Democratizing Philanthropy

Among the largest 46 foundations in the nation, 1 out of 4 are people of color, yet most have no people of color on their boards at all.  Specifically, 8.0% of board members in the top...

Among the largest 46 foundations in the nation, 1 out of 4 are people of color, yet most have no people of color on their boards at all.  Specifically, 8.0% of board members in the top foundations in the nation are Latino, 12.5% are African American, and 4.5% are Asian American.  However, 28.3% of the top 46 foundations have no people of color on their boards at all; 56.5% have no Latinos, 37.8% have no African Americans, and 69.6% have no Asian Americans.

This report presents data on the diversity of the boards of directors of the 46 largest independent foundations in the United States.

We found that a while quarter of all board...

This report presents data on the diversity of the boards of directors of the 46 largest independent foundations in the United States.

We found that a while quarter of all board directors in the sample were African American, Latino, or Asian American, 28% of the sample did not have people of color on their boards at all.  Among people of color, Latinos are the most underrepresented on foundation boards, with only 8% of all board members of the sample foundations identifying as Latino.

We also found that diversity of the board of directors of the foundations has a generally positive correlation to their giving to organizations led by people of color.  Comparing this sample with the sample of the top 25 foundations and their giving to organizations led by people of color in our previous reports, we found that the top ten foundations with the most diverse boards of directors (among those 25) gave 47.1% of all grants given by that sample to organizations led by POC.  In contrast, foundations with no people of color on their boards gave 10.4% of their grants to such organizations, once the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, an outlier in the dataset, is removed.

Greenlining's efforts to bring transparency to foundations have been met with widespread criticism, particularly from the conservative news media.  This document presents some of our...

Greenlining's efforts to bring transparency to foundations have been met with widespread criticism, particularly from the conservative news media.  This document presents some of our answers to some of the questions and allegations raised by the media and others.

Greenlining believes that greater transparency and accountabilty from foundations regarding their diversity practices will greatly improve their impact in serving lower-income and minority...

Greenlining believes that greater transparency and accountabilty from foundations regarding their diversity practices will greatly improve their impact in serving lower-income and minority communities.  Read exerpts of the opinions of others who agree.

The Greenlining Institute proposed “sunshine” legislation that would require large foundations operating in California to gather and disclose pertinent diversity data.  This...

The Greenlining Institute proposed “sunshine” legislation that would require large foundations operating in California to gather and disclose pertinent diversity data.  This legislation does not require foundations to invest in minority communities, and it does not create racial quotas for grant-making and employment.  This legislation is a simple attempt to get foundations to disclose key data related to diversity on an annual basis.  Find out why we decided to sponsor the legislation.

Addressing the Needs of Diverse and Grassroots Nonprofit Organizations in California

In December 2008, a group of nine wealthy California foundations, under the umbrella of the “Foundation Coalition”, announced new plans to invest in minority-led nonprofit...

In December 2008, a group of nine wealthy California foundations, under the umbrella of the “Foundation Coalition”, announced new plans to invest in minority-led nonprofit organizations.  This coalition was formed in response to Greenlining-led legislation that would have required foundations to simply disclose diversity data on an annual basis.  Overall, the new grant making programs announced by the nine foundations will total $30 million over the next two to three years.  Greenlining’s reaction to the announcement is mixed.  While we are pleased to see foundations finally working together to address a critical issue for communities of color, we were disappointed that the agreement was limited to “capacity building” and did not take into account larger issues around equity and diversity.  Most notably, there are no commitments to long-term operating support for minority-led nonprofits, which we believe is central to the empowerment of communities of color.  Stay tuned for more reaction to the announcement in the coming weeks.

This report analyzes the grants made by the ten largest Florida-based foundations, and details the percent of their grants and grant dollars they gave to minority-led organizations.  The...

This report analyzes the grants made by the ten largest Florida-based foundations, and details the percent of their grants and grant dollars they gave to minority-led organizations.  The report demonstrates that the top foundations gave an average of 5.48% of their grant dollars to African American- Latino- and Asian-American-led nonprofit organizations.  The top foundation in terms of minority giving was the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which gave 16.1% of its grants to minorities, closely followed by the Wallace H. Couler Foundation, which gave 14.3% of its grants to minorities.  This study was commissioned by the Florida Minority Reinvestment Coalition.