Forbes just released its annual list of the wealthiest folks on Earth, who have an average net worth of $4.1 billion. Every time one of these lists comes out, the first thing I do is scan for names that are not white men, and every time, I'm disappointed.
This is the second post for “Liberate Philanthropy,” a new blog series curated by Justice Funders to re-imagine and practice philanthropy free of its current constraints — the accumulation and privatization of wealth, and the centralization of power and control — to one that redistributes wealth, democratizes power and shifts economic control to communities.
In recent years, philanthropy has experienced a surge of interest in supporting racial equity across this country. It’s an encouraging trend, but our sector has a great deal of work ahead of us to counter a long history of neglect of Native American organizations. To put it in perspective: Native Americans make up 2 percent of our country’s population, yet their communities receive less than 0.3 percent of philanthropic dollars.
In this new age of political uncertainty and social unrest, leaders of color will be key to navigating philanthropy's future. The Schott Foundation for Public Education was proud to present a two-part webinar series highlighting 21st Century Inclusive Leadership in Philanthropy.
Moderated by Casey Family Programs’ Toya Randall, our first conversation highlighted three philanthropic leaders from across the country:
How can we ensure healthy school climates for LGBTQ youth, particularly youth of color in schools, in the present political environment? This was the animating question behind a wide-ranging funders briefing and strategy session held by the Schott Foundation for Public Education in partnership with Funders for LGBTQ Issues and Communities for Just Schools Fund in New York City on July 25th.
Like many professionals working in philanthropy, I was oriented to do work in the social sector and stumbled into a job at a foundation. When I started as a program officer at the age of 28, I wasn’t sure if I would make a career out of out of philanthropy.
Less than 0.3% of philanthropic dollars go to Native groups. This fact was pointed out at Philanthropy New York’s event, “Invisible No More: Native Realities in a Post-Election Era”, by Schott Foundation Vice President of Programs and Advocacy Edgar Villanueva. Alongside Edgar were Native Americans in Philanthropy CEO Sarah Eagle Heart, American Indian Law Alliance President and Executive Director Betty Lyons, and moderator Patricia Eng, who is Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at The New York Women’s Foundation.
