Why am I so excited to announce the release of our latest Philampify assessment, “The Kresge Foundation: Will this Bold Grantmaker Become the Next Great Social Justice Foundation?”
Let me count the ways …
- Kresge Foundation fully embraces risk, and teaches other grantmakers that it’s never too late to change.
- It exceeds most of NCRP’s criteria for effective social justice philanthropy to address systemic issues like poverty, health and climate change, demonstrating how foundations can prioritize the needs of underserved communities and find equitable solutions across many program areas.
- The foundation uses a multi-disciplinary approach to their work, showing how breaking down issue silos can be beneficial for both foundations and the communities they serve.
- It has shown a commitment to learning and improving their work by being open to feedback, and encourage other foundations to follow their lead.
Don’t get me wrong … our assessment also showed that Kresge can do more to meet its full potential. We urge the Kresge Foundation to:
- Incorporate racial equity explicitly in all operations and strategies.
- Prioritize collaboration with neighborhood and nontraditional leaders in Detroit.
- Increase overall spending on staffing and grants to meet its ambitious goals.
- Increase mission investing and divest from fossil fuels.
- Continue to be a public leader, but also provide a platform to its grantees and partners.
Read about our full findings and recommendations now.
Our Philamplify video on Kresge shows how the foundation is supporting PUSH Buffalo, a grassroots community organization in upstate New York that’s working to prevent sewage-contaminated water runoff from flowing into the Niagara River. PUSH Buffalo also combines resident organizing, affordable housing, jobs and climate resilience to revitalize a low-income neighborhood it calls the “Green Development Zone.”
What do you think of our findings and recommendations? Agree or disagree, and comment on the report. Also, don’t forget to take our latest poll and share which foundation you’d think we should Philamplify next. Remember, you can do all these anonymously!
With your help, we can provide foundations with the feedback they need to be more effective partners of nonprofits and communities in making this world a better place for all.
Aaron Dorfman is executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). Follow @NCRP on Twitter and join the #Philamplify conversation.
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