#Expert Conversations: Nikki Brown-Booker

WITH is pleased to present Expert Conversations, an ongoing series that features conversations with experts in the fields of healthcare, disability, digital health, and philanthropy.

Today’s Expert Conversation is with Nikki Brown-Booker, the Program Officer for the Disability Inclusion Fund. The Disability Inclusion Fund is a $10M, 5-year fund that supports U.S. groups run by and for disabled people to lead transformational change. The fund is supported by the President’s Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, comprised of foundation presidents who are committed to disability inclusion as part of improving diversity, equity, and inclusion. The fund is housed at Borealis Philanthropy.

As a person with a disability and a biracial woman, Nikki lives within the intersections of disability justice and racial justice. Most recently she was the Executive Director for Easy Does It Emergency Services, a nonprofit that provides emergency attendant care, wheelchair repair, and transportation for people with disabilities and seniors in Berkeley. She has also organized with Hand in Hand: the Domestic Employers Network and helped pass the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.

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The Disability Inclusion Fund supports U.S. groups run by and for disabled people to lead transformational change. Can you tell me more about the projects the fund has supported to date?

Nikki: We did a round of rapid response funding for COVID-19 as our first grantmaking efforts because people with disabilities were so deeply affected by the pandemic. We are just completing our first full year of grantmaking and have a pretty diverse portfolio of organizations. We have representation from all regions of the U.S. and particularly prioritized BIPOC and people with disability led orgs. We funded disability organizing, policy work, arts-based work and orgs doing advocacy in support of PWD.

What is your primary objective as Program Officer for the Disability Inclusion Fund? 

Nikki: My primary objective is to bridge philanthropy and disability and foster understanding between the two worlds. 

What are the most common misconceptions about the work that you do?

Nikki: I think people have the misconception that Borealis is like any other foundation and that we traditional in the way we fund. We primarily fund movement building work and we pride ourselves on doing it differently than others. For example the DIF is using a participatory grantmaking process so people that are directly effected are making decisions on where the money goes.

How is the Disability Inclusion Fund responding to the COVID-19 crises?

Nikki: We funded 15 organizations doing mutual aid, policy and advocacy work directly related to COVID-19 for a total of $225,000.

What issue related to healthcare for people with IDD do you feel needs more attention?

Nikki: I think more work to assist people with IDD to be more self-advocates and have more self-determination in their own healthcare.

You are well known as an advocate for racial and disability justice. How do you think organizations engaged in philanthropy can effectively serve intersectional communities?

Nikki: I think they can focus their funding on serving intersectional communities. They can deeply engage the work not just by giving money but also educating their staff on the issues that interest race and disability justice. They can also provide opportunities for intersectional communities to engage each other in meaningful ways.

The Disability Inclusion Fund is one of Borealis Philanthropy ten collaborative funds. How intentional is Borealis about including disability in their grantmaking overall?

Nikki: I think they are trying to be very intentional in doing cross collaborative funding. We have frequent discussions on how we can do this more and better. We often refer organizations to other funds if we think it is appropriate. We are also including this in our work plans for the future.

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Thanks to Nikki and Borealis Philanthropy for their efforts and for the work they support!