Today is National Day of Conversation: raising awareness of sexual harassment in sector
Melanie May | 26 November 2020 | News
Today is the National Day of Conversation: a day of digital conversation to raise awareness of sexual harassment of fundraisers in the charitable sectors.
The National Day of Conversation (#NDOC) was cofounded last year by Canadians Wanda Deschamps, Principal, Liberty Co, and Liz LeClair, Director of Major Gifts, QEII Health Sciences Centre Foundation. It is a digital day, run by Fundraising Everywhere, and is dedicated to the issue of sexual harassment in the charitable sector, and what the sector can do to bring about positive change. This is its second year.
In the UK it starts at 2pm this afternoon (9am EST), on a pay what you can basis. The event will include content for everyone from frontline fundraisers to managers, and the board, with a focus on creating safe workspaces, preventing sexual harassment, and how to support employees who report.
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Sessions run all day and include:
- “Whatever it Takes”: Ohio State University research into the sexual exploitation of fundraisers
- Dealing with inappropriate behaviour from donors and volunteers
- Using restorative justice in the workplace
- Safe workplaces
- What it’s like to be a survivor of sexualised violence
- Donor dominance: How donors exert influence on organisations.
The full schedule can be seen here, and the speakers here.
Join Shanaaz Gokool on Nov 26 as she hosts Ohio State University researchers, @DrEEBeaton and Dr. Megan LePere-Schloop of @OhioState for a discussion about their research on the #sexualexploitation of fundraisers.
— nationaldayofconversation (@nationaldayofc1) November 11, 2020
Register at https://t.co/jtADN4Jm6h pic.twitter.com/RlRyMjE4TQ
There are also lots of resources on the site, from shareable social media assets to help with speaking to leadership to review organisational policies, procedures, and support systems.
All content from the day will also remain online and accessible after the event.
According to a 2018 Harris Poll survey by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP):
25% of female fundraisers, and 7% of men, have experienced sexual harassment in their work.
In 65% of the cases reported in the survey, the perpetrator of the harassment was a donor.
13% of those who reported experiencing harassment felt that their organisation placed a greater value on the loyalty of donors than the safety of its staff.
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.