by M. Angel Flores, CSPG
VP, Advancement, Communities In Schools
I love fall, and not just because it’s my birthday season. I love the crispness of cool mornings and evenings, the changing leaves, the excitement of a new school year, the decreasing daylight, all of which signal that the season of deep introspection is nearing.
In Ayurveda, fall is a season of work – harvesting the remaining food, storing it, cleaning our homes to prepare for more time indoors. Winter is then the season of deep rest and reflection. I know, I know… we live NYC, one of the largest, busiest, and least chill cities in the world. And yet, we can still find time to slow down. Truly given all that’s happening in the world, we must. Slow. Down.
Astrologically – stay with me! – the planets are doubling, if not tripling, down on signaling the need for us to take a step (or many) back and reflect. From October 3 through November 13, Venus, the planet of humanity and connection, is retrograde (reversing course in the sky) in Scorpio, the sign of transformation and depth. Essentially, we are being called to go deep with our review of how we connect and relate to each other, how we love each other. And that review requires acknowledging some very hard truths.
You’re probably thinking, “I thought this article was about philanthropy.” It is and we’re making the pivot… now!
As fundraisers, our business is philanthropy so let’s begin with the understanding that philanthropy is necessary only because of centuries of colonization and genocide. Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands and their way of living; reservation existence and endemic poverty were forced upon them. Certain communities across this land have less wealth because of centuries of brutal enslavement followed by decades of intentional disenfranchisement through legal policies that enforced separation and subjugation. This is true around the world.
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a Habitat of Humanity build in la República Dominicana. It was an incredible experience. What stuck with me, however, was a presentation that included the current economic status of la República Dominicana. The U.S. is the largest trading partner of this small island by a wide margin, and yet 19% of Dominicanos live in poverty, with over 88,000 humans living on no more than $3 a day. The need for housing was brought into stark relief as were the conditions perpetuating that need - but surely I wasn't the only one seeing the absurdity of the situation?
Is Habitat for Humanity doing a great service by building safe, structurally sound homes in la República Dominicana? Without a doubt.
In world where we truly valued human life, would a U.S.-based organization need to build homes in foreign country that annually imports $7B worth of U.S. goods? No.
However, when the trade deficit between these countries is $5B+ and the poverty rate of the country holding the deficit is nearly one-fifth of the total population, philanthropy becomes a necessity simply to ensure people have their basic needs met. It’s a manufactured problem that requires a solution that – miracle of miracles! – only the problem creator can solve. That is colonialism and capitalism in a nutshell.
So where does this leave us? As we move through the Venus retrograde in Scorpio and the fall season to prepare for winter’s push for deep rest and reflection, fundraisers are uniquely positioned to consider the ways in which we raise money and how our work truly supports humanity or continues, even in small ways, to contribute to harm.
Here are just a few questions sitting on my heart:
- Artificial Intelligence – Nonprofits are racing to use AI tools despite no substantive ROI data and with full knowledge that this technology is untested and increasingly showing signs of causing significant harm. Let’s also be clear-eyed that genocidal regimes are piloting this technology to autonomously kill humans. I’m sure many fundraisers are crafting strategy this minute for the moment if / when these companies go public and their leadership are flush with newfound wealth. How much time saved, how many dollars raised are worth the destruction of humanity, as stated by tech company leaders?
- Data Centers – The buildings powering AI are being built on farmland, near residential areas, and in locations that are ecologically important and fragile. Democratic processes are being completely ignored to fast-track data centers that are up to 17 times larger than Central Park. My organization’s largest footprint is in Texas – also the site of 596 operating or planned data centers. How will Texas children show up ready to learn in school living next to a building that emits poisonous fumes and incessant noise, both of which are causing farm animals to stop eating and become disoriented and increasingly infertile?
- Environment – The Trump administration has opened millions of acres of previously protected land for drilling and mining and border wall construction. Currently, the administration is actively destroying Big Bend National Park with zero (or more likely FULL) consideration for destroying evidence of human presence dating back 10,000+ years. Presumably the companies engaging in this irreparable harm have CSR programs and leadership engaging in philanthropy. Can I, in good conscience, pursue and accept such funds knowing that friends and colleagues who work in environmental protection, Indigenous affairs, and human rights are working to mitigate and stop the harm created by these same entities?
As I head into a five-day silent meditation retreat, I’ll be reflecting on these questions and many others, as well as my role as a team leader, philanthropic advisor, fundraiser, and above all, a human and future ancestor.
I invite you to reach out and connect with me, with friends and colleagues, with anyone working to uplift humanity.
Let’s go deeper, together, and come out of the darkness with the plan for a world built on and for loving human connection.
It won’t be easy, there many powerful interests hellbent on maintaining the disastrous status quo of profits before people.
¡Ándale!
M. Angel Flores (she/her) proudly serves as AFP NYC Treasurer. She is the Vice President of Advancement for Communities In Schools National Office, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2027. Previously, Angel was a nonprofit fundraising consultant, planning and managing campaigns ranging from $20 million to $4 billion. A natural community builder and culture creator, she led her team’s mentorship program and founded the first organizational employee resource group for working parents and an employee-led health initiative that offered meditation and movement classes. Highly motivated and results-oriented, she led a volunteer practice group focused on diversifying and increasing revenue for nonprofits. She is a member of the Board of the New York Philanthropic Planned Giving Group and her local school district. Angel currently resides on the historic lands of the Munsee Lenape, Schaghticoke, and Wappinger Peoples with her family. She draws on her Buddhist, Ayurvedic, meditation, dance, and yoga training to maintain her flexibility and strength in mind, body, and spirit. Connect with Angel on LinkedIn.
