Author Highlight

Shelby Rogala Professional & Organizational Development Director MNA

Shelby Rogala

Shelby Rogala has a background in adult education and community development. She is passionate about connecting community and nonprofit leaders to resources, people, and training that can help make their work easier, more effective, and even a little more joyful.

Building Inclusive Leadership: Lessons from MNA’s BIPOC Focus Group

December 04, 2025 • By: Shelby Rogala, Associate Director

This spring, MNA hosted a webinar series on cultural inclusion with expert and trainer Turquoise Skye Devereaux of Indigenous Skye. This series included sessions on cultural inclusion for white-dominant organizations and a focus group with BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) attendees and members of our BIPOC affinity group.  

This focus group conversation was an extension of our Inclusive Boards project and other feedback we’ve received from consultants and partners in how to better serve ALL nonprofit leaders in Montana – specifically those coming to this work as tribal members and leaders, people of color leading in Montana, and others who may have been historically excluded from decision making spaces in nonprofits. 

Turquoise did an exceptional job sharing principles of cultural safety with attendees, who reported they were ready to “Bring awareness to what we normalize and figure out how to reframe expectations.” Folks in the room also left feeling like they “would advocate for anyone to engage in a session like this. Fabulous presenter!” If you’re interested in catching the recordings for these sessions, you can view them here. 

For the BIPOC focus group, Turquoise facilitated a conversation with six participants around their experiences as leaders in Montana. The full report can be viewed below (it’s really worth a read). 

 Takeaways for Team MNA: 

  • MNA must continue working to create spaces for BIPOC community members to connect, share, celebrate, and learn together. There is an amazing pool of talent and passion that exists within Montana’s leaders that deserves cultivation, rest, attention, and support. We plan to continue our affinity call and host a BIPOC leader retreat in 2026 to help grow these spaces, as well as amplify ongoing efforts from other organizations. 
  • Montana-specific challenges to building belonging are mentioned frequently in focus group and individual conversations. MNA will prioritize sharing resources in 2026 to address Montana Myths about whiteness, diversity, and community that keep organizations from building welcoming spaces for the full breadth of Montanans. 
  • Individual leaders cannot continue to shoulder the burden of education. MNA must recommit to educational practices and resources that majority white teams can rely on instead of burdening BIPOC leaders. Our Bias Impact Response course is one such example.

Here’s what white-identifying leaders might consider: 

  • Provide professional development budgets and opportunities to staff members of color to support peer connection. 
  • Recruit board members, staff, and leaders that are representative of Montana’s diverse communities. 
  • Provide training and education for your whole team on microaggressions, equity, and inclusion so individuals aren’t relied upon as informal trainers. 

Opportunities for BIPOC leaders: 

While MNA is building our resources in this area, these organizations are dedicated to supporting BIPOC nonprofit leaders:

Know of others? We’d love to add to this list. Please share with srogala@mtnonprofit.org.For the BIPOC focus group, Turquoise facilitated a conversation with six participants around their experiences as leaders in Montana. The full report can be viewed below (it’s really worth a read). 

MNA BIPOC Focus Group Report

MNA BIPOC Focus Group Report

Search by tag:

Culture Building Belonging