How nonprofits fail communities of color – and what to do instead

Olga González believes nonprofits often underestimate the communities they serve. They swoop in, she says, with outside resources and money but ignore the assets these communities already possess. That's why she endorses the promotora model, where a nonprofit trains people from the community they serve to provide outreach, advocacy, and services. Here, González shares several success stories of promotoras in action – from distributing masks & vaccines to farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic to monitoring air pollution near a local oil refinery.