We are alive in what will, no doubt, be considered a pivotal moment for the power of philanthropic giving. As equity emerges as the lynchpin of decades of investment for generations of impact, Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA) is clear on its role to facilitate the shift from discussion to tangible action and offers deep data to affect the course of racial equity as a relevant lens for environmental philanthropy.

At 35 years, EGA is an association of over 200 environmental grantmaking entities and growing. Their mission is simple: EGA promotes just, effective philanthropy for people and the planet. As part of their mission, members are on a journey to “walk the talk” and fulfill the tenets of its  Racial Equity Point of View (POV). EGA has a long-standing history that includes more than 10 years of data collaboration with Candid, to support their Tracking the Field (TTF) research program.

It is, thus, no surprise then, that EGA signed on as a founding partner, joining more than 70 philanthropic and philanthropic serving organizations committed to standardizing the data for greater transparency and accessibility. Together, we are reducing the reporting burden on nonprofits and supporting the sector to better track funding disparities discernible in relation to race/ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, and ability status.

EGA is also wasting no time to realize the potential of carefully collected data to advance racial equity in the field.

It’s nearly impossible to create change, at the scale required, without research-based benchmarks on where the social sector currently stands. For racial equity, this is doubly true. After all, good research requires the essential ingredient of high-quality data.

Read the full article about racial equity and environmental grantmaking by Guy Mika and Tamara Toles O’Laughlin at Candid.