Bringing the Family Business into Philanthropy

by Stephanie Ellis-Smith

I’ve been reading a lot about what has become of all the pledges business and corporations made to racial justice and economic equality after the reckoning of 2020. According to one statistic, of the $50 billion dollars pledged, only $250 million was actually given. Yikes. While that stat is almost entirely about large corporations like JP Morgan Chase, Google, and others, smaller family businesses can take a lesson from it. Today, more than ever, the world is watching not just what you say, but what you do--or don’t do, as the case may be!

So how does a business make good on its desire to give back at a time of great need? This blog post offers a few ideas to help you get started. And of course, we are always happy to have a conversation, if you have specific questions.

First, some data to set the scene. A study published in the Harvard Business Review found that family businesses maintain high levels of corporate social responsibility (CSR) regardless of what the business environment is. Additionally, an impressive 81% of the world’s largest family businesses are engaged in philanthropy, which shows just how important CSR is to family enterprises. 

Why do family businesses focus on philanthropy, corporate responsibility and giving back? Here are three key reasons:

1. To attract talent: millennials, as the largest generation, and Gen Zs moving into the workforce, all want to work at places that contribute to the common good. It’s a great tool for employee engagement and retention.

2. To deepen family legacy: this one is really important. The desire for an owner to pass on the business within the family is a significant driver behind an organization’s philanthropic goals. Ernst and Young’s recent Family Business Philanthropy report indicated that family business owners with strong trans-generational intentions are particularly concerned about the well-being of future generations, and are therefore more motivated to address long-term social and environmental issues by engaging in philanthropy. And further, participating in philanthropy as a family (at home or in business) helps to keep the bonds of family strong over generations. Giving together publicly demonstrates a family’s core values and unites them behind a common cause.

3. To strengthen their voice: organizations with a clearly defined purpose, often exemplified by a philanthropic strategy, typically experience more growth, have higher customer satisfaction, and have a reputation as champions for their community. Philanthropy is increasingly a key component to a strong brand.  Now that you have an idea of what motivates family businesses to do this work, we can talk a bit about how it can be done successfully.

First, start with WHY. As I always say to our clients, no one has to engage in philanthropy. Getting comfortable with doing a deep dive into motivations is key. What exactly are you looking to get out of it? Do you want to financially support some really incredible work that's already happening in your community? Do you want to engage your employees with volunteerism? These kinds of questions are important to ask yourself, because they will determine what type of nonprofit organizations you might work with, who should be involved, and what level of engagement will be necessary. 

You can find lots of advice and advisors who will tell you how to develop a CSR program in a quick and easy fashion that has a big return on investment, but Phīla does not believe in shortcuts. In this day and age, insincerity and slapdash programming are easily detected and you could end up doing more harm than good to your business. Take your time to ask yourself the right questions.

Decide on your goal or vision. When deciding on where you will have impact, it is not enough to simply settle on the vision that your CEO or founder is partial to. Vanity projects will only get you so far. Instead, create a thoughtful and intentional process that brings together family, customers, and employees to determine which issues lie at the intersection of the business’s mission and the unmet needs of your community. Spending time on deciding how the values the business espouses connect with your philanthropy will make it easier to make decisions in the long-run.

The objective of this exercise isn’t to arrive at a goal that sounds impressive. In fact, the simpler it is, the better. The goal is to arrive at a vision for your community that your company is best equipped to play a part in creating. The temptation is to jump right in to picking issues and organizations to support, but in reality, having a program you can be proud of and that has longevity requires learning about your community, listening for understanding from your stakeholders, and building trust. It takes time.

Don’t be afraid to take a stance. At this moment, during the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic, a fragile political environment, and calls for racial justice growing by the day, taking a stand means it’s likely that you won’t make everyone happy. The company must be prepared to decide if it is okay with losing business from certain groups since taking money from those groups would run counter to its philanthropic values and strategy. Being consistent and knowing the issues at hand are as important as ever. A couple of examples of how businesses take a stand on issues important to them are restaurants that make public that they’re discontinuing their use of plastic straws and telling customers why; or retailers who actively reach stock suppliers of color and state why they find it necessary. You get the idea.

Establish mutually beneficial partnerships with nonprofit organizations by doing the legwork to understand your company’s role in the broader ecosystem surrounding that goal. Get to know the community on a deeper level and learn how the issue you care about has had an effect, past and present. Think about what you really want to get out of your relationship with the community. If it's a big employee-driven, social justice initiative that the company really wants to step into -- like what Starbucks or Patagonia did with their environmental focus --  then that affects the kinds of conversations you have with nonprofits. You're not going to be working with a small community-based organization. They don't have the wherewithal to respond, they don't have the data, the metrics that a marketing team is going to need or want to justify it. That's going to be your much larger, maybe national, organizations that can meet you eye-to-eye, head-to-head, and give you the types of things that you really need. Conversely, if you're looking to be embedded in a community, then that's a different kind of conversation with maybe smaller organizations.

Family businesses understand the need to partner with nonprofit experts on the issues they care about, and even more so if they are looking to engage with communities of color. It is important to ensure that these are not token partnerships, but authentic and mutually beneficial for both the business and the local partner. (For a deeper dive into embedding racial equity into corporate social responsibility, check out a webinar I participated in called Turning Statements Into Action.)

Kristin Jarrett, a community and social impact strategist at Booz Allen, advises large and small businesses to meet with nonprofit organizations and ask them about what big problems they are trying to solve and how you can help. She wisely suggests that businesses stepping into the social sector should plan to “do some backwards planning and create ideas around how you could collaborate to really support them (i.e., nonprofits) in their mission.”

Regularly check in on your progress. Philanthropy is an ongoing commitment to achieve a vision of justice or equity in partnership with one’s community. Build accountability into the process from the start. The same diverse group of stakeholders who help set the vision for the program can also set the metrics by which you’ll measure your performance. While there is no legal obligation to meet these metrics, relationships with stakeholders — especially employees and external communities — are regulated by trust. Continued failure to meet stated goals damages this trust and sours the brand. Better to not do it at all if you can’t dedicate real time and energy to this involved yet potentially very rewarding process. 

In its best form, philanthropy in a family business environment is a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship between the business and the communities with whom they interact. The dynamic is also driven by the growing desire of socially-aware consumers and employees to do better for their stakeholders and the world at large.

As you consider embarking upon this work, you will no doubt find joy in connecting your family business with your community in new and meaningful ways. 

It's Time to Upend the Status Quo of Charitable Giving

This blog is adapted from the original work created for the Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving.

Image courtesy of Unsplash

In addition to my work at Phīla Giving, I co-founded, with Christina Lewis, a nonprofit organization called Give Blck in September of 2020. Give Blck gives voice to 500+ Black-founded nonprofits and addresses racial equity by offering a comprehensive database for donors to find and fund Black nonprofits. It began as a response to individuals seeking a way to support Black-owned business and Black organizations in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in May of 2020. 

Given our involvement in philanthropy as non-profit founders and individual philanthropists, we are acutely aware that funding and investing in Black nonprofit organizations are critical – yet often forgotten – pieces to tackling systemic racism and inequality. We have seen first-hand how structural issues in the philanthropic sector slow money getting to working charities and the out-sized impacts they have on communities of color. The lack of transparency of donor advised funds makes it difficult for organizations to cultivate relationships with donors. Not to mention the fact that despite the hefty payouts during the pandemic, commercial DAFs are still sitting on billions of dollars that are already dedicated to the common weal but are sitting fallow instead. While these difficulties hit all organizations, the hit is disproportionally devastating to Black and BIPOC groups. Just this past February–Black History Month–only four percent of the $450 billion dollars donated to charity went to organizations led by underrepresented minorities. 

Through Give Blck, I have signed on to support The Initiative to Accelerate Charitable Giving’s reforms because they address outdated provisions in the current tax structure and reforming these charitable giving laws is a crucial step towards achieving racial and economic equity in our sector. What can be done? IACG has specific recommendations for reform for private foundations and donor advised funds.

For private foundations, while they are subject to a 5% payout rule to ensure a regular flow of dollars to tax-exempt public charities, savvy trustees can easily work around this requirement. At a time when every dollar counts, Congress should ensure that existing rules are reformed to fulfill their purpose by stipulating that:

• Private foundations cannot meet their payout obligations by paying salaries or travel expenses of foundation family members. 

• Private foundations cannot meet their payout obligations by making distributions to donor-advised funds.

• Donors cannot avoid private foundation status (with its attendant rules) by funding their entities through donor-advised funds.

Congress should also enact incentives and reforms to ensure that private foundations continue to play a pivotal role in the charitable ecosystem by distributing more of their assets to operating charities, such as:

• Reduce to zero the private foundation excise tax for any year in which the private foundation’s payout is 7% or more.

• Eliminate the excise tax for any newly created, time-limited private foundation with a life of 25 years or less. 

Donor-advised funds (DAFs), on the other hand, call for a completely different approach. They have over $120 billion set aside for future charitable gifts. The problem is that current rules fail to provide any incentives or requirements for DAFs to ever distribute their money.

DAFs can and should continue to play an important role in charitable giving, but there need to be rules to ensure that funds donated to DAFs are made available to working charities within a reasonable period of time. Congress should enact reforms that ensure that payout occurs by allowing donors to choose one of two regimes for their DAF donations: 

1. A 15-year DAF Rule under which a donor would get upfront tax benefits (as under current law), but only if DAF funds are distributed (or advisory privileges are released) no later than 15 years from the year of the donation to the DAF. 

2. An Aligned Benefit Rule, an alternative for donors who want more than 15 years to distribute their DAF funds, allows a DAF donor to continue to receive capital gains and estate tax benefits upon donation but would not receive the income tax deduction until the donated funds are distributed to the charitable recipient. This rule would create an incentive for donors to get donations to charities sooner. View details and other proposed reforms on their website.

It is critical that we implement IACG’s reforms now because we are in a unique moment of awareness and openness to examine how business has been done in the past and how it may aid in nurturing inequality at a time when more people than ever around the world are motivated to make the rules work better for everyone.

If these proposals become law, there will be short and long-term benefits that would do much to invigorate and make our sector more equitable. But we don’t need to wait for Congress to act. You can implement some of these changes now and on your own to move your money faster and more equitably.

We must be more deliberate with our philanthropic giving and intentional with regard to who we want to fund. Casual, colorblind donations to organizations, believing that somehow everything will work itself out in the end, will at best be ineffective as it pertains to dealing with pre existing racial disparities. It is far more likely that the absence of deliberate and meaningful reforms in philanthropy will only widen gaps that should be closing. 

My Time at Phīla: Reflections and Learnings

By Olivia Reiten

Olivia when she was a senior at the University of Washington and a new Phīla employee.

I wasn’t quite sure of the role philanthropic advising played in an individual’s everyday life before I worked at Phīla Engaged Giving. I had assumed it was mostly companies, businesses, or multi-generational families that utilized these advising services. My understanding of philanthropy was essentially that people picked what organizations or causes were important to them, with no real plan as to how much, how long, or why they were giving. I knew giving monetarily could create lasting changes, but I never fully understood the privilege an individual possessed to even be in a position to donate money in a significant way. Working in an environment that deals with individuals and families with significant wealth, and their ability to give it away, I had to reevaluate my own understanding of privilege - especially through the lens of philanthropy. My time at Phīla has shown me how incredibly powerful philanthropy can be when people approach giving with heart and honest intentionality. 

March and May 2020 marked two pivotal turning points within the world, and consequently at Phīla. The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and George Floyd’s murder sparked worldwide reaction and an outpouring of cries for fundamental change in support of social and racial justice. Philanthropic funding was put on center stage as a route to fund this change, and philanthropic advisors were working with donors to move money fast. Being at a small, young company allowed me the opportunity to work outside of the typical job description of an executive assistant and to pivot toward work intended to respond to these events. I was able to focus on areas that were necessary - and personally enjoyable - such as research and the creation of two important resources for the wider philanthropic community. Pull Up for Racial Justice and COVID-19 Response were Phīla’s contributions to the field and donors looking for ways to respond to the two biggest social upheavals in a generation. Taking on the responsibility of creating these two pages was a bit daunting, but it allowed me to further educate myself on the topics while also compiling accessible educational resources for others. Creating those pages involved some of my most memorable work I did while at Phīla, and it taught me how many of the world’s systems intersect with philanthropy at one point or another. 

 Now, being at a point of reflection, I have compiled some of the lasting lessons I have learned while working in the world of philanthropic advising and family philanthropy:

Philanthropy can be done in more ways than one.

At its core, philanthropy aims to help people and communities. While this still holds true, philanthropy has evolved in such a way that anyone can give in some capacity. Monetary contributions are only one avenue. It is also just as important to give via volunteering your “time, treasure, or talents”.

NextGen giving has huge potential.

The great wealth transfer will be instrumental in changing the landscape of philanthropy as we know it. Younger donors of my generation are interested in causes that have received less funding historically: climate change, racial justice, women’s rights, and healthcare access. This new generation of individuals coming into serious money has an attitude of “give it all away”, in the hopes of radically undoing our systematically unequal society. It is inspiring to see young individuals “put their money where their mouth is” and attempt to disrupt the status quo of “traditional” philanthropy. 

Where you choose to give really does make a difference.

While financially supporting big, legacy organizations will remain important, providing funding at the grassroots level will become one of the most important funding avenues we can utilize. Individuals working on the ground and directly in the communities that are in need of funding have the best insight and tools to strategically implement social change.

Lastly, the “big” one: 

Philanthropy doesn’t look the same for everyone, but putting some heart and honest intentionality into the process will make your giving go far. 

 This is the overarching theme I have come to learn while working at a philanthropic advising consultancy and what I love about Phīla’s philosophy. It’s one thing to throw money at a cause or organization, but it's another to take the time to do your due diligence on researching the organization(s), planning a giving strategy, and really diving into the why behind your giving. In my opinion, this is what the world of philanthropy can use more of: honesty. Since philanthropy will look different for everyone, what truly matters is putting your heart into it and being honest with yourself around what you’re really doing and what you hope to gain.

The experience, knowledge, and relationships I have gained while working at Phīla are invaluable, and I will carry them with me. I am lucky to have worked with some of the most inspiring, empathetic, and determined women I have ever met. Phīla has shown me not only the power of philanthropy, but the power of working with individuals who want to help others understand the power of their own giving. As a young individual with white privilege, it is my responsibility to recognize it, continue to acknowledge it, and use it to create space for the betterment of our society. Philanthropy can truly be a powerful tool for change, especially if there is heart and intentionality behind it. With this knowledge, I am inspired to take action and be a force for change.

A Philanthropic Response to Threats Against Democracy

By Lauren Janus

With a more divided electorate than any time in recent memory, an incumbent president who’s refused to commit to the most basic of democratic norms—a peaceful transition of power—and the proof and pain of racial injustice from coast to coast, you’d be forgiven for thinking these are dark days for democracy in America.  We at Phīla have certainly thought so. But we also know that as Americans, we have a fundamental responsibility to stand up for our democratic institutions and way of life—now and after November.

 The good news is that there are some fantastic people and organizations already working tirelessly on these issues. Giving Compass, a valuable resource for news of the giving world, has compiled a substantial directory of organizations working on defending the media, registering people to vote and strengthening democracy.

 Below is our own brief round-up of selected organizations committed to these crucial issues. Some of the below are partisan, some are non-partisan, some are 501c3 organizations, and some are organizations to which donations are not tax deductible. All stand with us in this struggle to ensure democracy and our rights as citizens are protected, regardless of who is in office. 

 Please consider giving or volunteering today.

Region or BIPOC-Specific Organizing Groups

 We know that the best people to help specific communities exercise their right to vote are organizations within those communities. Fortunately, grassroots organizations across the country are mobilizing voters and making noise in 2020. Here are a few stand-out groups.

1.     Texas Organizing Project. TOP, as the Texas Organizing Project calls itself, was formed in 2009. The group organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris and Bexar counties in Texas, with the goal of transforming the state into one where people of color have the power and representation they deserve. The 100,000- member group leads direct-action organizing, grassroots lobbying and electoral organizing, while providing leadership development to interested Black and Latino residents. 

2.     Voces de la Frontera Action. Called “The Most Valuable Grassroots Organization in the US” by The Nation magazine in 2012, Voces de la Frontera and its Action Fund use their relational voter program to build a network of low wage and immigrant workers.

3.     EquisLabs. Founded by two veterans of Latino political research and organizing, Equis Labs calls itself a research and experimentation hub working to build Latinx power. The small 501c4 organization supports leaders and organizations that are working to increase Latinx civic participation by focusing on data, digital and leadership development.

4.     Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC). BLOC is a Milwaukee-based organization focused on using community-based organizing and face-to-face conversations to lift up Black citizens and build stronger communities throughout Wisconsin. BLOC has been working to register Black Wisconsin residents, and provides information on safe voting for everyone. 

5.     Nuestro PAC. A partisan Super PAC, Nuestro PAC was formed to continue a model of Latino outreach they say was instrumental in delivering early victories to Senator Bernie Sanders. The super PAC is focused on mobilizing and turning out Latinos in key states in the 2020 election. So far, Nuestro PAC has invested in targeted outreach to Latinos in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

6.     Movement Voter Project (MVP). MVP is a bit like a mutual fund for donors. The nonprofit uncovers small grassroots groups that are making waves and combines them into giving opportunities like the Black-led Organizing Fund or the Defend the Election Fund.

Get Out the Vote Groups

Few acts are as fundamentally patriotic as casting your vote for our country’s leaders. This fall, a large number of organizations are focused on Get Out the Vote, or GOTV, efforts. Here are a few that do this from a 100% non-partisan position. 

7.     Vote Save America. Vote Save America is singularly focused on getting Americans to vote. Their slick website has easy-to-access resources on registering to vote, signing up to be a poll worker and donating to organizations that support free and fair elections.

8.     When We All Vote. When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization working to increase voter participation in every election. They have a star-studded list of co-chairs, including Michelle Obama and Tom Hanks. But they also have a downloadable app, called OutVote, which allows volunteers to text eligible voters, reminding them when and where to vote, and urging them to make a plan for getting their ballot cast. 

Voting and Civil Liberty Defense Groups

Of course elections aren’t the only times our civil liberties matter. There are well-established, proven organizations working on these issues from a number of angles all of the time. 

9.     The Brennan Center for Justice. Staffed by lawyers, researchers and advocacy experts, the Brennan Center for Justice is an independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization based in Washington DC, and at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School. Their work is focused on fair elections, ending mass incarceration and preserving American liberties.  

10.  Democracy Docket. Democracy Docket was founded by political lawyer Marc Elias, who served as general counsel for the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign and John Kerry 2004 presidential campaign. Marc and his team at Democracy Docket work to fight voter suppression laws in court. Marc’s written a lot lately on how Americans can protect their right to vote and democracy in general. 

11.  ACLU. The ACLU works to protect a wide range of civil liberties, including prisoners’ rights, immigration and voting rights. Their team of values-driven lawyers have brought hundreds of cases, including some before the Supreme Court.

12.  The Southern Poverty Law Center. Founded in 1971, the Southern Poverty Law Center works with communities in the American South to counter white supremacy and advance the human rights of all people. Their list of national hate groups is a highly respected tool of those working to expose and counter these dangerous groups.   

 Postcard writing/phone and text banking opportunities

If you’re itching to roll up your sleeves and urge fellow voters to the polls, there are several groups that allow you to do just that. 

13. Vote Forward. With Vote Forward, you can sign up to “adopt” likely voters from the Vote Forward database, download a letter template and add your own message to nudge them to the polls. So far volunteers have already written letters to over 10 million likely voters.  

14.  Blue Wave Postcard Movement. This organization allows you to sign up to send personalized postcards to likely voters in key battle ground states. The postcards come complete with websites, phone numbers and QR codes to help people get answers on where and how to vote in their state. 

 15. Postcards to Swing States. Volunteers with Postcards to Swing States have already signed up to send 15 million postcards to voters in 15 key states. But you can still donate to help pay the cost of postage, which Postcards to Swing States asks their postcard writers to cover themselves.

 16. Clean Energy for Biden. Clean Energy for Biden is a network of clean economy business leaders and advocates working to elect Joe Biden as President, as well as advance policies, technologies and investments to address climate change in general. They are hosting a range of virtual volunteer opportunities, including regular phone banking, which can be done from wherever you happen to be at the moment.

However you stand up for democracy this November, be sure to tell your friends, your network and your community and invite them to join you. VOTE. It’s the only way we can look forward to a more peaceful, just and generous 2021.

Pull Up for Racial Justice: Resources

Updated as of 6/23/20

*Listed in order: Direct Relief, System Change, Petitions, Educational Tools, and Other Resources (alphabetized within section) 

*Organizations that have been over funded, or are no longer accepting donations have been removed.

Direct Relief Funds

Cultural Wellness Center unleashes the power of citizens to heal themselves and to build community in Minneapolis. 

Emergent Fund: Provides rapid response funding to grassroots organizations in communities of color who are facing injustice based on racial, ethnic, religious and other forms of discrimination.

Headwaters Foundation for Justice: The Transformation Fund: The fund will make grants to grassroots organizations that are providing protesters and community members with immediate needs and to groups that are demanding change and holding law enforcement and elected officials accountable.

National Bail Fund Network: Network of 60+ community bail and bond funds across the country. Immediate goal is to quickly release protestors. We recommend you first call your local chapter and ask them about their needs before donating.

Northside Business Support: Fund to support businesses on Minneapolis’ Northside who have been affected by protests. 

North Star Health Collective: A collective that provides healthcare services, resources, and training for protestors and organizers. 

Pimento Relief Fund: Relief Fund for Black businesses in Minnesota without insurance that suffered from damages during protests. 

Systemic Change

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Committed to fighting for and restoring fundamental freedoms and rights.

Black Immigrant Collective: “Amplifies and makes visible the voices of Black immigrants in Minnesota”

Black Lives Matter: Global Organization combating racism, white supremacy, and violence towards Black communities.

Black Table Arts: “Gathering Black communities through the arts, towards better black futures”

Black Visions Collective: Organization dedicated to Black liberation and healing justice. Originated in Minnesota.

Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100): Organization of Black youth activists “creating justice and freedom for all Black people”

Campaign Zero: Police Reform group working on policy change

Communities United Against Police Brutality: Committed to fighting police brutality and abuse of authority by police.

Fair Fight: Advocates for election reform, voter engagement/turnout, and voter education, founded by Stacey Abrams. Donations are not tax deductible.

Know Your Rights Camp: Educational camps/campaign started by Colin Kaepernick to “advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities”.

Minnesota Voice: Nonprofit working towards permanent changes in racial, social and economic justice.

The Movement for Black Lives Matter (M4BL): Umbrella organization that mobilizes and organizes individuals to “influence national and local agendas in the direction of our shared Vision for Black Lives”.

NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Provides legal aid, advocacy, and education for racial justice issues.

Racial Justice Network: “A multi-racial, grassroots organization committed to fighting for racial justice and building bridges across racial, social and economic lines”.

Reclaim the Block: Organizing the Minneapolis community and city council members to defund the police and redistribute that money to other community resources. 

Petitions

·      Justice for Ahmaud Arbery Petition via Colorofchange.org

·      Justice for Breonna Taylor Petition via Change.org

·      Justice for George Floyd Petition via Change.org

·      Justice for George Floyd Petition via Colorofchange.org

·      Petition to Charge the Minneapolis Police involved in the murder of George Floyd via Change.org

·      Petition to Charge the Minneapolis Police involved in the murder of George Floyd via Colorofchange.org

 Educational Tools

“A Call to Funders to Fund the Struggle Against Anti-Black Racism” Article by Funders for LGBTQ Issues staff.

Anti-Racism Educational Resources for White People List of Articles, Books, Children’s Books, Podcasts, Film/TV, etc.

Anti-Racist Reading List Reading list compiled by author, Ibram X. Kendi

Black History Month Library PDFs via Google Drive

Black-Owned Bookstores in the United States Organized by name, state, and on a map

Campaign Zero “Policy Solutions” Page Includes facts, figures, studies, external resource links, etc.

“The Case for Reparations” Article by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“Dear Philanthropy: These Are the Fires of Anti-Black Racism” Article by Will Cordery for the Nonprofit Quarterly 

“11 Things to do Besides Say ‘This Has to Stop’ in the Wake of Police Brutality” Article by Brittany Wong

“15+ Tools and Resources to Challenge Racism” Article by CompassPoint staff members Amy Benson, Michelle Gislason, Maro Guevara, Sujin Lee, and Asha Mehta. Includes Ted Talks, Blogs, Articles, Books, Toolkits, Frameworks etc.

“5 Ways to Start Being a Better Ally for Your Black Coworkers” Article by Courtney Connley

How to be an Antiracist Book by Ibram X. Kendi and Kendi’s personal antiracist reading list is here

“How to Manage When Things Are Not Okay (And Haven’t Been for Centuries)” Article by The Management Center for managers and leaders.

“How Philanthropy Can Help Achieve Racial Justice” Time100 talk/video by Ford Foundation CEO, Darren Walker

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption Book and website by Bryan Stevenson

Know Your Rights Camp: Educational camps/campaign started by Colin Kaepernick to “advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities”

The Marshall Project A nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that reports on the criminal justice system.

Me and White Supremacy Book by Layla F. Saad

“Mom, Why Don’t You Have Any Black Friends?” Article by Michelle Silverthorn on talking to children – and yourself - about race.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness Book by Michelle Alexander

1619 Podcast by the New York Times

So You Want to Talk About Race Book by Ijeoma Oluo

Unicorn Riot: “A decentralized, educational nonprofit media organization of artists and journalists”. Currently reporting on and Live-Streaming protests.

“U.S.  Businesses Must Take Meaningful Action Against Racism” Article by Laura Morgan Roberts and Ella F. Washington

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism Book by Robin Diangelo

White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide Book by Carol Anderson

Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race Book by Reni Eddo-Lodge (Free in audio-book version from Amazon)

“You do Not Need to be Black to Know that Black Lives Matter” Article by The Communications Network

“Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay – Chances Are They’re Not” Article by Danielle Cadet on checking-in on your Black work colleagues

Other

·      PDF of Caucus information via Just Lead Washington: “Caucuses as a Racial Justice Strategy: What We Have Learned” 

·      Google Document of community collective resources/educational tools

·      Google Document of community collective organizations to donate to 

·      Google Document of community collective “National Resource List”

·      Google Document for calling/e-mailing public/state officials

·      Safe Protesting/Protester Information

·      More Resources to Explore 

Supporting Our Vibrant Non Profit Sector at its Hour of Greatest Need

Image by Unsplash

A version of this piece was first published by Stephanie Ellis-Smith and Beth McCaw in the Puget Sound Business Journal.

COVID-19 is now a global pandemic and despite the havoc it has already wrought we have yet to experience its greatest impacts. Every one of us must follow guidelines to mitigate the transmission of the virus by staying home unless absolutely necessary to “flatten the curve” of its progression. As a result of these dramatic turns of events, markets are reacting by ushering in a period of intense volatility and erasing much of the gains made over the past three years. Financial advisors tell us not to panic, but we, as advisors in philanthropy, are encouraging individuals and foundations not to pull back on giving, despite portfolio losses. 

While we understand the anxiety and fear that uncertain times and rapidly changing circumstances create, we urge everyone who can to lean into leadership and offer extra support to our struggling nonprofit organizations when and where needed. Given the unprecedented level of disruption to businesses and nonprofit organizations, this is not the time to be timid or risk-adverse when it comes to giving.

We have all received the e-mails and calls. Fundraising luncheons, galas, auctions are being cancelled or postponed. With nationwide mandates preventing large gatherings, the spring fundraising season is officially over. For arts and cultural organizations that have had to cancel performances and close their venues for the foreseeable future, these measures cut off their streams of earned revenue as well. 

The crisis facing the public sector is not just because of COVID-19. Tough times have been brewing since 2017 with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which raised the standard deduction to $24,400 for married couples filing jointly, a high threshold for an average family. As a result, nonprofit organizations have already seen a significant drop in contributions, especially from mid-level donors. According to IRS data, Americans itemized $54 billion less in charitable contributions in 2018 alone. With 2020 being a presidential election year, political campaigns will increase the competition for dollars right during year-end fundraising appeals. Even while facing certain reductions in funding and volunteers, nonprofit organizations around the country have redoubled their efforts in communities hardest hit by COVID-19 by providing everything from quality health care to emergency childcare services. They are a critically important component to our national and local response to this pandemic.

We encourage you to act boldly and generously to support our community during this time of extraordinary need. For example, Seattle, where I live, is routinely listed as one of the ten wealthiest cities in the nation by USA Today and has a mean net worth four times the national average according to The Seattle Times. Though we may not feel we can dig deeper to address these needs, we can and we must.

The business community has already mobilized its support, taking care of employees and other businesses alike. Microsoft led the charge to pay their hourly workers even if they were unable to work. Amazon has created a small business support fund of $5 million to support businesses trying to survive with few customers. These are important investments, but we simply cannot afford to overlook the nonprofit sector’s impact on the US economy at the local, state, and national levels. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, nonprofit organizations employ 12.3 million people with payrolls exceeding the construction, transportation, and finance industries. According to this same data set, nonprofit organizations in Washington State account for almost 10% of private employment.  Our economic recovery depends on investment in the nonprofit sector.

Now is the time for an all-hands-on-deck approach to community philanthropy. Here’s how we do it.

1. Foundations, be flexible with your funding. Offer unrestricted general operating support and release restrictions on previously made program or project grants. In such a volatile environment, trust that your grantees know best how to deploy capital most effectively and give them the ability to pivot quickly and to respond to needs as they arise. Offer rapid response grants without asking organizations already over-burdened to write proposals or submit online applications. Consider accelerating future grant payments or grant additional funds. Deploy resources no matter the changes in your endowment or investment portfolio. Why reserve funds for the future when the crisis is now?

2. Arts patrons, if you bought a ticket to gala, auction or performance, don’t ask for a refund. Keep the ticket and make a commitment to attend the rescheduled event or treat the cost as a donation to the organization.

3. Donors, give now and check in with the organizations that you support by email or phone. Being a donor means being in a relationship and caring about the well-being of those working on the front lines. Ask if there are ways you can be helpful and be open to the response. Also, be mindful of the burdens on their time. You may not get an immediate reply, but a note showing your support is appreciated. If you have a donor advised fund, now is the time to deploy those resources. Both the Seattle Foundation and Social Justice Fund NW are accepting contributions to their respective COVID-19 response funds. Those are great places to start.

4. Everyone, give to the fullest extent possible regardless of the tax deductibility of your gift. Often those who are in the greatest need are service and gig-economy workers. Follow Microsoft’s lead and pay hourly workers in your employ even if they are unable to work. Give bigger tips to drivers and delivery people—in cash. 

5. Be an advocate. Now that you know how much the nonprofit sector contributes to our economy, contact your representatives to ensure any government relief or recovery effort specifically includes the nonprofit sector.

We are facing a grave threat to the health and economic stability of individuals across the country. Sadly, the novel Coronavirus is fueling anti-Asian racism, xenophobia, and violence. Be vocal about dispelling racist misconceptions and avoid falling into the trap of blaming “others” for this global pandemic.

 We are all partners in this effort. Some are working on the front lines putting themselves and their families at risk. Others are working behind the scenes to help organize or fund the effort. Everyone is needed and everyone has a place. Find your place and get to work. If not now, when?