In December 2017, Lori Bartczak and Starsky Wilson co-authored an op ed for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The article, Concrete Steps Foundations Can Take to Advance Racial Equity, emphasizes that grantmakers "seek to help create resilient communities in which everyone can thrive, but that is impossible if we tolerate inequities based on race."
No matter the outcome we are working toward, our institutions and systems were built to advantage some but not all — and data shows that inequities persist to this day. These inequities become more apparent when we take race into account.
The Consumer Health Foundation has long embedded racial equity in its programs, policies and practices. Kendra Allen, program associate with the foundation, breaks down the activities and elements they use in their approach toward racial equity.
GEO’s new publication, Centering Equity through Flexible, Reliable Funding provides grantmakers with actionable tools and insights to move toward an equity-centered approach to funding nonprofits and communities.
ACT for Alexandria, a community foundation in Alexandria, VA, is developing a capacity building cohort focused on racial equity for nonprofit leaders in our community. We are curious about any of your experiences with similar initiatives.
Complex, systemic challenges require sophisticated, long-term strategies to address them. The same is true for ending structural racism, and philanthropy is starting to get much more real about its obligation to address inequity and racism.
The D5 coalition has created a series of tools to help grantmakers understand, identify and communicate advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their individual work and throughout their organizations.