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The @SunFoundation ended a nearly 15-year run this week. I was on the board of directors that made the decision that it was time to close the organization. https://sunlightfoundation.com/2020/09/24/a-note-from-the-sunlight-foundations-board-chair/
I never worked directly with @SunFoundation. But I went to their panels, read their blogs, used their tools, admired their teams. When I heard they were shutting down in 2016, I signed my name to an open letter objecting to the decision, worried about the loss to the community.
In 2018, I was asked by @JohnWonderlich to join a renewed board, alongside @zoe_reiter, as part of a turnaround effort. Weeks later, the Huffington Post released an account of alleged sexual misconduct and mistreatment by a former Sunlight employee. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/clay-johnson-attempted-rape-dean-campaign
I was appalled by the account. But I also was not surprised. As a young woman in DC, the "community" of tech for transparency, civics, etc. had an alcohol-fueled social scene, and its most celebrated stars were often young men who could do no wrong.
I distinctly remember being warned to watch out for advances. I took it to heart and stayed far away. I was afraid of what it would mean as a woman to have anything sexual, consensual or otherwise, linked to my professional reputation. I imagine most women know what I mean.
As new directors to the board, in the midst of the #MeToo 
moment, @zoe_reiter and I felt that it was essential the organization reckon with its past. We worked together as allies and published our public plan as a first measure of accountability. https://sunlightfoundation.com/2018/05/21/our-process-for-reviewing-sunlights-history/
moment, @zoe_reiter and I felt that it was essential the organization reckon with its past. We worked together as allies and published our public plan as a first measure of accountability. https://sunlightfoundation.com/2018/05/21/our-process-for-reviewing-sunlights-history/
It turned out we were unprepared for this work. As only two volunteer board members, we had almost no capacity to handle the intake of former employee and community experiences on our own, in a systematized and substantive way. https://sunlightfoundation.com/2018/06/20/how-to-participate-in-the-sunlight-foundations-review/
We regrouped. We hired the excellent Katherine Kimpel of Ramona Strategies, who undertook a thoughtful and uncompromising review, based on what she and her colleagues were able to ascertain. https://sunlightfoundation.com/2019/02/26/conclusion-of-the-sunlight-foundations-review-process/
I know @zoe_reiter and I are proud that we were able to release that review as part of our commitments. But there's no getting around it: we lost time and trust, and the opportunity to do the necessary restorative justice work that @SunFoundation would have required to thrive.
There were many reasons that we were not able to fulfill the vision that @zoe_reiter and I had for a thorough accounting of the past. That's for another time. But it's clear that those reasons are why so many organizations fail their people, particularly the least empowered.
I am disappointed we were not able to do more for @SunFoundation, and the people who loved it for what it could be, despite what it had been. When we closed down, it was staffed by many fantastic humans who truly believed in the mission and work. We will see them do so much more.
Make no mistake, @SunFoundation had a tremendous and positive impact on sectoral innovation for technology and transparency. It also had a corrosive and lasting impact on the professional and personal well-being of many people. Both things can be true.
I remain in awe of the bravery of the women, particularly @SarahSchacht, and others who came forward to speak out about the toxicity, exclusion, and harm that they and others endured. We owe you so much more. Thank you.
We wanted this to be a turnaround story. We did not want the lesson to be "sweep it under the rug." We wanted it to be, "grapple with and own your legacy." We wanted this important organization to be able to openly reckon with a troubled past, and move forward with purpose.
I regret that we failed to steward @SunFoundation forward. My closing hope is that failure is not received as a lesson. Organizations must grapple with their legacies of exclusion, toxicity, and harassment. Funders should support the work. Boards must be accountable and engaged.
This isn’t simple. It requires meeting the bravery of those who come forward with commensurate institutional courage. That’s not a solo act. It requires us all to step forward in unison. There is so much weight, legacy, and power that holds us back.
We’re going to get it wrong more than right. But of all institutions, non-profits have a special obligation to do the work. Our orgs, founded in aspiration, often have all the same institutional problems as the societies we seek to change. The work starts at home.
