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Race and Equity in Philanthropy Group
About the REPG
The Race and Equity in Philanthropy Group (REPG) is a body of foundations focused on implementing change in grant making practices at the programmatic level. It is a resource for specific practices in philanthropy covering issues around measurement, results, networks, evaluations, and measurable impact in communities.
REPG provides an opportunity for member foundations to improve their own approaches to race and inclusion through peer learning. For individual members and for the sector as a whole, REPG seeks the following outcomes:
- Use of a race-equity analysis in grant making
- Changes in philanthropic policies and practices that support minority-led organizations/communities of color
- Development of systems for tracking grant making to communities of color/minority led organizations
- Leadership of organizations support values of equity and diversity
- Changes in the culture of philanthropy as it relates to communities/organizations of color
- Influence of research and documentation regarding the capacity of organizations led by people of color
REPG Approach
Through learning exchanges and individual technical assistance, REPG identifies various issues to address, ranging from ways to diversify foundation leadership to how to stimulate economic development in communities of color through purchasing, and others.
Given the numerous and overlapping concerns that arise in the assessment of grant making impact on communities of color and the level of conversation in the field about these issues, the Group decided that this type of assessment was an appropriate initial issue.
- Do foundations actually and systematically measure and gather data around the racial and ethnic demographics of grantees and grantee communities? If so, how are communities and grantees defined?
- What constitutes an organization of color?
- How does a foundation set benchmarks around funding to organizations of color?
- Even if a foundation measures its contributions to organizations defined as representative of communities of color, how can one measure the impact of those dollars on the actual communities of color?
Foundations come in all shapes and sizes; therefore, how these questions are addressed varies.
The REPG also prepares papers capturing its findings and presenting recommendations that can be useful to the philanthropic industry as a whole. It continually addresses different dimensions of race and equity in philanthropy and reports on its progress in various key conferences, websites, and periodicals in the philanthropic industry.
A Brief History
Evolving since 2005, the REPG emerged from a study commissioned by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, which assessed a variety of internal and external practices in philanthropy with respect to race, inclusion, and equity.
As a consulting firm that advises and researches philanthropic initiatives and strategic partnerships, Marga Incorporated was selected to conduct the initial research, including interviews with approximately thirty foundation representatives. Focus groups provided the opportunity for The Annie E. Casey Foundation to exchange ideas and share practices with other foundations, and surfaced some collective desire to create a forum for continuous peer learning and exchange.
Subsequently, the REPG was formed. Aiming to include a diversity of foundations, the Group includes different types of foundations representing geographic variety.
Current members include The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and most recently, the Foundation for the Mid South. Other foundations involved in the history of the REPG include The California Endowment, The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, and The Rockefeller Foundation.
The Group is currently in communication with several other foundations regarding their potential participation. Marga Incorporated facilitates and staffs the Group.
To learn more about the Race and Equity in Philanthropy Group, please contact: repg@margainc.com.