I’ve worked in non-profit finance for nearly two decades, and seen the ways that adherence to capitalism and its tenets can lead to suboptimal social outcomes, even in mission-driven organizations., Towards Liberation shows us that the health of an organization’s bottom line is only one way to think about wholeness and sustainability.

In my work as a nonprofit finance professional, I often catch myself seeking or being asked for the “right answer” when it comes to an organization’s financial health. Towards Liberation’s side-by-side comparison of the cultures of liberation and dominance reveals the expansiveness of solutions that come into focus when I consciously move from a stance of right/wrong to a stance of what is working/not working with respect to financial decision-making.

In working with staff for the last four years to increase the values-alignment and transparency of Oakland Museum of California’s budget process and content, I have learned to be highly self-aware of when I am aligning myself with a culture of dominance versus a culture of liberation in groups of mixed authority, power, and privilege. Towards Liberation puts into words and action what I have felt missing and needed in my leadership. Specifically, paying attention to what feels joyful and what creates discomfort in my body has been key for me in making strides toward working well and productively across hierarchies.”

Kim Ondreck Carim

Chief Financial Officer, Oakland Museum of California