Press Release: Diversifying Donors Give Millions - New report
Contact:
Daria Teutonico, 202/467-1123
Diversifying Donors Give Millions to Make a Difference
New Report Examines Growth of Organized Giving by Communities of Color
Washington, D.C. – The face of the country is changing, and with it, the face of philanthropy. By 2050, people of color will make up more than half of the U.S. population. As the population of America has diversified, so too have the ranks of donors who are finding new ways to turn personal success into community gain.
“Across the nation, people of color have a long and generous tradition of giving,” said Daria Teutonico, director of the New Ventures in Philanthropy Initiative of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers. “Now these donors are finding new, more structured ways to give back and address community needs by creating foundations, donating to pooled funds, or starting giving circles.”
A new report and collection of stories by the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers reveal that racial, ethnic and tribal philanthropy is a growing trend across the United States that has generated millions of dollars for community needs like health care and education. Diverse donors are giving in diverse ways to help their communities. For example:
- The Asian American Giving Circle in New York is a group of young Asian professionals in banking and finance who have pooled their money to address issues facing children and the elderly in their community. To date, they’ve raised $20,000 to help the Queens Child Guidance Center hire additional social workers to serve Asian-American clients.
- The Kansas City Hispanic Development Fund has built a $1.2 million endowment over the past 20 years from donations by local businesses and Latino community members. The Fund gives $80,000 in grants each year to area nonprofits that serve the Latino community. Because it is so close to the community, it can respond quickly to urgent needs, such as providing operating money to keep a local day care center from closing.
- In Northern Arizona, the Hopi Foundation has raised over $1 million to help Hopi tribal members sustain their culture while improving jobs and health care and reducing poverty among the 7,000 residents of the reservation. The Foundation oversees 17 projects, including Gentle Rain, which helps Hopi seamstresses market their traditional Hopi designs on fleece made from recycled plastic.
- Tiffany Singleton of Houston, Texas rallied alumni and business colleagues in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to raise $20,000 to rebuild destroyed sections of her alma mater, historically black Dillard University in New Orleans.
“This report documents how people of color are finding innovative ways to make a difference using unique giving vehicles that celebrate their cultural traditions,” said Teutonico. “These new forms of philanthropy are in turn garnering support from community and private foundations that benefit from the racial, ethnic or tribal donors’ expert, first hand knowledge of community needs.”
The Chicago Community Trust houses two initiatives aimed at encouraging Black and Latino philanthropy in the Chicago area. One of them, the Nuestro Futuro Initiative has raised $2 million from Latino business and civic leaders in Chicago so far and distributed $200,000 in grants this year to organizations providing support to Latino parents with special needs children and Spanish-speaking immigrants, among others.
Leading private foundations are also investing in racial, ethnic and tribal philanthropy. For instance, the California Endowment has invested more than $10 million since 2000 to support racial, ethnic and tribal funds in California that address diverse issues from improving health care for African Americans to preserving native burial sites.
To assist foundations and prospective donors to learn more about the opportunities presented by racial, ethnic and tribal philanthropy, the Forum has created an online Racial, Ethnic and Tribal Philanthropy Knowledge Center. The center, http://www.givingforum.org/retphilanthropy, includes “how to" resources about the nuts and bolts of building racial, ethnic and tribal philanthropy; stories showcasing the diversity of the field; and resources created especially for private and community foundations.
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The Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers is a national network of local leaders and organizations across the United States that support effective charitable giving. The Forum houses the New Ventures in Philanthropy Initiative, launched in 1998 to encourage the growth of philanthropic giving across the country. For more information, visit www.givingforum.org.
Related Resources
- Racial, Ethnic and Tribal Philanthropy: A Scan of the Landscape (PDF)
An overview of the current state of racial, ethnic and tribal philanthropy. Hard copies are available to order, please contact Courtney Moore (cmoore@givingforum.org or 703-879-0809). - A Campaign for Community Service and Ethnic Understanding in Dearborn, Michigan (PDF)
Through ACCESS, Maja Friej led a successful $20 million national campaign to create the first Arab American National Museum in the US. - Alabama Black Belt Invests in Young Leaders (PDF)
The Black Belt Community Foundation, located in the Black Belt of Alabama, is working to grow the next generation of philanthropic leadership. - Asian Giving Circle Brings Hope to New York Children (PDF)
The AsianNextGen Giving Circle gives a gift to the Queens Child Guidance Center enabling them to hire a part-time social worker. - Bright Light in the Lone Star State (PDF)
Tiffany Singleton, a participant in and current board member of SIRV, raised money to rebuild destroyed sections of Dillard University after Hurricane Katrina. - Giving Circle FAQs
Outlines answers to commonly asked questions about giving circles. - Latino Philanthropy Fact Sheet (PDF)
Facts about Latino giving and examples of local programs describing how the increasing U.S. Latino population engages in philanthropy. - Listening Builds Trust with California Asian Donor (PDF)
Gail Kong of the Asian Pacific Fund explains that fundraising is most importantly about listening. - Native American Philanthropy Fact Sheet (PDF)
Native philanthropy has grown considerably over the past decade, in both the amount of grantmaking conducted and in the variety of Native institutions doing this work. Find out more. - Preparing New Business Leaders for Philanthropy (PDF)
An initiative led by Diversity Pipeline Alliance, strives to connect young business professionals and the nonprofit sector. - Press Release: Forum Launches New Phase with Appointment of Ernie Gutierrez as Acting President
Feb. 22. 2008: The board of directors of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers announces the appointment of Ernie Gutierrez as acting president, effective March 1, 2008. - Press Release: Giving Circle Popularity Skyrockets to Become $100 Million Force
May 21, 2007: A new report finds that groups of people getting together and giving together in giving circles are an established philanthropic force that has raised $100 million to support diverse charitable causes. - Young Professionals Learn About Philanthropy as an Investment (PDF)
Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) connects young leaders to the field of philanthropy. - A Plan of One's Own: A Woman's Guide to Philanthropy (PDF)
This guide examines women's roles in philanthropy and features “how to” sections on creating and using a variety of forms of charitable giving, as well as working with professional advisors. Hardcopies are also available by contacting Courtney Moore (cmoore@givingforum.org or 703-879-0809). - More Giving Together: The Growth and Impact of Giving Circles and Shared Giving (PDF, 1MB)
A broad study commissioned in 2007 by the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers of the characteristics, benefits, and impact of giving circles across the country. - Press Release: Ellen Barclay Announces Departure from Forum
Oct. 19, 2007: Ellen Barclay announces her resignation as president of the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, effective November 16, 2007. - Press Release: Forum Elects New Officers for 2008
Aug. 7, 2007: The Forum Board elected new officers for 2007-2008 at the end of July; Forum members elected a new slate of board members at the Aug. 1 Annual Meeting in Boston. - Ten Basic Steps to Starting a Giving Circle
Outlines the decisions needed when considering or starting a giving circle.
Related Links
- Associated Grant Makers
AGM supports the practice and expansion of effective philanthropic giving. AGM is a community of foundation staff and trustees, corporate grant makers, donors and philanthropic advisory services that builds a connection with nonprofit leaders. - Association of Small Foundations
The Association of Small Foundations (ASF) supports nearly 3,000 member foundations that have few or no staff. ASF provides the donors, trustees, and staff of foundations with peer learning opportunities, targeted tools and resources, and a collective voice. - BBB Wise Giving Alliance
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance helps donors make informed giving decisions and advances high standards of conduct among organizations that solicit contributions from the public. - Center for Effective Philanthropy
The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) is a nonprofit organization focused on the development of comparative data to enable higher-performing foundations. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, CEP’s mission is to provide management and governance tools to define, assess, and improve overall foundation performance. - change.org
Combining the social-networking aspects of Web 2.0 with fundraising and social activism, change.org allows participants to gather online around specific causes and also raise money. - GuideStar
GuideStar seeks to create a more transparent and accountable nonprofit sector. The information they provide contains searchable data from IRS Forms 990 and the IRS Business Master File, including comprehensive facts on employee compensation and grant activity. - Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors provides research and counsel on charitable giving, develops philanthropy programs, and offers complete program, administrative and management services for foundations and trusts. - The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI)
The Philanthropic Initiative, Inc. (TPI) is a nonprofit advisory team that designs, carries out, and evaluates philanthropic programs for individual donors, families, foundations, and corporations. - The Urban Institute
To promote sound social policy and public debate on national priorities, the Urban Institute gathers and analyzes data, conducts policy research, evaluates programs and services, and educates Americans on critical issues and trends.