can best use the funds, once they are raised. We want to start building this committee by asking any interested black members and persons of color to put their names forward. We want to start changing the system in this way, from the beginning. Please contact Kim, Office Administrator at office@satirglobal.org if you are interested in putting your name forward.
More information will be available through our website and through the weekly community meetings as this news is “hot off the press”. We want to express our deep and sincere thanks to the very generous and committed philanthropist who has offered us this donation and to all of you will donate according to your means. All donations coming in through our website as of Aug. 5, 2020 will be dedicated to CSR for the foreseeable future.
Pat Bragg, Board Member VSGN