MNEA Book Club

Based on feedback from MNEA's Member Survey in July, and subsequent conversations, MNEA will be hosting a monthly book club that may be a space to converse with fellow evaluators about evaluation and topics around social justice. So grab your beverage of choice, cozy up, and join us every first Wednesday of the month 7-8 pm/CST!

The first book we will be reading and discussing is Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance by Edgar Villanueva.  The book explores a radical re-imagining of the philanthropic and nonprofit systems, calling out the embedded racism and power dynamics while offering an alternative way forward.

We can't wait for you to join us Wednesday, March 3, 2021, from 7:00 - 8:00 pm/CST for our first meeting as we progress our efforts to learn more about the systems of injustices that our evaluation work is a part of and contributes to, and journey forward together as we raise our own awareness of bias and racial inequities, particularly in the philanthropic sector.

The sooner you RSVP the better to have more time to critically think through the material we are reading for our first month's get-together! So please RSVP by Wednesday, February 24th!

Update: We are unable to provide free copies to members registering after 2/18/21 based on higher than anticipated requests and a limited budget. You can still register for the event and secure your own copy. 

Please review the questions below before registering!

These are proposed group norms to ensure all are willing to share space and discussion with folks in the book club! You will be asked to affirm your agreement during registration.

1. Are you willing to approach participation in book club activities with an open mind?
2. Are you willing to accept that others may have different viewpoints than your own, and any tension created will be worked through together?
3. Are you willing to help cultivate a collective space of trust, care, and connection as we discuss challenging topics?