We need more funders to speak out, and continue to support existing DEI programs, and more importantly, expand them to build stronger pipelines for people of color to enter professions in dire need of diverse representation. Thankfully, there are already examples we can point to, including a letter signed by more than 140 philanthropic organizations and individual statements such as the one issued by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Among its grantees was Consumers’ Research, which is currently soliciting stories of “companies who are going woke in order to distract from bad business practices” as part of its stated mission to “increase the knowledge and understanding of issues, policies, products and services of concern to consumers.” DonorsTrust’s 990 filings indicate that it awarded Consumers’ Research $5.9 million in general operating money - the lifeblood of nonprofits - in 2021.įunders and philanthropists dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion need to make their voices heard now more than ever. Smaller but still noteworthy, DonorsTrust, a donor-advised fund guided by “ ideals of limited government, personal responsibility and free enterprise,” reported distributing about $188 million in 2021. For example, the Marble Freedom Trust launched in 2020 with a $1.6 billion gift from one benefactor. Even the most cursory of searches uncovers donations that boggle that mind. Make no mistake: We’re seeing the first salvo in a new skirmish in the culture war, coming from a well-resourced conservative movement. In the name of “eliminating all racial discrimination” - quoting Students for Fair Admission (SFFA) - these challengers seek to intimidate leading firms and corporations into abandoning long-standing, well-considered legal efforts to address ongoing racial barriers. AAER also has sued an investment fund for encouraging venture capital funding for women of color-led businesses. The American Alliance for Equal Rights has filed lawsuits challenging diversity fellowships at law firms as racially discriminatory. ![]() ![]() ![]() Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) piled on, advising top law firm managing partners to preserve their documents in anticipation of “investigations and litigation” if they dared continue diversity initiatives. With the proverbial ink from the decision barely dry, attorneys general from 13 states threatened to sue Fortune 100 CEOs for their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC limiting the use of affirmative action in college and university admissions has set off a chain reaction - and it requires an equally powerful counteraction from philanthropy.Īt a time when our country should be looking to expand solutions to ensure that diversity remains a priority, alarmingly, we seem to be trending in the opposite direction. Supreme Court’s recent decision in SFFA v.
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