Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are important insights from United Philanthropy Forum’s 2020 Forum Virtual Conference about the role of equity in philanthropy serving organizations. 

• Many foundations should embody collaboration and equity-based work in their philanthropy. How are you including equity in your charitable giving? 

• Read about grantmaking in racial equity. 

I’m writing to share some thoughts on United Philanthropy Forum’s excellent 2020 Forum Virtual Conference, which brings together Philanthropy Serving Organisations (PSOs) to share examples of how we’re working to support, strengthen, and lead the grantmaking community.

My pre-eminent take-away comes from Monitor Institute’s presentation on their COVID-19 scenario planning for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations: Navigating uncertainties in the social sector. In the last of Monitor Institute’s four proposed scenarios for the future, a higher impact of our ongoing crises overlaps with an increase in social cooperation. In this scenario, the nation emerges with a growing recognition of the need to fundamentally change our existing systems.

This scenario requires systems-change, which requires collaboration. United Philanthropy Forum presented great examples of collaboration such as Northern California Grantmakers, Southern California Grantmakers, and San Diego Grantmakers working together as the alliance of Philanthropy California to implement racial equity initiatives.  Another example is the great collaboration between seven philanthropy serving organizations (PSOs): Biodiversity Funders Group (BFG) / Climate and Energy Funders Group (CEFG), Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA), Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities (TFN), Grantmakers In Health (GIH), Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN), and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders (SAFSF).

In addition to their ongoing work, the seven PSOs co-designed a survey of the practices of non-profits and grantmakers who self-identified as working to address health and/or equity issues related to climate change or the fossil fuel economy, however they defined that work.

When foundations were asked to what degree their climate, health, and equity funding strategy focused on supporting organizations that had leadership and decision-making (majority of board or staff) from disproportionately impacted communities or populations, less than 40% reported that this was either fully part of their funding strategy focus or a majority of their funding focus. To be clear – I worked as a grantmaker for about a decade and I’ve made every mistake imaginable.

Read the full article about equity within foundations by Eddie Torres at Alliance Magazine.