Intermediaries such as philanthropy serving organizations and collaborative funds can be instrumental in moving funders to align strategies and practices with racial justice, if leveraged correctly. But racial justice activists have expressed concerns about access to funders, gatekeeper roles and accountability.

Although it is critical that racial justice work is carried out across racial and ethnic groups, including white communities, the amount of resources that have gone to shifting majority white-led organizations taking on racial equity work has the impact of compounding existing inequities.

Resistance is bound to arise as a foundation undergoes these explicit, clarifying processes that will determine its grantmaking approach. It is a normal part of antiracist organizational development. Resistance can take active, passive, and, at times, diversionary forms. The active might include expressing reservations about a racial justice direction or constant deflection of race discussions … Read more