Giving Compass' Take:

• Yolanda F. Johnson has launched the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy to champion racial equity and center women of color. 

• How are you intentionally supporting women of color in philanthropy? 

• Read about the rise of women philanthropists. 

Yolanda F.Johnson, the first African-American president of Women in Development’s New York chapter—an organization for philanthropy professionals—wanted to make sure that her efforts in elevating diversity, equity, and inclusion extend beyond her time at the helm.

So, in the past two weeks, Johnson has launched Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, or WOC, pronounced woke, as well as Allies in Action, an organization for “non-people of color,” to “champion, support, and celebrate” these women.

“For me, there’s far too much at stake,” Johnson says.

These dual efforts could go a long way in shifting the landscape of philanthropy by strengthening and elevating women of color in nonprofit leadership roles, and by moving more donation dollars to nonprofits that champion racial equity or support women and girls of color.

Johnson spearheaded a task force through Women in Development New York chapter two years ago focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), that has since been able to implement several recommendations including making DEI a “core value” of the organization.

The task force had two key intentions. First, to ensure that Women in Development consciously provided access for women of color to its “powerful network” of 500-plus members. And secondly, to raise the visibility of women of color with a goal of shifting perceptions about their leadership capabilities in development and philanthropy.

WOC builds on these efforts by creating a global network of peers who can rely on one another for professional development and advice, says Jeannie Sager, director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and a member of WOC’s advisory committee.

That there’s a need is clear: A virtual launch event this week attracted more than 600 attendees. But there’s also this sobering statistic: As of 2016, only 1.6% of donation dollars went to organizations focused on women and girls alone, according to WPI.

Read the full article about women in philanthropy by Abby Schultz at PENTA.