Cyndi Suarez

Cyndi Suarez: Architect of Equitable Narratives in Philanthropy and Social Justice

We’ve followed Cyndi Suarez’s transformative work at the intersection of nonprofit leadership and racial justice advocacy for over a decade. As President and Editor-in-Chief of Nonprofit Quarterly, Suarez has redefined how sector professionals understand power dynamics while centering marginalized voices in national policy conversations.

Career Trajectory: From Feminist Theory to Movement Leadership

Suarez’s career reflects a deliberate path toward systemic change:

• Academic Foundations: Grounded in feminist theory (New School for Social Research) and nonprofit management (MS, Southern New Hampshire University)
• Editorial Leadership: Evolved from Senior Editor to President/Editor-in-Chief at Nonprofit Quarterly (2018–present)
• Movement Strategy: Key collaborator with the Movement for Black Lives’ economic policy team
• Authorial Impact: Published The Power Manual: How to Master Complex Power Dynamics (2018), required reading in 23+ university social work programs

Defining Works: Three Pillars of Praxis

Nonprofits as Battlegrounds for Democracy

This 2023 analysis dismantles the sector’s historical role in maintaining racial hierarchies. Suarez traces how 20th-century nonprofit growth coincided with suppression of BIPOC-led democratic movements, citing specific case studies from urban housing policy archives. Her methodology combines:

• Historical institutional analysis of 501(c)(3) incorporation patterns
• First-person interviews with community organizers bypassing traditional nonprofit structures
• Critical race theory applied to philanthropic funding flows

“The nonprofit industrial complex didn’t accidentally become a buffer against radical change—it was designed to sanitize dissent through bureaucratic capture.”

The article sparked renewed debate about decolonizing grantmaking practices, referenced in 17 subsequent academic papers on nonprofit governance.

Puerto Rico: The Critical Role of Information...

Suarez’s 2024 investigative piece documents how community nonprofits rebuilt information networks after Hurricane Fiona’s infrastructure collapse. Through embedded reporting in Loíza’s Caribbean Cultural Corridor, she reveals:

• 73% of disaster-relief NGOs developed alternative communication systems within 6 weeks
• Formation of 14 localized “information pods” preserving Afro-Taíno cultural narratives
• Algorithmic analysis of social media misinformation targeting diaspora communities

This work informed FEMA’s 2025 Community-Led Crisis Response Guidelines, demonstrating Suarez’s policy impact.

When Blackness is Centered, Everybody Wins

Suarez’s 2024 dialogue with equity strategist Dax Devlon-Ross operationalizes pro-Black institutional frameworks. The piece introduces measurable metrics for organizational transformation:

• Power Distribution Index: Quantifying decision-making authority across racial lines
• Narrative Equity Audit: Assessing whose stories shape organizational identity
• Reparative Budget Mapping: Aligning 30%+ of program spending with BIPOC vendors

“Centering Blackness isn’t about exclusion—it’s about creating conditions where all marginalized groups can thrive through modeled liberation.”

Beat Analysis & Pitching Strategies

1. Frame Systemic Challenges Through Community-Led Solutions

Suarez prioritizes stories demonstrating how marginalized groups redefine power structures. Successful pitches highlight:
Example: Her Puerto Rico coverage centered Loíza’s artists creating economic alternatives to colonial tourism models.

2. Connect Policy to Lived Experience with Intersectional Data

Quantitative analysis must contextualize qualitative narratives. Ideal submissions include:
Example: “Nonprofits as Battlegrounds” paired Census data on nonprofit density with oral histories from Ferguson organizers.

3. Expose Hidden Power Dynamics in Philanthropic Systems

Investigative proposals should map funding flows and governance patterns:
Example: Suarez’s Movement for Black Lives collaboration traced how 68% of racial equity grants maintained white-led power structures.

4. Propose Forward-Facing Models for Institutional Transformation

Avoid problem-centric pitches; emphasize actionable frameworks:
Example: The Power Distribution Index from her Devlon-Ross dialogue is now used by 42 NGOs to audit decision-making equity.

5. Center Global South Epistemologies in Domestic Policy

Suarez seeks diasporic perspectives informing U.S. systems:
Example: Her disaster response analysis incorporated Puerto Rican community practices into mainland preparedness strategies.

Awards and Sector Recognition

• 2024 Nonprofit Visionary Award: Recognized by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management for redefining sector-wide discourse on power equity. Selection criteria emphasized practical applicability of her frameworks across 200+ organizations.
• The Power Manual: Named “Most Influential Policy-Adjacent Text” by 2023 Social Justice Literature Consortium. Reviewers noted its adoption in municipal DEI training programs across 11 states.
• Keynote Speaker: 2025 United Nations Civil Society Conference plenary session on decolonizing humanitarian systems, reaching 6,000+ global attendees.