1 Year Bridge Plan

The Greenlining Institute
Plan to Meet the Moment

In a year of headwinds, this bridge plan steadies our work –protecting equity wins, growing what’s next, and investing in the leadership and infrastructure for lasting impact.

Overview

For over 30 years, The Greenlining Institute has been building a future where communities of color can thrive

Founded in response to the systemic exclusion of communities of color from economic and political opportunity, Greenlining has advanced policies and practices that center racial equity across sectors — from finance and technology to climate and transportation, and beyond. Our mission has always been rooted in transforming unjust and inequitable systems and replacing them with ones designed by and for the people most impacted.

We offer this bridge plan that will both serve as a guide for our work while also providing the flexibility to pivot and shift our work as necessary to meet the moment.

This one year bridge plan is a clear-eyed, purpose-driven response to the reality we are facing, and a recommitment to our role as both a shield against injustice and a seed for what’s next.

The Context

A Shifting Landscape

Communities of color have long endured the compounded impacts of systemic racism, environmental injustice, economic exclusion, and chronic underinvestment — challenges now intensified under the Trump Administration.

Our strengths, challenges, opportunities, and external pressures inform how we can have the most impact:

What Grounds Us
  • Decades of experience and deep community partnerships
  • Greenlining’s race-conscious, community-driven approach
  • The opportunity to shape national conversations on racial equity, climate justice, and economic inclusion
Where We Can Grow
  • Navigating leadership transitions
  • Uncertain and shifting funding landscape for Greenlining
  • Internal capacity constraints
What Drives Us Forward
  • Cross-movement solidarity
  • Local and legal wins
  • National spotlight on affordability and access
What We’re Confronting
  • Hostile federal policies
  • Shrinking public funding for communities of color
  • Widening racial wealth gap and safety net cuts

In its first 100 days, the Trump administration launched aggressive attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; gutted climate justice initiatives; weakened consumer protections; restricted access to capital; and targeted the nonprofit sector. The administration’s July 2025 “One Big Beautiful Bill” doubled down on dismantling safety net infrastructure designed to protect vulnerable communities.

Critical enforcement mechanisms that once advanced equity are being systematically dismantled. The Community Reinvestment Act and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are under attack, financial institutions face less regulatory pressure to serve excluded communities, and climate safeguards are being stripped away. Simultaneously, unregulated technologies like fintech and AI pose new risks to low-income communities of color. The nonprofit sector, which might counter these trends, is itself under siege, with escalating investigations, executive orders, and political hearings creating a chilling effect on advocacy and narrative leadership.

Meanwhile, shrinking public funding, retreating private capital, and increasingly risk-averse philanthropy are leaving equity work under-resourced. Cuts to the social safety net, inflationary pressures, and deepening state budget deficits are contributing to the erosion of household security, widening the racial wealth gap, and reversing hard-fought gains. Without intervention, these converging forces will entrench inequities even further — precisely the barriers Greenlining was created to dismantle.

Opportunities

Seizing the Moment

And yet, bright spots remain. Communities are organizing to defend hard-won gains, local leaders are advancing racial and climate justice where higher levels of government fall short, and courts have checked some of the Trump Administration’s most extreme overreaches. Most importantly, cross-movement solidarity is growing, as advocates unite to resist rollbacks, protect progress, and reimagine what’s possible. These openings offer hope and opportunity in an otherwise difficult landscape.

Greenlining is uniquely positioned to lead at this moment. The Trump Administration’s return has amplified harmful narratives that dehumanize communities of color and reject racial equity, but Greenlining can help shape a competing vision rooted in justice and inclusion. By tapping into national concerns like affordability, Greenlining can advance equity-centered narratives, influence policy, and partner with frontline communities to amplify best practices and build a shared vision for a just future — one where all communities can thrive, build wealth, and withstand climate and economic shocks.

At the same time, Greenlining is navigating an important internal transition. Leadership shifts have created space for reflection and realignment, with a new CEO and staff leaders prepared to co-create the organization’s next chapter. Building on our strong foundation, trusted coalitions, and proven framework, we remain committed to bold, equity-driven transformation. No matter the political headwinds, Greenlining’s race-conscious, community-driven approach continues to be both urgent and powerful.

The Path Forward

1 Year Bridge Plan

Greenlining’s value-add in the racial equity ecosystem is to continue to support our networks in weathering the devastating impacts of the Trump Administration, while also leveraging our policy expertise to develop model policies that can be advanced with future administrations.

In the next year, we will continue to monitor and track the impact of the Trump Administration’s policies on our communities, report out on the widening racial wealth gap and its root causes, identify funding to keep our work moving forward, and serve as a leading racial equity expert to elevate what policies are most crucial to defend from attacks, while also developing impactful policies and programs where emerging opportunities can be leveraged.

To have the greatest impact, we’re doubling down on California and supporting partners in other states in order to protect our gains, secure commitments to racial equity work at all levels, and lay a foundation for rebuilding broken systems with equity as a central focus. Greenlining will continue to be vigilant and engaged on the federal stage — defending hard-won gains and identifying inroads to advance equity wherever possible.

California remains a critical proving ground for progressive policy. Despite fiscal headwinds, there are still key opportunities to secure state-level wins in climate investment, racial equity, and infrastructure policy. By leveraging the organization’s influence in California, we can deepen support for equity agendas in other states and bolster the capacity of local advocates, helping create a resilient national network capable of advancing aligned policy solutions.

Our work in the next year will focus on advancing these strategies that are aligned with our Strategic Plan Levers:

Strategic plan comparison table with two columns
Strategic Plan Lever 1 Year Bridge Focus
Secure and direct funding specifically to formerly redlined communities.

In order to maximize the impact of billions of dollars of potential funding, Greenlining is building the capacity of communities to apply for, receive, and implement resources while also working to increase the available resources overall.
  • Securing diverse and innovative public, private, and philanthropic funding to keep our mission and work moving forward, particularly in frontline communities of color bearing the brunt of climate change.
  • Facilitating deployment of those funds through direct technical assistance and capacity building in key regions where Greenlining has deep relationships with communities of color on the ground.
Advocate and shape policies that prioritize the needs of communities of color.

In partnership with community-based organizations in formerly redlined communities, we will incubate, develop, and shape policies that drive affordability and wealth building in ways that prioritize the needs of communities of color.
  • Advocating to protect critical infrastructure, policies, and programs that support economic well-being, long-term resilience, and agency for communities of color including, energy affordability, equitable AI, clean transportation and mobility options, and availability of financial services and resources.
  • Documenting the benefits of inclusive and equitable policies as well as the harm of deregulation and disinvestment on formerly-redlined communities.
  • Educating key decision-makers on community needs and priorities through storytelling, compelling data, and public education campaigns.
Strengthen alliances and coalitions to amplify impact.

Cultivating an enabling environment for community-led transformation at all levels of our ecosystem requires thoughtfully and intentionally engaging government, the private sector, philanthropy, and community to activate and execute this model. As part of our model for success, we’re training the next generation of racial equity leaders through our Leadership Academy to join the ranks of these communities with the training to advance equity for all.
  • Working in coalition to secure tangible commitments to advance economic and climate equity from key stakeholders including the California Racial Equity Commission and California’s next governor, while also advancing equitable policy where gains can be made on issues critical for communities of color.
  • Continuing to co-lead national networks and coalitions and build their capacity to advance multi-state policy campaigns.
Operationalize and incubate equity frameworks.

Equity is at the heart of everything we do at Greenlining and we are aiming to develop and deploy a 2040 Greenlined Economy Policy Blueprint. From driving our policy development work internally to developing resources for institutions to do racial equity work, we’re hardwiring racial equity into policies and practices to create transformative systems change.
  • Incubating model equity policies and programs, and sharing lessons in coalition to build a foundation for future policy development. Developing and deploying strategic messaging, frameworks, and tactics to meet this political moment; laying the groundwork for future, bolder policies that will move us towards a Greenlined economy.
  • In an era where policymakers are pushing for speed and efficiency, developing and advancing key equity standards to provide a balanced approach.
Cultivate an expanding generation of racial equity leaders.

Strengthening and updating Greenlining’s Leadership Academy and alumni infrastructure to better meet the needs of today’s young people.
  • Build up the capacity of the Leadership Academy including hiring Leadership Academy key staff, conducting a curriculum revamp, diversifying and increasing corporate and philanthropic support, and implementing best practices for leadership development and skills-building for a new generation of racial equity leaders.
Build and strengthen Greenlining’s internal infrastructure and resources to lead this work in the long run, including Greenlining staff, assets, and finances.

Support a healthy and dynamic workplace that honors and values staff identities and experiences, fosters career development, and reflects our core values to our external audiences.
  • Securing sufficient, diverse, and stable sources of funding from public, private, philanthropic, and individual donor sources.
  • Advancing an unapologetically race-conscious narrative that centers our core values, strengthens our advocacy agenda, and attracts new partners to our coalition.
  • Conducting collective bargaining agreements in good faith between Greenlining’s leadership and rank and file staff.

Our Foundation

Carrying Forward a Legacy of Transformation

This bridge plan is built on a solid foundation of three decades of Greenlining’s experience and expertise advancing our mission and the depth of knowledge and passion from our majority people of color team with deep expertise across our issue areas, and driven by a shared passion for justice.

From our ability to bring together communities with the public and private sectors, to our innovative and adaptive policy development and implementation tearing down new frontiers of redlining, Greenlining’s mission to fundamentally transform systems to better serve communities of color remains more relevant and crucial than ever:

The Greenlining Institute works towards a future where communities of color can build wealth, live in healthy places filled with economic opportunity, and are ready to meet the challenges posed by climate change.

Greenlining’s credibility and influence continue to be recognized across the environmental justice and economic equity movements due to the role we play in the racial equity ecosystem. As advocates, bridge builders, and incubators, we retain strong relationships with financial institutions and policy advocates, while our race-conscious, community-driven framework remains urgent and powerful.

Our work spans advocacy, coalition-building, and incubation — driving policies and programs that empower communities of color:

Advocate
  • Shape and lead strategy and policy efforts
  • Raise the visibility of issues that impact communities of color
  • Build political will for the policies we champion
Bridge Builder
  • Keep the public and private sectors honest, making sure they deliver on their promises
  • Bring different kinds of people together to work for powerful solutions
  • Share our knowledge with communities so they can shape their own futures
Incubator
  • Work with communities to generate and test new policies and programs
  • Train multi-ethnic leaders, organizations and communities of color so they can be the strongest and most resilient advocates for change
  • Offer spaces for community connection

Conclusion

A Roadmap for What Comes Next

At The Greenlining Institute, our mission remains clear: to build a just future where communities of color thrive. In the face of rising threats and political shifts, including the return of the Trump administration, we are standing strong — defending hard-won progress and advancing bold solutions.

This bridge plan is our roadmap through uncertainty. It reflects our deep roots in community, our strength as a trusted convener, and our commitment to systemic change. We’re doubling down: protecting what we’ve built, growing what’s next, and investing in the leadership and infrastructure needed for lasting impact.

We know that equity doesn’t happen by accident — it takes strategy, resilience, and collective power.

Together, we’re building the coalitions, policies, and investments that will shape a more just future led by communities of color.