A key lever for change of the Black Collective Foundation is truth telling and power-shifting solidarity. While we have extensive research on national trends and practices on philanthropy and social change, we don’t have adequate understanding of the local landscape.
In May 2023, the Black Collective Foundation MN partnered with the Center for Evaluation Innovation with contributions by Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) for a one-of-a-kind study to advance systems change imperatives through data.
Toward Power-Shifting Solidarity explores quantitative and qualitative data on anti-Black racism, racial justice, and Black-led social change to inspire greater alignment with local and national philanthropy’s investment in racial justice.
The research asks:
What will it take for institutional philanthropy in Minnesota and beyond to move at the speed of courage and invest wholly in Black lives?
Our invitations to power-shifting solidarity with black people and communities in Minnesota and beyond:
Trust, defend, and recognize Black leaders.
Embrace the dual needs for economic development and healing justice.
Meet Black People at their intersections & acknowledge the force of anti-Blackness.
Support spaces of respite for Black changemakers in Philanthropy.
Invest in racial justice at the speed of courage.
DOWNLOAD OUR 2023 REPORT
Once the form has been completed, you will be given the link to download a PDF of our most recent Research Study completed in partnership with The Center for Evaluation Innovation and Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE).
From Our Research
Despite its progressive ideals, Minnesota consistently underfunds for racial equity and racial justice initiatives in comparison to the national average.
The chart above demonstrates funding for 2018–2019. During that period of time, foundations awarded about $3.5 billion to all grant recipients in Minnesota. That means that less than 4% of funding for Minnesota nonprofits was focused on racial equity, and only about 0.5% was focused on racial justice. These percentages are even smaller than at the national level, where 6% of all grant dollars were focused on racial equity and 1% was focused on racial justice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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The local and national observance of the three remembrance of the historic and global call for racial justice ignited right here in Minnesota is a critical opportunity to reflect on progress and dig deeper into the opportunities for change –particularly for philanthropic organizations with power and resources to influence progressive change courageously.
According to estimates in the seminal report by Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity’s “Mismatched,” as of summer 2021, the sector had pledged more than $8.8 billion for racial equity work in 2020, but only about $3.4 billion in actual grants awarded by foundations and corporations. We wanted to localize the gaze and explore how resources have flowed to the root city of the uprising while offering solutions towards transformation.
Philanthropy made significant commitments to support real change centering Black voices and Black-led organizations. Though the past few years have pushed philanthropy to devote more resources to racial equity initiatives, foundations are still struggling mightily to make racial justice an integral part of their work.
Black-led change in Minneapolis and across Minnesota is showing how philanthropy can make this shift.
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Black-led change is social, political, and economic change led by diverse groups of Black people. It centers the power, interests, and well-being of Black communities and often benefits all people.
It’s important we center it because Black-led change is the way. Historically and into this current day, Black-led change continues to prove its impact and necessity but has been targeted, under-resourced, and under-recognized. Black-led change makes the world a better place in spite of its opposition, imagine the possibilities if it’s recognized and resourced properly. Our capacity to realize racial justice and create the world we envision will be limitless.
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Findings of funding to racial equity and racial justice 2018–2021 in MN:
• In recent years, less than 4% of funding forMinnesota nonprofits was focused on racial equity, and only about 0.5% was focused on racial justice.
• Racial equity and racial justice funding did rise, incrementally, in 2020; racial justice continued to account for a small fraction of funding.
• Funding for Black communities in Minnesota also increased, but didn’t keep pace with national trends.
• Racial equity funding was more likely to focus on economic development, and top funders provided the vast majority of that support.
• Several major people of color-led organizations saw significant increases in funding in 2020–2021—as did intermediaries, potentially reflecting an effort to channel more funding to these organizations through local social justice intermediaries.
Nevertheless—and true to a pattern that held across the nation—Minnesota, the epicenter of the racial justice uprisings in 2020, saw only a tiny fraction of foundation funding actually invested in Black-led social change organizations.
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• Black community leaders are calling on philanthropy to fully commit to the being of the work and do differently, not just better.
• Power-shifting solidarity means embracing shared accountability, showing up as learners, and changing at the speed of courage.
• When philanthropy and Black community leaders show up in power shifting solidarity, our line of sight to create systems transformation is clear.
• The invitations to power-shifting solidarity in the report in recognition of everyone's agency to choose to be in practice with us in building the organizations, culture, community, and world we urgently need.
• As a result of the report and ongoing work, we hope leaders in the philanthropic sector and all with influence will:
• Trust, defend, and recognize Black leaders.
• Embrace the dual needs for economic development and healing justice.
• Meet Black People at their intersections & acknowledge the force of anti-Blackness.
• Support spaces of respite for Black changemakers in Philanthropy.
• Invest in racial justice at the speed of courage.
About the Research Partner Organizations
The Black Collective Foundation MN is working to create a thriving ecosystem of Black-led social, political, and economic change in Minnesota and beyond. The Collective engages in culturally grounded grantmaking, research, asset building, and convenings to advance the power, interests, and well-being of Black communities. The Collective also works to transform the philanthropic field to be in power shifting solidarity to realize the promise of racial justice. The Vision of the Collective is to advance the genius of Black-led change and build a community where all Black people are holistically well, living in dignity and prosperity.
Black Collective Foundation MN
The Center for Evaluation Innovation’s mission is to partner with philanthropy to provide changemakers the space and resources needed to advance racial justice and create an equitable future. CEI partners with philanthropy on strategy, learning, and evaluation efforts that are intended to advance racial equity and justice. We lead evaluation projects, consult with foundations on strategy and learning, and support field building through convening, organizing, and research.
The Center for Evaluation Innovation
Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE)
The goal of the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity is to increase the amount and effectiveness of resources aimed at combating institutional and structural racism in communities through capacity building, education, and convening of grantmakers and grantseekers. PRE has directly engaged thousands of foundation representatives (including program staff, management, board members, and individual donors) in discussions of racial equity and racial justice, particularly in order to increase their investments in Black and Brown-led efforts building Power and transformative change. PRE is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Tides Center.