Building Justice From Within: A 4-Week Transformation Syllabus

The goal is to develop more effective systems for the ongoing practice of justice within our institutions.

Traditional approaches to nonprofit and social justice work often reinforce the same systems they aim to challenge, training leaders to operate within structures that sustain rather than transform existing power dynamics. These syllabi offer a different path forward, one that acknowledges the urgent need to align our practices with our values of justice.

Each syllabus includes a guide on how to use it, learning objectives, core materials, and a four-week curriculum, providing a comprehensive framework for reimagining how we approach nonprofit and social justice work, whether you’re practicing or teaching.

They provide structured pathways for questioning traditional approaches, emphasizing community voices, and creating systems that embody justice principles rather than merely advocating for them. The goal is to ensure that both current practitioners and future leaders have the knowledge and accountability frameworks needed for genuine liberatory social change work.

Version 1: For Nonprofit Workers & Social Justice Practitioners

Learning Objectives:

1. Clear tools for organizational assessment that identify gaps between stated values and actual practices, including frameworks for auditing hiring, decision-making, storytelling, and resource allocation for equity and justice.

2. Practical methodologies for redesigning organizational systems using design justice principles, including strategies for centering those most affected by your work in the redesign process.

3. Concrete strategies for sharing power within organizations through democratic governance, community accountability structures, and compensation systems that value community expertise and leadership.

4. A sustainable accountability framework for maintaining justice-centered practices under institutional pressure, including metrics that measure organizational health alongside programmatic outcomes.

5. An implementation roadmap with specific commitments, accountability partnerships, and quarterly check-in processes to ensure lasting organizational transformation rather than temporary changes.

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Version 2: For Academics & Educators in Nonprofit/Philanthropy Studies

Learning Objectives:

1. A clear understanding of how to integrate liberatory frameworks and community-centered perspectives into nonprofit curriculum, moving beyond traditional management approaches to prepare students for authentic systems change work.

2. Practical tools and strategies for centering community knowledge in the classroom through collaborative curriculum development, meaningful community partnerships, and ethical compensation systems for community expertise.

3. Concrete methods for designing educational experiences that prepare students to challenge existing nonprofit structures rather than simply perpetuate them, including case studies, assignments, and assessments focused on justice-centered practice.

4. An accountability framework for ensuring their educational practices align with liberatory values and genuinely prepare students for transformative careers in social change work.

5. A sustainable approach to ongoing curriculum transformation and community partnership that can be maintained within academic institutional structures while continuously evolving based on student and community feedback.

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Note: These syllabi are intentionally left somewhat open-ended to make it work for you and your goals. This work is about commitment to continuous growth and the courage to face uncomfortable truths. The goal is to develop more effective systems for the ongoing practice of justice within our institutions.

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