Prison Entrepreneurship Program’s Post

We hear a lot about restricted grants in philanthropy, but not enough about the power of supports "beyond the grant." For years, Anne Marie Burgoyne and the team at Emerson Collective have been pioneers in providing out-of-the-box -- and totally transformative -- supports to their grantees. As Anne Marie writes: "Foundations often focus their time and attention on making large operating grants to nonprofits — and rightly so given their importance to grantees. Yet sometimes, untraditional support that falls outside of typical funding — so-called 'beyond the grant' opportunities — can have an even greater impact." One example: in recent years, Emerson funded 400 teams to visit the Equal Justice Initiative's Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. The theory was that by supporting organizations in having shared, immersive experience learning about America's history of racial injustice, they'd spark personal growth and team transformation. Not surprisingly, it worked. While the impact of these grants can't be easily measured in dollars & cents or lives saved....the ripple effect of these investments will be felt for decades to come. For more on how they did it and what they learned, check out Anne Marie's latest in The Chronicle of Philanthropy #philanthropy #nonprofit #racialequity #beyondthegrant

Have you explored AFN's Realizing Economic Justice (REJ) Reflection Cards? AFN created this deck of 52 cards to help you and your organization on the journey toward realizing racial and economic justice, a road that isn't easy, is sometimes messy, but definitely necessary. This deck includes thought-provoking quotes, suggestions, and self-audit questions to deepen collective understanding, learning, and action to advance racial equity in your philanthropic investments. The cards can be utilized on AFN's website or downloaded and printed or shared in your organizational strategy sessions, weekly team meeting agendas and conversations with grantees and partners in philanthropy. Learn more and see the cards here: https://loom.ly/PEIRdUM

Black women specifically, receive a disproportionately small amount of venture capital (VC) funding compared to white male founders, despite being the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the US. In 2021, Black women-led companies received only 0.34% of all VC funding in the US, and in 2022, companies led by Black women received less than 1% of all VC dollars. This is despite the fact that Black women are starting businesses at a faster rate than any other demographic, with the number of companies owned by Black women increasing by 164% since 2007. "America is supposed to be a nation where one has the freedom to achieve, the freedom to earn, and the freedom to prosper. Yet, when we have attempted to level the playing field for underrepresented groups, our freedoms were stifled.” - Arian Simone Co-Founder/CEO, Fearless Fund Disappointed in the 11th Circuit Court's decision is an understatement. Companies and organizations shouldn't turn their back on DEI efforts just because it isn't trending anymore.

Thank you LaShawne Pryor, Ed.D for having us as at this year’s HBCU Philanthropy Symposium. It was great connecting with you, Meg Cline, Andrew Hibel and CJ I strongly believe that planned giving is prime opportunity for HBCUs - particularly life income gifts. Life income gifts, such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, offer benefits for both donors and institutions: Benefits for donors: 1. **Regular Income**: Donors receive regular payments for life or a specified term. 2. **Tax Deductions**: Donors may receive an immediate charitable income tax deduction for a portion of the gift. 3. **Capital Gains Tax Savings**: Donors can often avoid capital gains tax on appreciated assets used to fund the gift. 4. **Estate Planning**: Life income gifts can help donors reduce their taxable estate and potentially pass more to their heirs. 5. **Philanthropic Impact**: Donors can support charitable causes they care about during their lifetime. Benefits for institutions: 1. **Stable Funding**: Institutions receive a reliable stream of income from the gift over the designated period. 2. **Donor Relationships**: Life income gifts can deepen relationships with donors and their families over time. 3. **Diversification**: Institutions can diversify their revenue sources by incorporating life income gifts into their fundraising strategies. 4. **Legacy Giving**: Life income gifts can help institutions build a pipeline of future support from donors who include them in their estate plans. 5. **Financial Sustainability**: These gifts can contribute to the long-term financial sustainability of the institution. Overall, life income gifts can be a win-win for both donors and institutions, providing financial benefits, tax advantages, and the opportunity to make a lasting impact through philanthropy. #ImpactforLifeIncomeForForever

Friends, bison, countryfolk, This is an all-hands-on-deck, heads-up moment. More of the same won't work, meaning that if we don't get real clear, real quick what this country is about - our purpose -, how we fulfill it, and how we transform everything that is in the way of it, start saying your good-byes and stop pretending you're doing your part. You're not. Your voting, donating, hand-wringing, canvasing, phone-banking, protesting, and virtue signalling doesn't mean anything. Likely never did. It probably made things worse by delaying the inevitable. Say goodbye to your democracy. Say goodbye to the last vestiges of civil society and effective governance. Say goodbye to capitalism, to your college funds, your 401k, to any sense that it will have mattered that you traded the best years of your life for it. Say goodbye to any remaining respect your kids have for you. Say goodbye to the certainty you have that your kids will live past 40. Say goodbye to it all. The only way through this is down, in, and together. The door is open. The bison are calling us home: http://bisonmedicine.com

"Financialized Philanthropy" is an increasingly growing problem. The good news is that a growing number of people are talking about the issue. It is time for both better legislation in this space and for the leaders of foundations and DAFs along with high net wealth individuals to change how they do their business. Let's work together to ensure that the taxpayer subsidized money destined to do good is actually doing good - and not just creating an ever growing revenue stream for finance professionals and companies.

Who is the 7th highest paid person at the Macarthur Foundation? The answer will probably surprise you but is rather common among foundations in the US. The issue is that large philanthropy is increasingly doing more to drive financial gains for the "financialized philanthropy" industry. Rather than money in foundations truly being directed to where it is needed most, it is sitting on the sidelines enriching all of the fat cats who make money from that money. My thoughts in the blog below. https://lnkd.in/gES-c3Ut

Philanthropy has a huge opportunity—and responsibility—to build a culture of repair both inside and outside their organizations. What would it look like for #philanthropy to advance the work of #reparations? In our Stanford Social Innovation Review article "A Reparations Roadmap for Philanthropy" (📄 https://lnkd.in/gQR4QvFm) with Liberation Ventures, we share the core components of 🔁repair: - reckoning - acknowledgement - accountability - redress But what does it look like and where should funders start? We're excited to share a new report from National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, "Cracks in the Foundation: Philanthropy’s Role in Reparations for Black People in the DMV," which delves into repairing, healing, and restoring communities affected by charitable wealth origins. It provides a framework for #foundations to not only understand their past, but how they may start acknowledging and addressing these harms with community residents. This report, initially focusing on the DMV, offers a model for cities and regions everywhere. It's time for bold action and essential work. 📄 Visit https://lnkd.in/eTp27-sJ to access the report and be part of the change! #RacialJustice

Check out the latest newsletter from The Hopi Foundation

#MeetAMember - Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Established in 1984, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has distributed more than $1.4 billion through more than 85,000 grants to the arts, children and youth, economic stability, health and human services, and the environment. Read the Inside Philanthropy Q&A with CEO Ric DeVore, who discusses the foundation’s strategic plan, partnerships, and how his experience in financial services prepared him for his current role. https://bit.ly/3XEIMwy