For far too long, injustice and inequity have disproportionately impacted underserved communities. The COVID-19 crisis and the killing of George Floyd, and many others, have laid bare the stark consequences.
While justice and equity have been the longstanding pursuit of philanthropy, this moment feels different – a time of real reckoning in which philanthropy is finally ready to reflect, learn, change, and act with urgency.
Hundreds of foundations have stepped up to meet this unprecedented moment, fundamentally changing their processes and practices to be far more responsive and grantee-centric. For our part, the Skoll Foundation committed to quadrupling its grantmaking in 2020, targeting much of it to direct COVID-19 response and to support Skoll Awardees with targeted emergency funding. The Foundation also introduced measures to help Awardees and grantees through this period and to reduce grant-related burdens on them: loosening or eliminating the restrictions on active grants, providing unrestricted support whenever possible, offering no-cost extensions, accelerating future scheduled payments upon request, and suspending grant reporting requirements through the end of 2020.
But there’s much more we can and should do. Once the “novelty” of this crisis has worn off, we in philanthropy must dig in and double-down on our efforts to avoid backsliding into pre-COVID and pre-George Floyd days. We must acknowledge and tackle the bias and inequity that are embedded in our grantmaking processes and practices. Instead of making nonprofits bend over backward to fit foundations’ idiosyncratic ways, we should go above and beyond to support nonprofit organizations and provide what Vu Le coined as “MYGOD” – multi-year general operating dollars – while also investing in Black- and indigenous-led organizations.
I came into philanthropy quite by accident, and I view my responsibilities as a privilege. I ask myself how I can use my position, resources, and voice to help make this world more just and equitable. I also question how foundations can use their financial resources, networks, and influence – and do so collectively – to make this world more just and equitable. Yes, we are facing some of the toughest and most entangled problems of our time. But they’re also rich opportunities for us all to work smarter and faster together, by putting equity, trust, and risk-taking at the center of everything we do – not only because we have the privilege to do so, but because we have a deep responsibility.
As a society, we ask essential workers to put their health on the line to protect us all; we ask Black and indigenous people to put their lives on the line for justice. So what are foundations willing to “risk” for the future we want? In too many cases, foundations continue to over-index on the risk to their endowments and under-index on their risk of inaction. But if we don’t change that, some of the most essential frontline organizations won’t exist next year. I would argue that perpetuity can wait; the time for action is now. Let’s fund and support organizations like our lives depend on it.
This article was originally published in the PEAK Grantmaking Journal. PEAK Grantmaking is a member-led national association of more than 5,000 professionals who specialize in grants management for funding organizations. PEAK members come together to form a vibrant community of practice that advances shared leadership and learning across the sector – helping funders of every size and type maximize their mission-driven work through living their values. Learn more at peakgrantmaking.org and follow @PEAKgrantmaking on Twitter and LinkedIn.
