Executive Director of The Equity Lab and former educator and school leader, I have dedicated my career to building equitable and anti-racist schools and organizations. Every aspect of my career has witnessed how systemic inequalities affect all areas of social change work. Charity is no exception. Educational leaders and advocates of color who seek to navigate the world of historical, traditional, and current philanthropy often encounter invitation-only environments rife with implicit bias and structural disadvantage. increase.

With a predominantly white, wealthy funding community supporting schools in an underfunded community of color, these power imbalances are designed to pit grants and funding opportunities against each other. Through initiatives such as the Equitable Giving Project and The Equity Lab, we fight inequality by telling grant applicants their lived experiences in their own words. We provide a wealth of learning for funders truly dedicated to

The Equitable Giving Project, a collaboration with the University of Delaware’s Center for Education and Social Policy Research (CRESP), the Goodbets Group, and others, aims to raise the voice of underrepresented grant applicants. By identifying the challenges and opportunities these leaders face in securing philanthropic funding, we aim to create a blueprint for increasing equitable opportunities across the sector.

In 2021, the Equitable Giving Project created and conducted a comprehensive study on the experience of seeking funding from an education-focused charity. More than 200 people responded to the survey, which was conducted to fund Camelback Ventures, 4.0 Schools and Teach for America Reinvention Lab applicants and partners.

While previous studies of this type have focused on the funder’s perspective, this is the first project of its kind to solicit direct feedback from grant applicants. We identified that the overwhelming majority of respondents were members of marginalized groups. Nearly 90% are people of color, more than two-thirds of her are women, and nearly 20% are her LGBTQ+. Nearly 75% of all respondents said he had applied for funding from three or more organizations in the past five years.

Overall, survey respondents believe their identity plays a role in funding decisions, with racial and ethnic identities most commonly cited. We recognized a clear bias from funders against prescriptive leadership styles and skepticism towards small minority-run organizations. Respondents also pointed to the outdated, time-consuming and confusing grant application process, and that existing relationships with funders are an implicit requirement for success. , the difficulty of these processes has led us to stop applying for funding altogether, limiting our resources and narrowing the impact of our work.

Limiting what these organizations can accomplish can have a variety of implications. Research shows that students thrive when they have teachers and leaders who share their identities and experiences. Educators who have similar backgrounds to the students and families they support can build trust, validate experiences, and tap into community resources in ways privileged outsiders often cannot. Improving equity in philanthropy not only elevates individual leaders, it lays the foundation for sustainable community change across generations.

As our country has weathered all the economic and social impacts of the pandemic over the past two years, we have also seen an incredible opportunity for philanthropy to deliver on its promise.

We have seen the sector respond to the urgency of the pandemic with rapid response funding and feedback loops involving community members on the ground. And while our Equitable Giving project is relatively new research, the perspective it provides shines a light on how philanthropy should have been approached in the first place, as we have in this time of crisis. I guess. Central to strategic choices and decision-making.

So what does this look like in practice? Here are some ways funders can expand their equity in getting grants.

• Expand opportunities beyond traditional grant applications. Provide grant applicants with additional venues to demonstrate their research findings, including speaker series, showcases and networking circles.

• We provide mentorship, coaching and feedback. Work directly with grant applicants to refine their applications and learn from the process.

• Create opportunities for a wider range of relationships. Many implicit networking opportunities rely on traits of privilege, such as belonging to an elite university or mutual acquaintances from similar social classes. Structures for networking with leaders outside these circles Build smarter opportunities.

• Redesign the grant application process to improve accessibility. Consider streamlining grant application procedures and requirements, updating outdated processes, and providing transparency and guidance throughout the process.

The drastic response of philanthropy to COVID-19 has demonstrated the potential agility of this sector. More than anything else, the pandemic has proven that the philanthropic sector is powerful enough to do so if it is willing to act quickly.

The conclusion of the Equitable Giving Project is not new, but it is a challenge and a call to action. These are the steps philanthropic leaders must take to solve the systemic problems that concern them and their organizations most. If the entire sector, individually, systematically, and collectively, uses these recommendations as a baseline for action, we can reverse the power imbalance in philanthropy and create the just and equitable society we all deserve. You may have an unprecedented opportunity to build a

Michelle Molitor is the Founder and Executive Director of The Equity Lab. Prior to founding The Equity Lab, she was the principal of the EL Haynes Public Charter School in Washington, DC. She is also a Pahara-Aspen Fellow and member of the Billions Institute.