Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources Through Participatory Grantmaking

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Cynthia Gibson

Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources Through Participatory Grantmaking looks at why and how funders are engaging in participatory grantmaking and shifting decision-making power to the very communities impacted by funding decisions. Through examples and insights from a diverse range of participatory grantmakers, the report explores the benefits, challenges, and models of participatory grantmaking… Read More

Bridging The Gap: A Review of Foundation Listening Practices

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Ekouté

While much has been written about how funders can pursue direct listening at the local scale, comparatively less has been written about how larger systems-level funders working across multiple geographies can approach this work in meaningful ways. Based on their research, the authors recommend the following as particularly promising and relevant practices. Advisory committees, if structured correctly, can be powerful… Read More

Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens​

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, Lori Villarosa

In recognition of the complexity of these shifts and the evolution of the work, PRE has published Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens: A Practical Guide, to help foundation leaders understand what it means to move from racial equity to racial justice funding strategies, co-written by PRE Senior Fellow Rinku Sen & Executive Director Lori Villarosa. It also addresses how… Read More

Grantmaking with a Racial Equity Lens

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, GrantCraft

This guide was developed in partnership with the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity. Highlights Three tools for activating a racial equity lens Your Race/Your Role Questions to ask inside your foundation What’s in the Guide? What Is a Racial Equity Lens? For grantmakers and foundation leaders, using a racial equity lens means paying disciplined attention to race and ethnicity while analyzing… Read More

Catalytic Change: Lessons Learned from the Racial Justice Grantmaking Assessment

Posted on June 11, 2020

The Applied Research Center (ARC) and the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) developed the Racial Justice Grantmaking Assessment following ARC’s 2004 publication of Short Changed: Foundation Giving in Communities of Color. That report documented, as recent reports have confirmed, decreasing grantmaking with clear racial justice impacts, as well as decreasing support for organizations led by people of color. As… Read More

Grantmaking with a Racial Justice Lens: A Practical Guide

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Rinku Sen, Lori Villarosa

Movements have grown in their intersectionality, their sophistication and reach and many nonprofits and organizers have been actively contributing to their gains as well as being pushed themselves. Many funders and philanthropic infrastructure organizations have taken on the language and principles of racial equity in their changing practices. Yet so much work remains, so many inequities continue to be exacerbated… Read More

Policy Influence: What Foundations Are Doing and Why

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Center for Effective Philanthropy

Among its key findings, Policy Influence shows that foundation leaders clearly believe in influencing policy as an important lever for change. This report seeks to provide foundation staff, leaders, and boards with data and insights that will spur them to candidly discuss philanthropic involvement in public policy — and help guide their own practices to engage in policy efforts more thoughtfully as they work to achieve their goals… Read More

Blueprint for Change: A Call to Action for Silicon Valley Philanthropy to Engage and Support Latinx Organizations, Communities and Leaders for the Common Good

Posted on June 3, 2020 by Castellano Family Foundation

This report is intended to motivate more intentional and aggressive efforts to advance the work and success of Latinx-focused and led nonprofit organizations in Silicon Valley. It builds on extensive research, community outreach, and executive consultations over the past two years involving many of our region’s leading civic and social investment principals… Read More