Our Commitment to Leveling Up

In 2020, Grand Rapids Community Foundation committed to leverage our resources, networks and influence at a higher level to combat racism and inequity. The Community Foundation made a pledge to specifically deepen its investment in Black communities. Since then, we have been interrogating systems and processes to uncover new ways to live into that commitment.

We are also leveraging our existing infrastructure to build a healthy, robust and increasingly resourced ecosystem of people of color-led nonprofits and movements to increase equitable outcomes across systems. Here are six ways the Community Foundation is leveling up our action:

1.PRIORITIZE PEOPLE OF COLOR-LED ORGANIZATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS BECOMING ACTIVELY ANTI-RACIST. In fiscal year 2020 – 2021, more than half of funds awarded from the Fund for Community Good went to people of color-led organizations. Additionally, the Community Foundation is setting aside resources to prioritize well-being and capacity building for people of color-led organizations, as well as resources for relationship building with Indigenous 1 communities. The Community Foundation defines being led by people of color as: people of color are a majority in three or more of these categories: founder(s), executive director, leadership team, board of directors, volunteers and staff.

2. LEAN INTO COMMUNITY-LED GRANTMAKING by directing $1 million of unrestricted resources to the Black Legacy Fund (formerly African American Heritage Fund), whose committee has been invited to determine the timeframe and distribution of resources into Black communities. Additionally, resources have been administered to our Youth Fund, Our LGBTQ Fund and the fund to be established by our Latinx Advisory Committee, at varying amounts. This will help committees to support communities of color at the intersections of their fund’s focus. 3INCREASE OUR

3. INCREASE OUR TRANSPARENCY about resource allocation by clearly stating how the Community Foundation makes impact through the grants we award to nonprofit partners. Our Fund for Community Good and Field of Interest funds represent the most flexible resources and are most visible publicly. Yet, the Community Foundation also makes an impact through a collection of over 800 funds, each with its own purpose. We are sharing with current and prospective partners more context and definition about the funds available for grantmaking and how those resources are awarded.

4. LEARN ALONGSIDE DONOR ADVISED FUND HOLDERS as we create opportunities for them to align their grantmaking with our organizational commitment to racial, social and economic justice. Fund holders have the discretion to make grant recommendations for causes they are passionate about, and our philanthropic services team intentionally keeps them informed of new opportunities to align their philanthropic interests while also advancing equity. It is also a goal of the Community Foundation to increase the diversity of our Donor Advised fund holders to ensure they are more representative of community demographics.

5. WORK TO LEVERAGE RESOURCES beyond grantmaking by leaning into our roles as advocate, storyteller, network connector, capacity builder, champion and co-learner. Besides making grants, we partner by providing feedback on how best to apply for funding, sharing stories for potential Donor Advised fund partnerships and facilitating introductions for ecosystem building. We also offer spaces for rejuvenation and shared learning and amplify stories through our communication channels.

6. KEEP MOVING FORWARD with the ongoing individual, organizational and community work required to become more actively anti-racist. This includes focusing on internal practices in addition to our outward facing work. Through our internal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Human Resources department and Senior Leadership Team, our staff continues to work on our internal culture, including critical work to address individual biases and increase education about systemic injustice. We have updated our vendor policy to prioritize companies led by people of color. Also, we continue to seek and develop ways to gather and share data about our efforts to increase public accountability.