Philanthropy is rooted in and continues to operate within inequitable systems and structures. Philanthropists have long sought to address these inequities in their grantmaking, and in recent years many have begun to examine how they can further address inequities in their practices. At NCFP, we see equity as a core principle of effective family philanthropy. We believe that equity begins with recognizing that individuals and communities have different lived experiences and identities that require tailored and specific approaches to build trust and repair harm and injustice. In other words, what worked for one person in one set of circumstances may not work for another person with different circumstances. And yet, so often in philanthropy we have assumed that we know how the communities we support should live and what solutions will work to address the challenges they face. Effective family philanthropy requires shifting our organizational culture and demonstrated practices to extend equity to all—staff members, family members, grantees, and community members. It requires intense interrogation of the systems and structures that have led to inequities so that we collectively can find the way out.

In family philanthropy, conversations about equity have additional layers. These conversations confront how families accumulated (and still accumulate) wealth and can be uncomfortable, hard, and scary. In most cases, wealth holders have already benefitted from advantages that those without wealth have not, such as access to mentorship, high-quality schools, and capital, to name a few. Additionally, in some cases the inequities perpetrated were more blatant and egregious; people built wealth on the backs of enslaved and/or woefully underpaid and exploited labor. Conversations about all this may disrupt long-held family histories and legacies. Some family members may see connecting inequity and their family’s business success as discounting the hard work and effort that drove that success. Often, those same families are working very hard today to correct societal inequities through their philanthropy.

Advancing equity in family philanthropy requires intense vulnerability and a willingness to shift views, and it opens a family to criticism and challenge from outsiders. This can feel threatening to family bonds and counter to a value that may have driven the philanthropy: family togetherness. However, doing so is a critical component of philanthropy and necessary in making progress on the most pressing challenges to which funders devote their resources, time, and effort.

To explore these tensions between establishing equitable philanthropy practices and examining what that means for a family’s sense of self and legacy, we spoke to June Wilson, executive director of the Compton Foundation, former NCFP fellow, and current NCFP board member.

Read the full article about equity in family philanthropy practices by Diana Tyler Heath and June L. Wilson at the National Center for Family Philanthropy.