It is no secret that the nonprofit sector is not even merely as diverse as the population of the U.S. workforce. But why? Where is the disconnect and what can we do to empower and support minority lead organizations?
For non-profit organizations, funding is and will likely always be, exceptionally competitive. Minority lead organizations face funding challenges at a different level than most, stemming from an unspoken bias that has long prevailed within the philanthropic arena.
As explained in Harvard Business Review’s The Problem with “Color-Blind” Philanthropy, women’s groups are among those that continue to be underfunded, and only a small percentage of philanthropic monies go to organizations led by racial minorities, despite the high needs in these communities. According to a Greenlining Institute report, less than 5 percent of the charitable donations from more than 72,000 U.S. foundations are granted to communities of color. Research also has found that funding pertaining to Native American causes and concerns remains among the lowest, amounting to less than 1 percent of total giving. To push back on these funding biases, minority lead nonprofits must take an extensive data-driven approach to demonstrate their unique values and strong leadership to funders, donors, foundations, and other stakeholder groups.
Diversity representation in the workplace leads to overall success. According to The Bridgespan Group’s Racial Equity and Philanthropy: Disparities in Funding for Leaders of Color Leave Impact on the Table, philanthropic efforts that don’t consider race run the risk of exacerbating existing racial disparities or even creating new ones. The impact of these companies extends beyond the services they provide. Their empowerment and self-determination set the stage for our future nonprofit leaders and stakeholders.
Your CAN team has put together a list of ways that you can advocate for a minority led organization today:
Promote and shop
Seek out and utilize minority owned organizations. If you are not able to monetarily support, spreading the word via social media is just as effective.
Write and post reviews
Most organizations religiously depend on reviews when deciding to make a monetary commitment. Write detailed and positive reviews across Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc.
Offer mentorship
Is there a way you can help the business grow? Whether it’s providing complimentary consulting services, or mentoring young business leaders, consider where you can add value for underserved organizations.
By: Sydney Marks
www.CANportal.org
Coordinated Assistance Network is proud to present The Momentum to Modernize Grant (M2M). M2M is intended to provide technology that produces transformational resources for nonprofit infrastructure, efforts to scale, and implementation support. CAN is granting 75 in-kind grants to organizations for “Black Level” CAN portal licensure. Click here to learn more about M2M.
