The Spark Justice Fund (SJF) is thrilled to share that we’ve welcomed a new member to our team: Sade Dumas (she/her) who will serve as the fund’s Program Director. Sade is fervently committed to amplifying the voices of individuals, families, and communities impacted by incarceration.
We spent some time learning about what brought Sade to the Spark Justice Fund, and the principles that guide their work. Learn more about Sade below!
What’s your role at Borealis Philanthropy? What do you do?
I am the Spark Justice Fund (SJF) Program Director at Borealis Philanthropy. I support advocates fighting for an equitable world by expanding SJF’s impact through fundraising, strategic communications, donor engagement, and programmatic strategy.
What excites you about being part of the SJF team?
What excites me most about being a part of SJF’s team is previously working on issues of pretrial justice and building that impact on localities across the nations. I love that the Fund is in a stage of growth with its own staff and that I can bring previous experiences into how we support our partners on the ground fighting for
What brings you to Borealis Philanthropy?
Before joining the Borealis Philanthropy team, I was a grantee partner with Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition. Borealis’ mix of providing capacity support for budding organizations excited me most about working with the organization!
Where do you come from? (place of origin or growth, racial and/or ethnic identification etc.)
New Orleans, LA
Does your identity or background inform and influence your work? If so, please feel free to share how/why.
Yes! I am a native New Orleanian. When I grew up, New Orleans incarcerated five times higher than the national average. We were the most incarcerated city, in the most incarcerated state, in the most incarcerated country. Many of my loved ones, including my brother and ex-husband, were locked up for crimes that did not pose a threat to public safety. With focusing on my studies of sociology and other factors, what brings me to the work most are my loved ones locked up in jails and prisons.
What do you like to do for fun?
Watch Wendy Williams, bake, and spend time with family and friends.
What are some of the principles that guide your work/passion(s)?
I grew up in New Orleans, where many people who were not closest to the problem were centered and the nonprofit industrial complex may have negatively impacted our community. With this and my lived experience as someone who is directly impacted by the prison industrial complex, I am fervently committed to centering those closest to the problem as I do this decarceration work. Other principles I am committed to are promoting racial equity and acknowledging anti-blackness in my work.
What’s your vision for your impact within the SJF?
There are approximately 20% of people living in rural areas, but only 5% of philanthropic dollars are reserved for those areas. Jail expansions are happening more rapidly in rural and suburban areas. It is my hope that SJF can continue supporting current grantee partners while expanding our impact to places that are often overlooked.