BIPOC-led organizations that tackle deep inequities in our community also face deep inequities in our sector. From the BIPOC ED Coalition of Washington State’s call to action for funders to the development of tools like RVC’s Equitable Grantmaking Continuum and new initiatives to direct deep, long-lasting funding to communities of color, interest in more equitable approaches to funding has grown considerably. But where do we go next?
On October 21 from 1:00 – 2:00 PT, RVC hosted a webinar and funder discussion for the foundation community to move conversations about equitable grantmaking from learning to action. The session included steps grantmakers can take right now to meaningfully address systemic injustice and turn their goals and values into actionable strategies.
At this webinar, Vu Le (founder of RVC and NonprofitAF.com), Ananda Valenzuela (Co-Executive Director of RVC), Regina Elmi (Co-Founder of Supporting Partnership in Education and Beyond), and Juliet Le (Satterberg Foundation) discussed:
- The landscape and growing need for investment in BIPOC communities
- Strategies and practices funders can use to bring greater equity into their funding models today
- Specific opportunities funders can support to make meaningful change
We also shared more about the Social Justice League, a new pooled fund led by RVC that will invest in 40+ BIPOC-led organizations over the coming years. We now have commitments from Gates Foundation, Seattle Foundation, and Satterberg Foundation, with more expected to join us as we officially launch the fund.
If you want to learn more about equitable grantmaking, check out our blog, Making Philanthropy More Equitable: Introducing the Equitable Grantmaking Continuum.
