As an Advocate, Fair Chance is committed to educating funders and policymakers about the important role that small, community-based nonprofits play in addressing the needs of children, youth, and families in DC and Prince George’s County neighborhoods most challenged by poverty. We tell stories about how these nonprofits, often under resourced because of institutional, racist, and systemic biases, have deep trust in and knowledge of the communities they serve and are, therefore, best positioned to achieve innovations and lasting change. We also support these nonprofits in advocating for themselves. We exist within a larger ecosystem of individuals, institutions, and forces in the DC area.

We do this through serving as the convener of the Coalition for Nonprofit Equity and supporting the work of DC Action’s coalitions, which many members of our network are active participants.

The Coalition for Nonprofit Equity is a collective of more than 1,000 DC community-based nonprofit organizations. The Coalition works to address financial challenges experienced by nonprofits and to elevate nonprofit partners to an equal footing with the government on whose behalf we are often called to implement programs and services. A Steering Committee facilitates the agenda of the Coalition.