No matter the cause, equity should be an important component—if not a driving force—of philanthropy. There are a number of ways to integrate equity principles and practices in philanthropic efforts.

First: What Is Equity?

Equity can seem like a heady concept, but the Annie E. Casey Foundation offers a practical definition:

“Equity involves trying to understand and give people what they need to enjoy full, healthy lives Equality, in contrast, aims to ensure that everyone gets the same things in order to enjoy full, healthy lives. Like equity, equality aims to promote fairness and justice, but it can only work if everyone starts from the same place and needs the same things.

Systemic equity is a complex combination of interrelated elements consciously designed to create, support and sustain social justice. It is a dynamic process that reinforces and replicates equitable ideas, power, resources, strategies, conditions, habits and outcomes.”

How Can I Prioritize Equity in Philanthropy?

Inequities have been entrenched and normalized within society, so it will take a conscious effort to dismantle these systems and replace them with more equitable practices. Consider these opportunities to embed equity in your philanthropy:

Philanthropic Portfolio

Equity can be a lens applied to all your philanthropic efforts or an explicit philanthropic priority—either approach will advance the fields in which you’re investing. For some philanthropists, advancing equity in all forms, promoting racial justice, or dismantling systems of oppression could become distinct causes that they champion. Others may choose to elevate equity within their existing issue areas of focus. For example, philanthropists interested in health-related efforts could choose to support organizations that address the social determinants of health, which give rise to poorer health outcomes for minorities and other marginalized communities. Regardless of the supported cause, you can opt to invest only in organizations that are doing their part in advancing equity.

Grant Making

True strategic philanthropy occurs when donors evolve from reactionary giving to a more intentional, discerning, and impact-focused channeling of resources. This also means branching out from supporting nonprofits that you’re familiar with or tied to your network, which could be lacking diversity. Move beyond “safe bets” by actively seeking new information, recommendations, and referrals from sources beyond one’s immediate network. Consider looking to intermediaries such as Blue Meridian Partners, Tipping Point Community, Robin Hood Foundation, Co-Impact, and New Profit to provide a valuable pipeline of pre-vetted, changing-making nonprofits. Funding unfamiliar organizations necessitates a degree of risk tolerance, but it is a helpful practice that promotes the diffusion of philanthropic resources beyond a donor’s everyday footprint.

Philanthropy inherently involves a power dynamic because of the transfer of assets from one party to another. Nonetheless, philanthropists can proactively diminish this power imbalance by listening to constituents, collaborating with the communities they’re seeking to serve, and even engaging them in investment decisions. Before investing in an organization, also consider diversity within the nonprofit’s leadership ranks and board, and how staff engage with their constituencies to mitigate their own potential power imbalances in the communities they serve. Trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking are growing movements gaining popularity among institutional and individual funders alike, and offer concrete recommendations to funders about how to advance equity when distributing philanthropic assets.

Governance and Sharing Decision-Making Power

If you have a family foundation, consider the makeup and practices of your board of trustees. Do the members include representation from the communities you are trying to serve? Do foundation operations harbor any blind spots because they were devised by a non-diverse staff? If equity principles were not intentionally considered in the development of institutional strategies, goals, policies, and practices, there is likely room to make this more explicit and more of a priority. Engage with the board to elevate this matter and reevaluate to what extent it functions in service to the philanthropic objectives of the foundation.

Whether at the strategic or execution level of your philanthropic operations, engage with a diversity of perspectives. Prioritize diversity in both thought and experience among staff, advisors, and other individuals in your inner circle. Listening to and collaborating with the end-users of your philanthropy is an important way to share power and elevate the viewpoints of those who have been marginalized.

Where Do I Begin to Integrate Equity in My Philanthropy?

The subject of equity is undoubtedly complicated and can be fraught with emotion. Taking small steps is still movement in the right direction. Start with yourself, reflecting on your own actions and beliefs, and how they may—inadvertently or not—reinforce societal inequities. Assume an open, learning mindset, rather than one anchored in defensiveness. Awareness will give rise to behavior change; you can grow to adopt some or all of the practices suggested above, either with your personal philanthropy or by applying them more broadly at an institutional level, if you have a private foundation or other philanthropic vehicle. Expect missteps, as this may be unfamiliar territory, but is nonetheless worth taking on and course correcting, as needed. Encourage your peers, foundation trustees, or others in your network to take on this work themselves, since advancing equity entails a collective effort.

Additional Resources:

Quick Reads

CSP’s former senior director, LaTese Briggs, shared her perspective on the need for philanthropy to step up in upending racial injustices in society.

Kamillah Wood, deputy CEO & chief medical officer of the Children's Health Fund, contributed to Milken Institute’s Power of Ideas to share how systemic racism impedes progress across all issues that philanthropy touches, including health disparities.

Bias is a reality for all individuals, including philanthropists. Take the time to understand the sources of bias and how to reduce bias in the grant application review process.

Learn more about trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking and apply those practices in your own efforts.

Deeper Dives

During its 2020 Global Conference, the Milken Institute hosted a panel where speakers recognized that philanthropists and their capital have a critical role in supporting and fostering racial equity, reconciliation, and healing.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation developed a guide articulating its racial equity journey and providing directions for other organizations so that they can thoughtfully harness the role of boards, internal policies, and social capital in the pursuit of justice.

Bridgespan’s guidance on the giving response for anti-black injustice highlights priority investment areas within the Black-led racial justice ecosystem.

Ready to put action behind intent? The Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Justice produced a guide for grant making with a racial equity lens.