Is philanthropy ready to commit to racial equity? The sector “doesn’t have a reputation for radical transformation,” reports Generocity. “Progress on racial equity is a challenging case study. Leaders in philanthropy now commonly cite the injustice of race serving as an effective predictor of economic, health and other social outcomes.”
Dwayne Wharton, a founding member of the Philadelphia Black Giving Circle and a veteran of nonprofits including Project H.O.M.E. and The Food Trust and Sidney Hargro, formerly of Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia and now of the LeadersTrust, both offer analysis for the sector, arguing that philanthropy needs a new endgame in order to stop perpetuating systemic racism. “You certainly are further supporting racialized outcomes,” Wharton said. The people who are “really burdened by [philanthropy] are folks of color and who benefits from that are typically White, educated folks.” Speaking on racial equity beyond a grantmaking portfolio, Hargro said, “It’s about your organizational culture, it’s how you operate, how you use your platforms, how your endowment is invested, how you’re involved and/or, at minimum, aware and involved in policy that actually affects the people that you’re trying to serve.”