Building Constituencies in Diverse Communities: Lessons from a Learning Journey (short version) Note to Presenter: Start Presentation on Slide 2

Building Constituencies in Diverse Communities: Lessons from a Learning Journey This GCYF Learning Circle was supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

GCYF Overview  Grantmakers for Children, Youth & Families serves as a point of contact for grantmakers seeking collegial and collaborative relationships with other funders concerned with children, youth, and families.  GCYF offers diverse learning and networking opportunities.  Learning Circles provide long-term learning opportunities for groups of grantmakers desiring sustained interaction with colleagues.

Acknowledgments  The Aspen Institute, Karen Fulbright-Anderson  The East Bay Community Foundation, Diane Sanchez  Coalition of Community Foundations for Youth, Cindy Ballard  Neighborhood Small Grants Network, Janice Foster  The Denver Foundation, Patrick Horvath and LaDawn Sullivan  Making Connections- Denver, Susan Motika and Candace RedShirt

 Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore  The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, CA  DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, Washington, D.C.  Flintridge Foundation, Pasadena, CA  Ford Foundation, New York City  Heinz Endowments, Pittsburgh  Rauch Foundation, Garden City, NY  Rockwell Fund, Inc., Houston  The Skillman Foundation, Detroit  The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, Scottsdale  William Casper Graustein Memorial Fund, Hamden, CT Learning Circle Foundations

Session Objectives  Making the Case for Building Constituencies in Diverse Communities  Examining Three Lenses for Understanding Building Constituencies in Diverse Communities  Exploring three Arenas in which the “work” of constituency building moves forward

MAKING THE CASE  Why now? Changing demographics Disparities exposed by disaster Realization of limitations of traditional grantmaking models

Lenses for Understanding Building Constituencies  Structural racism  Racial equity  Inclusionary grantmaking (as opposed to traditional grantmaking

Lenses for Building Constituencies: Structural Racism “Structural Racism” refers to the ways in which  Historical context - American legal system  Public Policies  Institutional Practices  Cultural Representations Interact to allow the privileges associated with “whiteness” and the disadvantages associated with “color” to endure and adapt over time. The Aspen Institute Roundtable Structural Racism and Community Revitalization Project

Lenses for Building Constituencies: Racial Equity “ Equity means each person or group has equal access to economic, social, and educational opportunity. For members of groups that have been excluded from resources, equity may involve providing greater resources to compensate for past exclusion and discrimination.” California Tomorrow, 2004

Traditional Grantmaking Funder >> Approves request >> Monitors progress >> Evaluates project >> Closes out project file or continues support Grantee >> Submits request >> Provides progress reports >> Reports on project >> Ends project or seeks further funding Funder Grantee

Funder funding technical assistance Grantee access knowledge (trust & respect) acknowledged resources mutually agreed upon implementation outcomes next steps Lenses for Building Constituencies: Inclusionary Grantmaking

Work Arenas for Building Constituencies A. Internal practices B. Community engagement C. Capacity building

Work Arenas for Building Constituencies: Internal Practices  Board & CEO commitment  Explicit equity statement  Internal staffing and practices

Work Arenas for Building Constituencies: Community Engagement  Community assessment  Foundation as community partner  Relationship building

Work Arenas for Building Constituencies: Capacity Building  Small Grants  Technical Assistance  Leadership Development  Monitoring & Evaluation

In the end, this work is:  “Descriptive” not academic  Asset-based not needs-based  Long-term organizational change  Open-ended based on listening  About being honest

Discussion Questions

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