Periagoge
Scenario

When nonprofit teams struggle with class dynamics in service delivery

Our nonprofit team is supposed to be serving low-income communities but most of us are middle-class professionals who've never experienced poverty ourselves and there's this weird dynamic where we talk about 'our clients' in ways that feel patronizing. The few team members who have lived experience keep trying to push back but the conversations get uncomfortable and we end up avoiding the real issues.

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Teams serving communities they don't belong to avoid confronting their own class privilege and its impact on their work.

Your guide for this
Juana
Juana works with people navigating exactly this kind of situation.
Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Poverty and identity?”

Peri

Peri can explain why this happens, help you decide if this is the right situation for you, and point toward the right journey or coach.

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.