A Different Way to Do Philanthropy
“The uprisings of 2020 sparked historic levels of philanthropic giving to address racial injustice. For philanthropy, this signals a tremendous and unprecedented opportunity to dismantle white supremacy in both our country (who we fund) and our sector (how we fund). In both contexts, the cornerstone of white supremacy is dominance and control. By contrast, the cornerstone of racial equity is sharing resources and decision-making power in a way that fundamentally supports the self-determination of people of color. Racial healing and justice in the United States will take all of us working together – white people and people of color. We all have a place in this work. But how we do the work matters. We will not get to a different destination by working in the same way.”
This powerful opening statement from “An Open Letter to Philanthropy, from People of Color-led, Movement-Accountable Public Foundations” that was published in March 2022 emphasizes the importance of centering equity and racial justice in philanthropy. At SVP Portland, we are constantly learning and evolving. What have we done this year to disrupt existing inequities of power in philanthropy? Here are a few examples:
Diversity matters
How can we better recruit, engage, and steward a more diverse community of Partners? We will be more effective, responsive, and relevant in our capacity-building Partnerships if we have the lived experience and wisdom of the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of the communities we serve. With this in mind, in August 2022, our Board affirmed the cross-team recommendation that we redefine what it means to be a member of our Partnership, intentionally shifting from being traditionally exclusive to being actively inclusive. There will no longer be a set financial or time investment. Instead, all Partners commit to making a personally significant monetary donation. Additionally, Partners are encouraged to contribute their skills and leverage their networks. Collectively, these resources – money, time, and influence – advance our mission.
Redistribution of power
Earlier this year, we evolved our governance structure to decentralize our decision-making, be inclusive of diverse lived experiences, and share power with community leadership in meaningful ways. It also distributes power to Teams that engage subject-matter experts relevant to the issue. This allows our Teams to be collaborative, nimble, and responsive to both organizational and Community Partner needs.
Move resources quickly and strategically at critical moments
We invest in our Community Partners for multiple years and with invaluable Partner expertise alongside general-operating grants. This includes the skills of our Partners, connections to the business and philanthropic community, organization-building experience, and our unique ability to forge relationships between cross-sector stakeholders. In short, we strive to be nimble and responsive to their needs, whether planned or unexpected. As an example of this, earlier in 2022 our Finance Team fast-tracked a Bridge Funding framework that allowed us to advance money to cover a Community Partner’s immediate cash needs. These are not grants, but rather funds that will be returned to us once already-awarded reimbursement funds are received from the government. We have clear and equitable criteria, as well as a detailed review process, to extend our financial privilege.
Value the deep, trust-based relationships with the communities we support
We are always listening to our Community Partners to ensure that we’re addressing their needs in a way that best serves them. Feedback from Community Partner interviews and surveys from 2021 urged us to clarify and strengthen our policy, advocacy, and influence roles. In response, we launched the Advocacy & Influence Dynamic Team to determine how we can help clarify root issues and identify potential solutions – then champion these to influence the flow of resources. As a part of this process, we interviewed a diverse group of key stakeholders in the community, compensating them for their time and valuable feedback. We humbly acknowledge that there is more work to be done. We are committed to persistently pursuing equity and social justice through our innovative approach to philanthropy.