Perspectives

Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, unpacks the imperative of foundation board diversity.

This week, American democracy came under siege in full public view leaving no room for misinterpretation or indifference, begging the question of how we as leaders of philanthropy - as stewards of humanity - will choose to respond next.

Having real conversations about where we want philanthropy to go is crucial for building a shared vision for what we want to see from our field and beyond.

2020 underscores what many of us in the social change field have been arguing for some time: the fight for a truly inclusive, equitable democracy and economy is a long one.

Andy Goodman unpacks the challenges of working remotely, asking what works, what doesn’t and reflecting on how we can all do better when working together online.

Decision-makers such as elected officials and institutional funders have historically ignored and underinvested in BIPOC communities. Conscientious funders are asking big, long-overdue questions: how do grantmaking policies, practices, and cultures play a role in perpetuating imbalances in power and resource allocation? How can we, as grantmakers, address that?

In the COVID-19 world, funders may increasingly find themselves in discussions with nonprofit partners about merger exploration as a potential way to ensure that mission and organizational needs continue to be met. We are seeing an upswell of interest and are encouraged by the sector’s willingness to provide funding for sustained collaboration efforts.

In this critical time, and with a sense of urgency, many philanthropic organizations are shifting the ways in which they are supporting grantees. However, foundation staff are increasingly wondering about the last point: “What grantee outcomes will we be able to report on if they are not submitting reports?,” “What do we mean by relaxing reporting requirements?,” “How can we ensure that our funds are used effectively?,” and “For how long should these changes be in effect?”

The demand for racial justice erupting across a nation ravaged by a pandemic disproportionately impacting communities of color is a call to action: the time for grantmakers to invest in Black leaders and Black-led organizations in America is now.

Andy Goodman, director and co-founder of the Goodman Center, is launching a new survey to examine how online work--generally and in light of the pandemic--is impacting us all.