Racial equity

Special collection

Racial equity can be defined as "the condition that would be achieved if one's race identity no longer influenced how one fares." (from "Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture" by Equity in the Center). This collection focuses on racial equity and also includes works that explore the larger diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) framework. Our aim is to raise awareness about funding for racial equity efforts as well as activities in the social sector meant to realize racial equity. The collection is part of Candid's Funding for racial equity special issue website.

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Partnering with Federal Agencies to Advance Racial Equity

May 12, 2022

Partnering with Federal Agencies to Advance Racial Equity is a report by Race Forward and PolicyLink  that describes the work that commenced in partnership with federal agency offices, considers observations and lessons learned along the way, and discusses efforts that must continue at the federal level to fully realize the intentions of the executive order and move this country toward a more racially just future.Race Forward and PolicyLink co-led a Racial Equity Governing Pilot Project with federal agencies in the fall and winter of 2021 and 2022. This report discusses critical elements of these partnership pilots and lessons to inform and support the longer term aspirations of the federal government to become actively antiracist. 

Race, Place and Power: Learnings from the Ford Foundation’s Just Cities and Regions Program

April 28, 2022

Housing insecurity is a challenge affecting the lives of far too many in the United States. After decades of work in the housing sector, we formalized the Just Cities and Regions (JCR) program in 2015 amidst a moment of growing racial and income inequality, increasing housing insecurity, and an accelerating climate crisis with disparate impacts. The strategy shifted from one based in 10 metro regions to one that aimed to bring about more systemic change across the country.JCR worked to integrate distinct dimensions necessary to winning change at scale by:Building community- and people-centered grassroots power through integrated civic engagement strategiesGrounding those strategies in the leadership and vision of communities disproportionately impacted, anchored by an ecosystem of strong, networked social movement infrastructureFocusing on creating systems-level interventions rather than public policy reform or near-term "fixes"Supporting relationship-based and long-term co-governance by communities and those in public leadership rolesWe sunset the JCR program at the end of 2021. In this reflection, we share our lessons throughout our history of investment.

Foundations Respond to Crisis: Lasting Change?

November 29, 2021

Philanthropic and nonprofit leaders have called for changes in foundation practice for decades, asking funders to, for example, provide more flexible and unrestricted funding; streamline and simplify processes; listen to, trust, and support their grantees; and pursue racial equity and racial justice.But there had been little evidence of change until the spring of 2020, when many foundations shifted their practices as the scale of the COVID-19 crisis became clear. In a series of three reports released late last year by CEP, we found that foundations made many changes to their practices, such as providing more unrestricted support and streamlining processes. In addition, many foundations reported providing new support to lower-income, Black, or Latino communities, and to organizations created and led by people from the communities most affected by systemic inequities.Since then, CEP has collected new survey and interview data from foundation and nonprofit leaders to examine whether these changes continued into 2021 and whether they will continue in the future.

For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity

October 27, 2021

The nation's first comprehensive racial equity blueprint for federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity provides resources, tools, and a plan for federal agency leaders to implement President Biden's historic executive order on advancing racial equity. Geared toward staff working within federal agencies, For Love of Country: A Path for the Federal Government to Advance Racial Equity also includes tools that are applicable for equity advocates across the nation working inside and outside of government, including:Several key roles the federal government can use to shape racial equityThe transformative potential equity presents for key socioeconomic outcomesGuiding principles that can serve as a common foundation for the work across the federal governmentA starter tool for conducting and refining an initial equity assessmentA tool for agencies to develop a strategic vision and action plan to advance equity, and guidance on how to launch this journey

Mismatched: Philanthropy’s Response to the Call for Racial Justice

October 16, 2021

Mismatched: Philanthropy's Response to the Call for Racial Justice is the most comprehensive assessment of racial equity and racial justice funding to date, providing a detailed analysis of funding from 2015–2018 and a preliminary analysis for 2020. Written by Malkia Devich Cyril, Lyle Matthew Kan, Ben Francisco Maulbeck, and Lori Villarosa, the report examines trends, contradictions, and divergences in funding for both racial equity and racial justice work.

Beyond Inclusion: The Critical Role of People of Color in the U.S. Documentary Ecosystem

October 15, 2021

Drawing from a dataset of nearly 200 organizations, Beyond Inclusion details the key functions and activities of these organizations today, which range from supporting the artists (providing equipment and training, resources, and networking opportunities), to distributing the works of filmmakers of color to audiences of color, to funding.The report's recommendations to funders include investing in POC-led organizations with clear plans and commitments to nurture POC authorship, audiences, and careers as well as film production models and practices with a higher standard of ethics and accountability in the creation, funding and distribution of documentaries.The report concludes that a generational investment in POC infrastructure is necessary to both shore up legacy organizations that have worked with minimal resources for decades as well as dynamic new organizations and networks that have emerged in the last ten years. These players constitute a powerful ecosystem that -- if properly resourced -- can be a significant force in transforming the documentary landscape toward one that is more inclusive, ethically grounded and sustainable, and that ultimately is a more powerful force for social change.

The 2021 CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity: What companies can do to advance racial equity and combat systemic racism in the workplace, communities, and society

July 1, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic and our long overdue national reckoning on racial injustice have thrust into sharp relief the results of centuries of economic inequality and systemic racism. While the pandemic and its accompanying economic devastation have hurt so many, people of color and low-income communities have been hit exceptionally hard. More than 100 million people in America—half of all people of color and one-quarter of all White people—struggled to make ends meet even before the pandemic and they continue to bear the heaviest toll, even as the economy bounces back.For corporate leaders, this historic moment presents an opportunity to make lasting progress against stated commitments on racial equity and ensure the billions of dollars pledged to communities of color actually lead to equitable outcomes. Our 2021 CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity will guide you beyond diversity and inclusion commitments to the heart of the business opportunity ahead: addressing the intended and unintended impacts of your products, services, operations, policies, and practices on people of color and low-income communities, with key recommendations across the three domains of corporate influence.

Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources Through Participatory Grantmaking

October 2, 2018

Funders are increasingly looking to engage the communities they serve in the grantmaking process, but there are few resources about how to do so. In this guide, we explore how funders can engage in participatory grantmaking and cede decision-making power about funding decisions to the very communities they aim to serve. Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources Through Participatory Grantmaking illustrates why and how funders around the world are engaging in this practice that is shifting traditional power dynamics in philanthropy. Created with input from a number of participatory grantmakers, the guide shares challenges, lessons learned, and best practices for engaging in inclusive grantmaking. 

Advancing Racial Equity in Philanthropy: A Scan of Philanthropy-Serving Organizations

July 31, 2018

United Philanthropy Forum conducted a scan of regional and national philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) in February through May 2018 to get a more comprehensive understanding of PSOs' current work and future needs to advance racial equity in philanthropy. The scan involved both a survey that asked about PSOs' current work, future needs and greatest challenges in advancing racial equity, plus in-depth interviews to discuss what it takes to do this work effectively and to identify their key challenges, barriers and opportunities for addressing systemic inequities.The scan reflects the input of 43 regional and national PSOs that participated in the scan survey and/or the scan interviews, representing more than half of the Forum's membership. The scan report includes the Forum's plan for action to respond to the scan's key findings.The Forum's racial equity scan was made possible in part thanks to support from the Ford Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture

May 1, 2018

In a sector focused on improving social outcomes across a wide range of issues, we need only look within our own organizations to understand why we have not yet achieved the depth of change we seek. Throughout the social sector, there remains a glaring omission of a fundamental element of social impact: race equity. Race equity must be centered as a core goal of social impact across the sector in order to achieve our true potential and fulfill our organizational missions. The goal of this publication was to identify the personal beliefs and behaviors, cultural characteristics, operational tactics, and administrative practices that accelerate measurable progress as organizations move through distinct phases toward race equity.

The Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity

October 1, 2017

Corporate America is missing out on one of the biggest opportunities of our time for driving innovation and growth: creating business value by advancing racial equity.Developed in partnership with PolicyLink and funded by the Ford and W.K. Kellogg foundations, The Competitive Advantage of Racial Equity highlights examples from 12 leading companies such as Gap Inc., PayPal, and Cigna, who are driving innovation and growth by advancing racial equity.

We Too Belong: Resource Guide of Inclusive Practices in Immigration and Incarceration Law & Policy

May 19, 2016

The Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society announces the release of a major new publication, entitled We Too Belong: Resource Guide of Inclusive Practices in Immigration and Incarceration Law & Policy. The resource guide highlights inclusive policies and practices, supplemented by case studies centered at the intersection of immigration and incarceration in the United States.  These systems are sometimes referred to as the "Double Is." "The most marginalized populations in the history of our society were those that were denied public voice or access to private space. Historically, women and slaves experienced this form of marginality. They could not vote, serve on juries, nor run for office, and they were also denied a private space to retreat to, free from surveillance or regulation. Today, immigrants, the incarcerated and the formerly incarcerated, and to a large extent the disabled, most visibly inhabit this marginalized social and spatial location in American society," opened the new resource guide, effectively framing both the problems faced by individuals and the systems that impact their lives.  Developed by a team of seven co-authors, We Too Belong represents nearly three years of research into best practices and policies related to immigration and incarceration in the US. Lead author and Haas Institute Assistant Director Stephen Menendian notes that "There are dozens of cities across this country making real progress towards a more inclusive society, but too often our attention is focused on places where people are struggling. We need to shine a light on what's working, and expand our sense of what's possible. This report does that."    Drawing on the experiences of states and localities attempting to integrate immigrants and the formerly incarcerated into their social and economic fabric, We Too Belong offers a small window into the lives of people affected by these policies. The criminal justice system and immigration law serve to separate individuals from the rest of US society through physical exclusion—including prisons and detention centers. Procedurally, immigration enforcement looks and acts like law enforcement—a phenomenon known as "crimmigration"—while the criminal justice system has locked up 400 people for every 100,000 in the population with the disabled and communities of color disproportionately affected by these systems. The 100-page Resource Guide does not only give an in-depth menu of policies, but also humanizes the "Double Is" by featuring the stories of people who are the most affected by them. These nine perspectives from undocumented, incarcerated, and formerly-incarcerated individuals are featured alongside advocates and scholars who have spent their careers exploring the ways that these structures are impeding a healthy, inclusive society that recognizes the inherent dignity and humanity of all people.