Standing Firm in the Face of Fear: Now Is the Time to Double Down on Race-Explicit Philanthropy
The stakes for racial equity have never been higher, and philanthropy’s responsibility to act boldly has never been clearer. The recent election results underscore the urgency for philanthropy to embrace race-conscious grantmaking as a strategic imperative.
ABFE’s Racial Equity Advancement and Defense Initiative (READI) - in partnership with Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Hispanics in Philanthropy, and Native Americans in Philanthropy—represents our unwavering commitment to advancing and defending race-explicit work.
Navigate the Landscape with the Right Tools
To help funders respond strategically rather than reactively, we encourage you to explore the anti-DEI legislation tracker from the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law. This tracker breaks down litigation by issue, regional circuit, and relevant laws, helping us all understand the forces behind the headlines. As noted in the report, many of these lawsuits are driven by anti-equity organizations, and many are being dismissed on technical grounds.
This critical insight reminds us: racial justice is not illegal. We cannot let scare tactics designed to stall progress prevent us from doing the important work of funding equity-driven initiatives: https://www.inc.com/sarah-lynch/court-dismisses-anti-dei-lawsuit-hello-alice.html
The Case for Race-Explicit Grantmaking
A race-explicit lens is needed to address systemic barriers and promote fairness and opportunity in 21st-century America. The philanthropic sector must meet this moment not with retreat but with bold action. As House Democrats have recently urged the corporate sector, philanthropy too must lean into race-explicit funding, not away from it: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4934818-house-democrats-urge-ceos-dei/
Explore our READI Resource Bank for more tools and materials to aid nonprofits and foundations engaged in race-explicit grantmaking and programming.
What’s Next for our Members? Be Unapologetically Bold
The work of equity requires clear-eyed assessments and responsive strategies. Through READI, ABFE is advancing long-term approaches that defend racial equity while growing investments in communities of color. This is a call to every funder: double down on your commitments, fund with purpose, and stand unapologetically loud in your support of race-explicit philanthropy.
Last week, we took time to process this evolving political landscape; today, we move forward with renewed resolve. By contributing to ABFE’s General Operating budget this Give Month, you are helping us drive strategic initiatives, strengthen our community’s resilience, and forge pathways to equity. Now, more than ever, we must unite to sustain this fight and safeguard the progress we’ve made. Fund like the future depends on it—because it does.