Confronting racial bias in asset building philanthropy is an important step toward realizing economic justice. By intentionally adopting race-conscious grant making, asset funders can better fulfill their missions and help advance a more fair and equitable economy that benefits everyone.

Many funders raise the question: How do we move beyond the minimum 5% requirement of annual grant making and activate the entire foundation to support economic mobility and wealth building strategies in our communities? What about the other 95% of our endowment?

On May 16, 2023, the Carolinas Asset Funders Network, in partnership with Mission Investors Exchange, continued to activate AFN’s interactive funder primer, On the Road to Racial and Economic Justice: Essential Questions to Address Racial Bias in Asset Building Philanthropy.

Together we:

  • Continued to build a shared language and systems-level change framework to facilitate strategies for operationalizing race-conscious grantmaking and impact investments;
  • Inspired funders to come together with their colleagues, community partners, and other funders to support economic mobility and community wealth building strategies; and
  • Cultivated a collaborative regional funder table and lift up regional partnership opportunities to support economic inclusion strategies in the Carolinas.
Speakers

Lynette Bell, Truist Foundation

Susan Fitzgibbon Shumaker, Cone Health Foundation

Gabriel Treves-Kagan, Latino Community Credit Union

James Wahls, Mission Investors Exchange

Joe Antolín, Asset Funders Network

Velvet Bryant (moderator), Asset Funders Network