FINDING OUR WAY HOME

Community organizers often face immense stress and burnout due to the challenging nature of their work. Investing in healing practices helps them build resilience, cope with trauma, and sustain their efforts becoming a catalyst for change. As the world seems to come apart at the seams, there is also a growing awareness that historically marginalized communities must lead our collective efforts to define problems and find solutions. This also calls for attention to the spiritual and emotional health of those leading multiple fights on the front line. Finding Our Way Home is ECM’s attempt at answering that call. Several people were involved in shaping this fund to include Elena Latona, Neha Rayamajhi and Dan Gelbtuch who worked with a Wisdom Council composed of several Massachusetts-based community leaders. As a collective, we experimented with different modalities, ranging from executive coaching and integrating care for neighbors as part of canvassing campaigns for supporting the spiritual needs of core leaders in grassroots organizations. 

In addition, we provided experimental funding to five other Burgess Urban Fund grantees working to bring spaces and strategies of healing to their organizations and communities. These projects ranged from hosting a healing retreat for youth organizers to bringing healers into a multi-day community organizing training. It is ECM’s intention to continue learning in partnership with our grantees about how healing and spirituality plays a crucial role in revitalizing and strengthening social change movements.  In collaboration with grantees, we hope to generate greater interest from philanthropic organizations on the necessity to support healing and spirituality and consider it a pillar in building movement infrastructure.

Our Theory of Change

Integrate Healing as Strategy

Prioritizing the well-being of organizers ensures they can effectively serve their communities successfully. When individuals feel supported in addressing their emotional and spiritual needs, they are better equipped to navigate challenges and remain effective advocates for social change.


Honor Ancestral Lineages & Traditions

Remembering the traditions of our ancestors can bring communities together, which opens up opportunities for the sacred practice and art of storytelling. These ancient traditions and other healing practices can foster solidarity, empathy, and a deeper connection to shared values, ultimately enhancing collective power and effectiveness. It also combats Christian hegemony (the normalization of Christian values & practices that are promoted as superior and more virtuous, which erases and distorts other faith traditions). Christian hegemony is often connected to white supremacy and Christian nationalism, which can perpetuate forms of harm against marginalized communities.


Investments as an Holistic Approach

Financial investments in healing opportunities provides a more holistic approach to grassroots movements and community organizing. It acknowledges that individuals bring their whole selves to their activism and need support in multiple dimensions as traditional methods may not be appropriate or the best for historically marginalized groups who face systemic and institutional oppression due to white supremacy.

Healthier & Tenacious Movements

Addressing organizers' spiritual needs strengthens community bonds, fosters solidarity, and increases collective power, serving as a catalyst for change in tackling social issues— while leaving legacies and models for future BIPOC leaders and organizers.

Organizations Supported by Finding Our Way Home