This month, Portland nonprofit Brown Hope has been roiled by turmoil surrounding its founder and CEO, Cameron Whitten.
WW has learned that the basis for the strife is a 4,600-word memo called “Brown Hope Whistleblower Document.” The memo lays out a series of allegations against Whitten.
The fast-growing racial justice nonprofit took in more than $3 million from a variety of government agencies and leading foundations in 2020, the last year it filed a tax return. Whitten only last week announced plans to distribute three years of a guaranteed basic monthly income to 25 Black local residents.
The whistleblower document, which WW obtained today, was purportedly written by current “employees of Brown Hope, former employees of Brown Hope, former colleagues of Cameron Whitten, victims of Cameron Whitten’s Behavior, and other concerned community members.”
The document is the basis of an attempt last week by Brown Hope board president Gregory McKelvey to place Whitten on paid leave. Whitten contested that move, taking the issue to a meeting of Brown Hope’s board Dec. 14. That meeting of the board, which until then included McKelvey, Whitten and Dashia Fontleroy, resulted in the addition of two new members and a pledge from the board to investigate the complaints against Whitten, who will retain his post during that investigation.
Many of the allegations in the whistleblower document describe a capricious management style, which the authors characterize as “toxic.” Included are...
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