Giving Compass' Take:

• The Center for Effective Philanthropy discusses an op-ed by Tamara Copeland in which she talks about the toll that racism has on the development of black male youth.

• How can organizations mobilize and advocate for racial equality? This quote from Arthur Ashe highlights a running theme: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

• Here's how we can build communities for black men and boys to thrive.

For multiple reasons, everyone in America needs to read the powerful op-ed that Tamara Copeland, President of the Washington [D.C.] Regional Association of Grantmakers, recently wrote in The Chronicle of Philanthropy: “How Philanthropy Can Work to Give All Black Men an Opportunity to Succeed.”

First, foremost, and above all else, it should be read for its content — the human cost of racism demands everyone’s attention. Tamara’s opening sentence provides access to additional important readings: the recent New York Times article, “Extensive Data Shows Punishing Reach of Racism for Black Boys,” and the executive summary of the study that the article discusses, titled Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States, released by the Equality of Opportunity Project just last month.

Beyond the content, those of us in the 501(c)(3) community reading Tamara’s piece should also consider how her op-ed uses research and analysis as an effective form of nonprofit advocacy. Deployed properly, research and analysis can be a powerful advocacy tool for substantiating an issue, translating it to relevancy, identifying solutions, and mobilizing action.

Read the full article about advocating for racial equity by Tim Delaney at cep.org.