We believe it is imperative for philanthropy to become more diverse, inclusive, and equitable in its practices for three main reasons:
The D5 Coalition was an unprecedented effort by leading philanthropy associations and foundations to tackle diversity issues in a coordinated way. We believe we are better together. We also believed that the coalition strategy of D5 represented the sector’s greatest chance to make substantial progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Until and unless there is a more unified voice on these issues, they are unlikely to gain traction in philanthropy. The lessons learned from this effort validated this idea.
And the timing is critical. Philanthropy has the opportunity to unify today around a strategic agenda, rather than continuing to react. We are focused on encouraging foundations to take voluntary action to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion because we believe philanthropy has been successful in tackling some of the nation’s biggest problems effectively, without outside intervention. While the five year initiative has concluded, work continues to ensure that philanthropy is inclusive, impactful and equitable.
