Over Two Thirds of Small Foundations Believe Racial Equity is Relevant to Their Work

Almost three in four foundations (72 percent) with few or no staff report racial equity as "somewhat" or "very relevant" to their mission, with almost two in five (37 percent) reporting that racial equity was "very relevant" to their work, according to Exponent Philanthropy’s 2019 Foundation Operations and Management Report.

The press release states that 19 percent "had or were creating mission statements that included an expressed commitment to racial equity."

“We are at the beginning of a journey and there is certainly much more work to do. What is exciting and promising is that a growing number of our members are focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion, acknowledging its importance to their overall philanthropic impact,” said Henry L. Berman, CEO of Exponent Philanthropy.

The press release adds:

The report found that when it comes to governance and leadership within their organizations, only 15 percent of boards include more than one person of color. Across all foundation types, independent foundations had a higher proportion of boards with members of color. However, a little more than 20 percent of respondents had or were in the process of completing a training and employee self-assessment on racial equity.

Read here the announcement.

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