Core Competencies for Rich People in Left Movements

Core competencies are like nutritious foods? That you then mix into a tasty dish? My best justifications for attaching this beautiful photo.

Core competencies are skills and practices needed to be successful at an activity. In this case, the activity is left power building and the transformation of society.

It seems like it would be quite useful if we articulated the core competencies for rich people to contribute to left movements. It could help unite a set of organizations and individuals around a collective project, as no one organization or person will be sufficient support for all these on their own.

These core competencies are the collective responsibility of left movements and left movement organizations to teach and support rich people to practice. They are not a checklist to judge individual excellence or that any one rich person can complete. They are skills and practices that need ongoing support to be able to do consistently.

They are skills and practices that can, and are being, learned and taught. Many of these core competencies are being taught to and practiced by people with wealth right now within organizations like Resource Generation, Solidaire, Patriotic Millionaires, Donors of Color Network, Way to Win, Social Justice Fund Northwest, North Star Fund, Thousand Currents, Decolonizing Wealth, Grassroots International, Movement Voter Project, Small Business Rising, and so many more. As well, the development of specific core competencies below can be, and are being supported by a host of individuals who work as donor advisors, investment advisors, money coaches, therapists, healers, trainers and more. There is a whole ecosystem of organizations and individuals to turn to for support and training.

Every rich person, with sufficient support, has the potential to practice them (even if we are quite far from having sufficient support at the current moment).

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What are core competencies for people with wealth to be powerful participants and leaders within multi-racial, cross-class left movements?

1. Loves themselves, with kindness and patience. Knows and values their own self-worth, separate from the money and power they might have or the actions they take in the world. Has a personal and/or collective practice to help them with this.
2. Participates in one or more collective projects that contribute to left movement building and serves as a political home base. This political home is ideally guided by and part of multi-racial, cross-class, working-class led US and International left social movements. Participates openly as a rich person. At least one of these projects is a progressive donor network such as Solidaire, Donors of Color Network, Resource Generation, Way to Win, Movement Voter Project, Women’s Donor Network, Democracy Alliance, Threshold Foundation or another.
3. Has a multi-year financial plan that boldly and meaningfully donates to and invests in left movement building, and the redistribution of land, wealth and power. This plan is in alignment with social justice philanthropy and investment principles.
4. Sees, understands and can articulate their self-interest in the transition to a more just and sustainable economy and society, the end of racism, classism, sexism and all oppressions, and the redistribution of land, wealth and power.
5. Has an understanding of racial capitalism, how it has played out in the last few generations of their family, how wealth has been made through slavery, genocide, and theft from extraction and exploitation, and is engaged in ways to repair those wrongs.
6. Is able to talk openly about their class position, class background and class patterns. This includes being open and transparent about their wealth, and, with support, being able to talk to the media about their story.
7. Takes responsibility for supporting other people with wealth, and people from similar class positions. This can be in the form of celebrating successes, helping out when others make mistakes, leadership development, political education, fundraising, emotional support, challenging conversations, mentoring and more.
8. Can have a 1–1 with someone who shares their class position and make an ask that moves that person towards greater alignment and support of left movements.
9. Able and willing to follow the leadership of others, particularly poor and working class people, women and people of color. Enthusiastic participation in projects where they are not the decision maker or in charge.
10. Willingly receives feedback when they inevitably make big and small mistakes. Has ways of receiving consistent feedback…ie close relationships where honest feedback is given and semi-regular processes to receive group feedback. As well, willingly gives direct feedback as needed to maintain honest, close relationships.

Under Consideration

1. Has solid, trusting, close relationships with working class people and working class lefty organizing efforts AND other rich people. You need both. Relationships are key. They provide the most durable forms of commitment, love and accountability.
2. Leadership roles within wealthy community. The more leadership a rich person takes in wealthy community and in wealthy institutions, the more powerfully they can move rich people collectively.
3. Thoughtful and skilled at understanding oppressions and the way they intersect and impact all of us, and our relationships. Particularly, classism, racism, sexism and anti-semitism as key factors in organizing who has wealth and how.
4. Can navigate and understand the world of numbers, budgets, finance and quantitative analysis. As we transform financial systems and move wealth, skills and confidence around navigating finance are quite useful.