In a departure from its usual focus on degree attainment, the Lumina Foundation recently pledged $2.5 million to support racial justice work on college campuses. Also of note, the grants, which required a special budget allocation from the foundation’s board, look to be the first of a new area of focus for Lumina — which has a $1 billion endowment — and not a one-off donation.

The grants come as the visibility of white nationalists increases, made evident by incidents like the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Va., last summer.

The $2.5 million gift will be divided among several organizations. The bulk, $1 million, will go toward a national study on racial climate on campuses, in partnership with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Leadership grants capped at $100,000 will go to higher education institutions that have made significant efforts to improve educational equity and provide anti-racism education on campus. Smaller grants are available for schools that want to improve or expand programs that promote racial justice.

Read the full article about the Lumina Foundation's work on racial justice by Caitlin Reilly at Inside Philanthropy.