Truthfully, both are needed.

This shift toward embracing community strengths rather than focusing on deficits as a noble outsider is known as Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD). ABCD is about recognizing the talents, relationships, and resources already present within communities and building collaboratively to leverage them.

In my current work, I’m honored to support formerly incarcerated individuals on a pathway to sustainable employment. I’ve worked in nonprofits for nearly 20 years, but I have zero personal experience being incarcerated.

So when it comes time to create programming and write funding proposals, our greatest assets are the nearly half of my teammates who have lived experience with incarceration. Those who have left prison with nothing more than a prison ID, somewhere south of $100, and are expected to thrive in a society they may barely recognize.

My colleagues with lived experience are the ones who create the real connections that change lives. They welcome new students with an energy that makes our communities feel safe and supported. I bring the skills necessary to perform the administrative fundraising tasks required for the organization to function and thrive.

So, we collaborate.

Unfortunately, our approach remains unique. Many nonprofits still cling, often unknowingly, to a savior mentality, where communities are framed solely by their challenges, with outside help seen as the primary solution.

There is a difference between working for a community and working with one.

In her book America Is Not the Heart, Elaine Castillo describes that in the primarily Filipino language Ilocano, the word "kadwa" translates roughly to "companion," but more accurately conveys the idea of "with-ing." With, as a verb. It’s what true community partnerships can feel like. It’s about building processes and relationships, and learning together in real-time.

When you think about the classic "Save the Children" TV ads, you rarely hear about the family that built a stable agricultural business amidst poverty, or the elders passing wisdom to youth they can use to thrive in increasingly difficult circumstances. Where is the opportunity for donors to partner with these communities, rather than simply giving to them?

Funders often share reluctance to pay for “overhead,” cringing at the idea of paying salaries. What if overhead included community members who are running the programs? What if a portion of every grant was allocated to hiring individuals from the community, who are often best positioned to lead real, sustainable change?

Maybe they are not experts in grant databases or CRM systems. But who decided those were the most important qualifications? The white dominant culture that prioritizes polished, timely email replies and Instagram-friendly Zoom backgrounds overlooks the people who have lived through the realities that nonprofits could stand to learn from.

Nonprofits can take the road that may be slower but is ultimately more impactful. They can build relationships with community members and learn what they value, bringing that insight to funders who share a desire to make the biggest impact. Genuinely including a community’s needs and voices leads to a more honest and meaningful partnership.

Minneapolis-based nonprofit OneVillage Partners offers a strong example of what this shift looks like. After George Floyd’s murder, the organization began rethinking its sustainability work in Sierra Leone. They asked tough questions: Why do we not have more paid staff in-country? How can we work with communities, not for them? In embracing the principles of Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), OneVillage Partners is moving toward a more collaborative and sustainable model, even when it means rethinking long-held assumptions and learning through mistakes.

Building with communities might be slower, it might be messier, but it is the only path leading toward lasting, community-driven change. Inclusive partnership means trusting that the people
closest to the work have the greatest expertise about the way forward. Nonprofit professionals, it's our job to listen.

Nick Kelso is a 2025 graduate of the  Masters of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University and serves as the Development Manager at FreeWorld, a national nonprofit working to end generational poverty and recidivism. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.

Strengthen your current and future board members with Board Governance training

The ASU Lodestar Center’s board governance program is an effective tool in augmenting the knowledge of those who are experienced board members, as well as those who are new to board service. Every attendee or board member receives a training manual with resources, descriptions, examples, and exercises which help to build the capacity of the organization even after the board training is completed.

Each training can be geared to a specific audience, including: boards of directors, chief executive officers, board volunteers, corporations, small businesses, civil organizations, and any other group that would like to have their employees/members trained to be effective community leaders through service as board members.

• How can nonprofits adapt to changes in federal funding?
• What nonprofit leaders can do when values are tested