2024 Executive Leadership Transition

Letter from Khalilah Elliott, Interim Executive Director

June 20, 2024

Watch Khalilah’s video instead.

Dear YES! Community, 

It is both my honor and a thrill to connect with you, our dedicated readers, donors, partners, and supporters in my new capacity as the Interim Executive Director of YES!

Growing up as the middle of five kids to working-class parents in Louisiana, I learned many lessons, but chief among them were the power in speaking up and using one’s own voice to call out injustice, the freedom in being one’s authentic self, and the responsibility we all have to help others who do not have access to that which we may be privileged to have.  

Those early lessons have translated into a life which I am extremely proud of while also greatly influencing my work ethic and approach to leadership. They specifically helped to set me on a path of intentionally using my access, education, and limited privilege as a Black woman in leadership to bring awareness to issues and causes that matter deeply to me, such as education, racial justice, reproductive justice, Black maternal & infant health, youth & women’s empowerment, and more. Throughout my career, I have always tried to create space and identify opportunities for others to flourish through mentorship and thought partnership while consistently prioritizing efforts to engage those often underrepresented or excluded from critical discussions impacting them, including people of color, women, and young people.  

Having spent much of my professional life in various levels of leadership within nonprofits, performing arts institutions, and corporations, developing marketing & communications strategies as well as leading fundraising campaigns to support their causes, I am both encouraged by the incredible progress we have made on so many of these issues in recent years, yet equally concerned and frustrated by the setbacks we simultaneously face. 
 
Thus, finding myself at the helm of YES! in this moment when the staff and Board together have called for the organization to evolve to become an even more radically inclusive, unapologetic, and equitable journalism organization is both humbling and inspiring. 
 
Having served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at YES! since early 2023, I am no stranger to this incredible community. I have witnessed firsthand the extraordinary efforts of our team of journalists and administrative staff who uphold the highest standards of journalistic ethics and professional integrity. I am humbled to join the team during this period of transition and transformation and truly grateful for their faith in my leadership. 
 
Like many of us deeply devoted to equity, justice, and collective liberation, I recognize that protecting and expanding the reach of YES!, an independent news source that provides truthful, fact-based reporting, free from animus, sensationalism, and bias is critically important—especially now.  

We must ensure that YES! continues to exist for current and future readers. Doing so will require our collective energy, ideas of innovation, and a commitment to fund the work.  

As I step into this new role, I am especially honored to work alongside our collective of stellar individuals managing the day-to-day operations at YES! Having spent the past four weeks in deep discussions with team members, I am confident that together we will continue to produce the progressive, transformative journalistic content that you have come to expect.

In the coming weeks and months, I will share more specifics about my vision for the next phase of YES!’s journey. For now, I want to highlight three critical areas necessary for the organization’s long-term viability and sustainability that will be my primary focus: 

Financial Stability & Governance:  

Reorganizing YES!’s internal financial systems to ensure compliance and responsible management is among the most critical needs the organization has presently and is among my top priorities for the first 90 days in this role. Working in partnership with members of our finance team and the board finance committee, I hope to provide greater clarity regarding the organization’s financial resources as well as support the team in the development of revenue models for sustainability. 

An unfortunate reality is that YES! is facing a significant financial shortfall that threatens its long-term viability unless major funding support is received by the end of this year.  

As a nonprofit media organization, YES! relies on the generosity of supporters like you, as well as on earned revenue, to continue producing stellar news content. This is among the most pressing priorities for me given the current realities facing the fundraising landscape and decline in support since 2022. 

Beyond revamping our financial systems, I will collaborate with existing partners and vet new ones in order to identify opportunities that will generate earned revenue for the organization in addition to our current YES! Magazine subscriptions.  

A great amount of my focus in the coming months will be working in partnership with the development/fundraising team, guiding their work, and leading YES!’s efforts to identify new donors, increase support from current donors, and secure crucial funding support via a clear, definitive fundraising strategy.  

Donors can expect to hear much more about our financial plans in the upcoming Funders’ Summit later this summer.  

Organizational Development:  

Restructuring YES!’s internal operations and systems is another significant priority. This includes working with staff and the board to produce a clear, decisive, strategic vision that aligns with the values and cultures of the organization while also setting our staff members up for success and positive development in their roles and work. 

Ensuring that our internal culture reflects our values, operations are efficient and streamlined, and there is sufficient documentation of standard business operations and procedures assures YES! is compliant, minimizes risk, and eliminates ambiguity for team members about the org’s direction and their role within it—all of which better positions the organization for long-term success. 

Staff Care:  

Last, but certainly not least is the care, restoration, and protection of our YES! staff. 

Every member of the YES! community deserves a supportive, just, and equitable work environment. One of the most significant matters I will focus my energy on during my tenure will be to help facilitate the restoration of employee morale and trust, while providing regular guidance, support, and mentorship to YES!’s staff that fosters a spirit of collaboration and respect in alignment with our values. 

As we look to the future, I am genuinely excited about what lies ahead and remain deeply grateful for the support and confidence in my leadership that the board and staff at YES! have demonstrated thus far.

It is my sincerest hope that those of you who have been with us as readers, donors, and supporters, will continue this journey with us, helping to spread the word and hopefully, bringing new audiences and donors to the transformative content produced by YES! 

Thank you again (and in advance) for your continued support. Together, we will navigate this new season and work towards our shared vision of transformation and expansion. 

In solidarity and transformation, 

Khalilah R. Elliott  
Interim Executive Director at YES! Media 

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Joint Statement from YES! Staff and Board

June 12, 2024

Our story of transformation starts with solidarity. YES! has a longstanding tradition of using our platform to shed light on everyday people working together to make change happen. And today, we write to proudly illuminate how the everyday people who make YES! Media what it is, have stood in solidarity with one another to drive change toward what YES! can and must become. 

On May 30, YES! Media’s board of directors announced the transition of our executive leadership. Khalilah Elliott, who was serving as vice-chair and a member of the board’s finance and resource development committees, stepped into the role of interim executive director on May 20.

As expected, this announcement prompted questions from our readers and supporters. While most of the feedback was positive—with many readers affirming their continued support for YES!—some supporters had questions. We’re grateful to be part of a community that pays attention, and cares enough about the organizational health of YES!, to ask these questions. In the spirit of shared clarity the staff and board have come together to provide more information about this transition, and how it aligns with our continued commitment to our mission. 

For several years, our staff has been speaking out internally about the need for equity in YES!’s organizational culture, operations, and systems. After holding multiple meetings to discuss shared experiences and needs with one another, in February 2024, our staff delivered a list of consensus recommendations to the board, beginning with a change in leadership. And the board listened. 

The concerns raised by staff are not wholly unique to YES!—they reflect the lived reality of many staff working in social-justice-oriented nonprofits and media organizations, where white dominant culture permeates everything.

We are committed to becoming a collective space that promotes transparency in decision-making; distributes power; and readily shares critical information and resources. We seek to avoid siloing teams and improve our conflict resolution processes to support retention and overall work satisfaction among all of our employees. We are actively building our workplace into one that focuses on preventing and confronting harm, so that YES! becomes a place where staff who are historically marginalized—especially Black women—can thrive.

Like many nonprofit media outlets, YES! is also facing significant fiscal challenges amid a nonprofit financial landscape that has seen declining revenue since 2022. As an independent news source, we are increasingly concerned for the organization’s long-term sustainability and the potential impact of these financial realities on our stellar staff who are responsible for producing YES!’s groundbreaking content.

Together we are working to address these issues by committing to equity as the grounding framework for change. This includes opening up more spaces for honest dialogue; intentionally recruiting, retaining, and meaningfully supporting diverse team members on the staff and board; creating more opportunities for cross-team collaboration; increasing transparency throughout the organization; and obtaining expert support to guide culture shift work to ensure YES! is an organization that lives its values. 

The staff at YES! has been passionately leading this change, urging board, leadership, and fellow team members to step up and do the same kind of radical, transformational work we feature in our coverage. For the board, this is an energizing call to stand in the values that guide our mission and drive our editorial content. We are putting these commitments out into the world because we know that accountability is a key part of culture shift. And we are energized by our shared vision of what YES! can be.

The YES! team is working day in and day out to “walk the talk” and secure both financial and organizational sustainability for YES!—all while continuing to publish the inspiring stories for which we are known. The board is offering “all hands on deck” support to work toward achieving this goal in collaboration with the staff.

We are so incredibly excited to build the stronger, more equitable version of YES! that we have been manifesting for so long. Now, we hope our readers will join in to protect and shape the future of this organization. It will take all of us to ensure that YES! evolves into the radically inclusive, unapologetic, not-for-profit independent journalism organization that our world, communities, and staff, need it to be. 

It is our sincere hope that you will join us on this new adventure—because, in the words of our executive editor, Evette Dionne, “the journey may be trying, but the destination is glorious.” Onward!

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Board Message to Community of Support

May 30, 2024

Dear YES! Friends,

Today, we write to you with transparency as we navigate a period of transition within the organization. 

For the last several years, YES! Media has been undergoing a major transformation to ensure we remain true to our mission as an organization that inspires people to create a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world through our solutions coverage. As part of that process, we’ve committed to building an operation that centers equity, justice, and collective liberation.

In recent months, our internal reflection and assessments have compelled us to face our challenges with courage and emboldened us to take action. The Board has decided to part ways with our Executive Director to ensure the sustainability of the organization and remain true to our values and mission, amidst other ongoing decisions around staffing structure and finances. We appreciate the contributions of our outgoing Executive Director, and it has become evident that change in leadership is necessary to better meet the needs of our community, including our phenomenal staff.

To usher in this new chapter of leadership at YES!, we are welcoming Khalilah Elliott as the Interim Executive Director. Khalilah has an incredible background in galvanizing collaboration and innovation in fundraising, communications, and organizational culture—which is exactly what YES! needs to help navigate the road ahead. (Please note: Khalilah was serving as the Vice-Chair of the Board and has stepped down from that role in order to accept this one.)

YES! is at a critical moment in its evolution and continues to learn through the challenges and embrace the opportunities that organizational growth brings. These decisions were made with thoughtful reflection on what this moment calls for and the ways we can better ensure that deeper collaboration leads to organizational success. 

The Road Ahead at YES!

The Board has begun the work to recalibrate and align the needs of our staff and community. We are taking concrete steps to engage in restorative practices to meet this moment:

• We are initiating a process of restorative repair that provides spaces for staff, board members, and collaborators to express concerns and aspirations for the future.
• We are actively imagining a new vision for our organizational culture and work design that is guided by our values, and aligned with our editorial vision.
• We will be reaching out to our community of support, including strategic partners, donors, and funders, to have candid conversations about organizational needs. 

This moment calls for us to lean on our community. It is not easy to reimagine and evolve into an organization that centers equity, justice, and collective liberation—especially in the nonprofit media landscape.

We are being transformed by the work of our mission. To continue this journey, we must take these necessary steps as we move with courage and thoughtful intention towards sustainability.

Thank you for your continued support, dedication, and inspiration.

In solidarity and community,

YES! Media Board of Directors

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