Project Updates
Dear Friends of the Diversity in Philanthropy Project,
On behalf of the Diversity in Philanthropy Project (DPP), we extend our warmest wishes for 2009!
As we start this new year, one thing is clear: the coming period of time promises opportunities and challenges for all of us, as individuals and organizations, citizens and consumers, activists and advocates.
This e-newsletter is intended to update you on recent important aspects of our work, as well as that of others, to increase philanthropic sector effectiveness through expanded diversity leadership and investments. As always, we welcome your feedback, which you can offer at any time by writing us at info@diversityinphilanthropy.org.
News from the Executive Committee
Late last year, in continuing partnership with five leading field anchor organizations and networks, we advanced the proposed formation of an important long term campaign to follow DPP as we sunset our three-year effort towards the end of 2009. This campaign, known as D5 – five infrastructure partners working together for five years – embodies the DPP Advisory Board’s commitment to seek ways to sustain this important work. D5 recognizes that our field can and must be more diverse and that our sector’s anchor institutions and support networks must work together more strategically and with better resourcing to embed diversity leadership and gains into their core missions, visions and daily operations.
While still a work in progress, D5 partners have discussed an emerging vision that could result from their collaborative diversity work. The current thinking envisions the following prospective activities, outcomes and benefits:
- More philanthropic organizations undertake diversity and inclusion efforts as a means to build institutional capacity to achieve their missions (informing better foundation grant making)
- Philanthropy is better equipped to tackle tough social issues through more widespread, collective attention to diverse and inclusive practice in the field (increasing sector effectiveness)
- Greater progress is achieved in addressing tough systemic issues, such as poverty, social inequities, health disparities, and economic disadvantages (improving the sector’s potential for social impact)
This emerging vision incorporates the notion that increased diversity can be both a strategic “end” as well as a means to address underlying issues in society caused by social, economic and political inequities. It also recognizes that a comprehensive approach to strengthening diversity in philanthropy must tactically leverage change at both the institutional and sectoral levels, while also rigorously striving to demonstrate increased social impact.
Clearly the global economy has impacted and will continue to affect our every effort. But we in the Diversity in Philanthropy Project leadership firmly believe that diversity and inclusion in foundation staffing, board membership, vendor selection, investment decision making and grant making can benefit our sector and our society, particularly in these trying times. To that end, we continue to seek funding for the D5 transition.
A Broader View
Diversity and inclusion were front and center on the national stage as we witnessed the inauguration of President Obama and the selection of his cabinet. We were encouraged by many of his choices, but wrestled with others, like Pastor Rick Warren being selected to deliver the inaugural invocation.
We know that defining and practicing diversity and inclusion can be as complex as it is essential, and the invocation controversy gets to the heart of this issue: Is it possible to engage all perspectives, all beliefs, without marginalizing any? Should we even attempt to do so? At what point might an individual or organization find compromise between absolute inclusion and discerning selection?
We invite you to share your thoughts on these issues on our blog.
Voices and Resources from the Field
What do diversity and inclusion mean for the philanthropic sector today and looking to the future? For the past two and a half years, DPP has sought to reignite discussion and action on the issues by engaging field leaders, especially at the board and senior executive levels. One of our main vehicles for advancing conversation at the highest levels of field discourse has been the broad dissemination of important new information on diversity and effectiveness topics to philanthropy opinion leaders, like you. Our first e-newsletter of the year accordingly spotlights new materials from the field that have important diversity implications:
Diversity and Inclusion: Lessons from the Field, the second of a three-part series from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, spotlights the experiences of CEOs and trustees from several of the nation’s large and small foundations and corporate grantmaking programs. These voices offer the reasons for and lessons from their efforts to embed diversity within their organizations, to do more effective work and with greater transparency.
Strengthening Nonprofit Minority Leadership and Capacity of Minority-Led and Other Grassroots Community-Based Organizations is a just-released Foundation Coalition report. It outlines the Coalition’s five-month planning process and the initial grantmaking activities of this group of leading California philanthropies comprising their collective pledge to increase diversity funding in that state by some $30 million during the coming 2-3 year period.
Is Grantmaking Getting Smarter? , featured in the Dec. 11 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, is Grantmakers for Effective Organizations’ second comprehensive study of the attitudes and practices of staffed U.S. foundations. Among the findings with direct implications for diversity advocates, foundations that appoint staff and board members with nonprofit experience were reported to be significantly more likely to engage in grantee-friendly practices.
Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities is a recently released report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. It analyzes five years of data from investments in 14 New Mexico advocacy and organizing groups. The report documents how the state’s overall economy has benefited from policy changes advocated by fund recipients and suggests that, particularly in these difficult economic times, foundations should support advocacy, organizing and civic engagement to address social issues. The findings have clear implications for diversity and inclusion.
New York City Collaborative for Fairness and Equity in Philanthropy: Statement of Principles is a just-released document that seeks to encourage leading New York area foundations to increase their attention to diversity concerns in their grantmaking, appointments, reporting and other key activities.
These reports and commentaries, along with other useful information and resources, are available for review and analysis on our Web site, www.diversityinphilanthropy.org, and, as indicated above, we urge you to add your own perspective to the discourse via our blog or email at info@diversityinphilanthropy.org.
As the field leaders primarily responsible for advancing the DPP’s work, we want to thank you for your continuing interest and engagement. We look forward to an active and deliberate year as we continue to work together on the issues.