Exploring the Role of Diversity and Racial Equity in Leanly Staffed Foundations Racial equity is an essential part of philanthropy, and lean funders are increasingly focused on it, yet foundation boards and staff are still disproportionately White. The two primary factors holding back philanthropy’s efforts to help advance social change are rooted in race: Understanding... Read More
As foundations strive to create a more equitable world, they must not overlook the importance of disability inclusive philanthropy. Individuals with disabilities make up about 27% of the U.S. population. Yet, they’re consistently underrepresented on foundation boards and staff. Our 2024 Foundation Operations and Management Report found that just 11% of participating foundations had at... Read More
Foundations play a critical role in advancing equity and addressing disparities in our society. One key practice that foundations are increasingly adopting is the collection and use of disaggregated data. Disaggregated data refers to the separation of compiled information into smaller units based on various characteristics such as age, sex, geographic area, education, ethnicity, or... Read More
The Sauer Family Foundation invests in strengthening the well-being of children so they thrive in their families and communities in Minnesota. After the events at George Floyd Square unfolded not far from our office and home, we decided there was no better time to bring a larger influx of our resources to bear for children... Read More
The coronavirus pandemic opened our eyes to how sectors and systems do or do not address the ever-growing health and income inequities in this country. We can approach this in two ways: Admit the inadequacies of our systems. Especially those focused on health, housing, food insecurity and education, or Go a step further to recognize that the... Read More
“Philanthropy relies on the amassed wealth of families and institutions that have benefited from systemic racism. As a result, the institution has a power imbalance in where funds go and what organizations and initiatives receive support,” said Maya Pendleton and Juanita Gallion of The Center for the Study of Social Policy in an Exponent Philanthropy... Read More