What role does philanthropy have to play in our current moment? As many call for action now...

• ABFE calls on the philanthropic sector to increase investments in Black-led organizations, push for structural change beyond emergency response efforts, use endowments to bring greater resources to critical issues, and more in their Statement on COVID and Police Shootings
• Sidney Hargro, president of Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, challenges philanthropy to confront white supremacist practices, commit to dismantling white supremacy, and prioritize liberation as a philanthropic goal.

...others caution that philanthropy must commit to change for the long-term...

This month, our focus has been on the resources in our Giving Tuesday toolkit, including:

• Stifled Generosity: How Philanthropy Has Fueled the Accumulation & Privatization of Wealth, a timeline of the impact of philanthropy from 1913 to the present from Justice Funders Today
• Funding Community Organizing, Changing Lives, a call-to-action to fund community organizing and a look at the impact it has already had on key social justice issues by NCRP
• Give Big, Give Now, Keep Giving for Social Justice, guidance on giving for social justice from Resource Generation

How we give and who we give to are vital as we work to build a more just world. As Vanessa Daniel noted in her recent New York Times opinion piece, Philanthropists Bench Women of Color, M.V.P.s of Social Change, only 0.6 percent of foundation funding was targeted to women of color in 2016, despite the strides they have made in creating change.

This month, we reflected on Indigenous People's Day by...

• Learning about the history of the Americas through a Native lens, from the tribal independence era through the current era of Indian self-determination and self-governance.
• Remembering whose land we actually live on using this map of tribal lands in the Americas and Australia.
• Sharing this self-assessment tool that can help foundations determine where they are in their work with tribal communities, Native organizations, and Indigenous peoples.
• Bookmarking this series of articles from Nonprofit Quarterly that lift up Native voices and identify ways that philanthropy can help Indigenous communities.
• And remembering that The Future Is Indigenous.

...and celebrated ways that philanthropy can make a difference for other marginalized people and communities.

This month, we've been thinking about the challenges the social sector faces as we try to put diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into action, as well as some of the solutions being put into place to combat those issues. 

This month, we're lifting up the voices of those within philanthropy who are boldly telling their own stories...

• Native Americans in Philanthropy's (NAP) recently-released Truth & Healing Movement Toolkit is a treasure trove of resources, including books, videos, and social media accounts, that tell the story of Indigenous history and share present-day stories of resilience and ingenuity from Native peoples.
• For those in the Washington, DC area, the Guide to Indigenous DC app is a self-guided walking tour of the DC area that emphasizes tribal history and Indigenous contributions to the city.
• The Black Women's Guide to Philanthropy celebrates the contributions of Black women to our sector, features Black women philanthropists to follow, and shares how to give back in time, talent, testimony, and treasure.
• A Different Asian American Timeline traces Asian American history while placing it in a broader context of race, capitalism, and social movements.
• The Women's Philanthropy Institute highlights the contribution of donors to women's funds and foundations and finds that they see themselves as philanthropic leaders and are motivated by believing their gift can make a difference.

This month, we're thinking about the just, equitable, and sustainable world that we name in our mission and are driving towards in all of our work. Sometimes, the journey is long, as seen in the powerful miniseries When They See Us, about the wrongful conviction of the Central Park Five, which has been watched by over 23 million Netflix accounts and recently received 16 Emmy nominations. 

That's why, this month, we have been drawn to:

This month we’re thinking a lot about stories - who tells them, who is centered in them, and who benefits from them. At EPIP's recent PCN Regional event, the participants talked about “stock stories” - harmful false narratives that are repeated until they feel like truths - and the damage that they can do to marginalized communities whose real stories and voices are ignored.

• Some stock stories can be hidden in stories of victory, as noted in this powerful editorial from Out Magazine about the changing nature of Pride and the need to prioritize organizations and movements led by QTPOC (queer and trans people of color) within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Other stock stories can be those we tell within our own organizations that reinforce harmful stereotypes, as Itzbeth Menjívar notes in a blog post about racism within the social sector.

That's why we're thrilled to have resources that talk directly to and with marginalized communities and those that hold us accountable for what we do and how we work.

How can foundations create a culture that makes early- and mid-career philanthropy practitioners feel welcome and supported? Jennifer Oldham of The Healing Trust responds to the Dissonance & Disconnects report with Relationships Are Our Work, a blog post featuring three culture building practices that could help engage and retain employees, while EPIP member Alex Goldman shares his take on what it is like to be a newcomer to the sector in Shifting Philanthropy as a Praxis: 2019 Is Going to be Emergent.

New resources and reports are also abundant this month, with The Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) and Grantmakers for Effective Organization (GEO) offering guides to incorporating racial justice and learning into foundations' work, while Women's Philanthropy Institute and Grantmakers in Health take a closer look at the funding landscape for women's foundations and health funders.