Time for Restoration and Re-examination
Donation protected
Greetings,
As part of my paid work as an Executive Director, I spend a sizable amount of my time raising money to cover programming and administrative expenses incurred by the organization I run. It is what I signed up for when I took on the job; and it is feels good when foundations and individual donors support our vision and hard work by providing resources that keep the organization strong and vibrant. What I have very little practice with, is making requests that bolster my own individual development and transformation; with the goal of shoring up my own resilience towards continual participation in the long-lasting struggle for human freedom.
As a matter of living into my commitment to authentic and visible leadership and accepting love and care, I am reaching out to family, friends, and comrades for financial support that will go towards my upcoming three-week residency, hosted by Windcall Institute on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
For the past five years, I have been at the helm of Youth United for Change (YUC). I have strived to both help this 28-year-old organization deftly respond to constantly changing political and economic terrain, while also cultivating an experimental and rigorous organizational culture that has firmly placed YUC on the practical cutting edge of youth organizing, and the U.S. social justice sector more broadly. This has been a fruitful endeavor, but has come at great emotional cost.
Many of you may know that I have suffered deep personal trauma because of my willingness to break with movement culture orthodoxy as a means to improve the outcomes of the organization I run and steadfastly support the folks attached to it. During my time at YUC, I have unfortunately experienced death threats, devastating smear campaigns, and overall ostracism and loneliness due to my political and personal orientations towards the work. It has been extremely painful; not only personally, but for those dear to me who have witnessed these attacks up close and personal. Needless to say, I have been diagnosed with serious depression and burnout; and if I want to keep running this marathon, I have been instructed by my therapist to spend time rethinking my relationship to movement work and spaces.
A number of comrades and close supporters advised that I seek out some type of respite, and suggested that I apply for a residency offered by Windcall Institute. I applied, and was lucky enough to be selected for a three-week residency in Washington state, from late September - mid October. I am grateful to all the folks that stayed in my ear and encouraged me to take time for myself; I would not have done it otherwise.
With this in mind, I am trying to raise $1,500, which will (1) allow me to cover the majority of my travel expenses and (2) supplement additional activity expenses outside of provided residency programming. Whatever you can offer will be of help, and thank you again for your ongoing support. I hope to use the time away to further unpack my experiences (without the pressure of daily organizational responsibilities), and figure out my next steps, politically and career-wise, going forward.
Onward,
Rapheal Randall
As part of my paid work as an Executive Director, I spend a sizable amount of my time raising money to cover programming and administrative expenses incurred by the organization I run. It is what I signed up for when I took on the job; and it is feels good when foundations and individual donors support our vision and hard work by providing resources that keep the organization strong and vibrant. What I have very little practice with, is making requests that bolster my own individual development and transformation; with the goal of shoring up my own resilience towards continual participation in the long-lasting struggle for human freedom.
As a matter of living into my commitment to authentic and visible leadership and accepting love and care, I am reaching out to family, friends, and comrades for financial support that will go towards my upcoming three-week residency, hosted by Windcall Institute on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state.
For the past five years, I have been at the helm of Youth United for Change (YUC). I have strived to both help this 28-year-old organization deftly respond to constantly changing political and economic terrain, while also cultivating an experimental and rigorous organizational culture that has firmly placed YUC on the practical cutting edge of youth organizing, and the U.S. social justice sector more broadly. This has been a fruitful endeavor, but has come at great emotional cost.
Many of you may know that I have suffered deep personal trauma because of my willingness to break with movement culture orthodoxy as a means to improve the outcomes of the organization I run and steadfastly support the folks attached to it. During my time at YUC, I have unfortunately experienced death threats, devastating smear campaigns, and overall ostracism and loneliness due to my political and personal orientations towards the work. It has been extremely painful; not only personally, but for those dear to me who have witnessed these attacks up close and personal. Needless to say, I have been diagnosed with serious depression and burnout; and if I want to keep running this marathon, I have been instructed by my therapist to spend time rethinking my relationship to movement work and spaces.
A number of comrades and close supporters advised that I seek out some type of respite, and suggested that I apply for a residency offered by Windcall Institute. I applied, and was lucky enough to be selected for a three-week residency in Washington state, from late September - mid October. I am grateful to all the folks that stayed in my ear and encouraged me to take time for myself; I would not have done it otherwise.
With this in mind, I am trying to raise $1,500, which will (1) allow me to cover the majority of my travel expenses and (2) supplement additional activity expenses outside of provided residency programming. Whatever you can offer will be of help, and thank you again for your ongoing support. I hope to use the time away to further unpack my experiences (without the pressure of daily organizational responsibilities), and figure out my next steps, politically and career-wise, going forward.
Onward,
Rapheal Randall
Organizer
Rapheal Randall
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA