We interviewed five equity-committed grantmaking organizations to understand the principles that guide their equitable grantmaking: Libra Foundation, Northwest Health Foundation, Perenchio Foundation, The Just Trust for Education, and Wagner Foundation.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable shift in philanthropic practices. Donors and funders are increasingly using diverse strategies and approaches to actively champion equity and fairness in their grantmaking endeavors.
Examples include multi-year funding that eased the burden on grantees in the wake of the pandemic, trust-based philanthropy that aims to reduce power imbalances between grantors and grantees, and programs like Demographics via Candid that provide the information funders need to better understand and diversify their grantmaking portfolios.
While the philanthropic community has learned a lot, there is still more to be done. And many funders are wondering where to start and what they can do to make their grantmaking more equitable.
No matter where your organization is in its journey toward more equitable funding, we hope that these principles and best practices inspire and guide you.
Casey DeSain is a Senior Marketing Manager at Foundant, where he’s spent nearly four years helping mission-driven organizations tell better stories and connect with the communities they serve. Casey has over a decade of marketing experience spanning B2B SaaS, digital strategy, and content development. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters. In his free time, Casey likes to read, play board games, and take his daughters to theme parks.