In a beautiful display of Southern hospitality, all of the nearly 150 attendees of the Grantmakers for Southern Progress (GSP) gathering in Charleston, South Carolina, in April were asked to introduce themselves and name the place from which they or their families hail. Normally a tedious task, it struck me how many people in the room either once lived in the American South or readily cited the strands of their family that called this region their home.
While the South is not a monolith, the room glowed with a shared sense of what it meant to be in this place at this time in our country’s history. If nothing else, perhaps it was LaTosha Brown’s, GSP’s Coordinator, warm response to each person, “Welcome, we are glad to have you!”
Listening to everyone’s lineage grounded my own roots in the South (having grown up in Tennessee), and further ignited my passion in the Solutions Project Southern grantmaking portfolio. The customs, mannerisms, identity and values that I learned; the family trips to the Gulf Coast, Smoky Mountains and Atlanta; and even lyrics to the state song, “Rocky Top Tennessee” would be drawn upon as I helped launch Solutions Project’s Southern portfolio.
When Solutions Project’s grantmaking team first discussed the potential to extend our mission of 100 percent clean energy for 100 percent of the people to the South, we received the proverbial side eye. Concerns about potential impact, capacity and ability to “win” quickly arose.
Even in the face of significant life-costing and wealth-draining disasters, the South has not been terribly friendly to climate and clean energy policy. In the aftermath of the presidential election, many national funders are also being reminded of the political, social and cultural power of the South. Recognizing this power, we decided to invest in the region through a process that allowed us to unpack our assumptions, ground our values and analyze the research in the As the South Goes report.
For example, our Fighter Fund rapid response grantmaking program supports grassroots and frontline groups fighting for climate justice. Additionally, we have resourced community rooted leaders who are organizing a strong resistance and serving as a force for justice.
In partnership with other local and national funders, we’ve provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in multi-year general operating commitments and supported the emergence of regional collaboratives that are centering equity, such as the Advancing Equity and Opportunity initiative. We’ve already seen the impact of these modest, yet flexible and powerful resources. Our funding in the South is by far some of our most interesting and rewarding work.
The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy’s As the South Grows report shows funding in the South is urgent, impactful, beautiful and necessary, along with validating the dynamics the Solutions Project has experienced. Already we’ve seen the following reflections:
1. Value Deep Relationships: Growing up in the South, I learned the adage, “it takes three dinners to get anything done.” It’s amazing how handy this nugget has been to our work and a refreshing change of pace. For those funders interested in expanding to the South, be ready to spend time in community and to open your heart to developing deep connections with others.
2. Understand Capacity and Recognize Strength: One myth that continues to plague the region is a belief that there is a lack of capacity for progressive work. I want to challenge the notion of capacity (i.e. expectation to execute) and juxtapose it to strength (i.e.. power and unique position to make progress or resist). The region shows strength and resilience despite longtime philanthropic disinvestment, with thoughtful work occurring in a number of states. Where would the South be if groups hadn’t resisted the dangerous policies of many legislators and governors? The Civil Rights Movement was born in the American South and now is the opportunity to support another major movement. Now is the time to move beyond concerns of capacity as defined by a formal nonprofit management education and instead build the strength of those working to create a just and sustainable future.
3. Challenge Your Definition of Risk: Whereas the path to progressive policy victory in blue states may seem clearer, funding in the South can be categorized as “risky.” However, the South provides a space to explore how those same policies can be applied in more politically polarized contexts. We have the opportunity to expand the definitions of impact and success to include deeper, richer nuances of the work. At the Solutions Project, those nuances make us smarter and more thoughtful in our funding roles elsewhere in the country.
In her closing remarks at the GSP gathering, Lavastian Glenn, program director at the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, rightly described their funding as “legacy work,” which resonated in many ways. For Solutions Project, our Southern strategies will be a core part of the legacy we leave with both our grantee partners and other funders who come to the region inspired by our actions.
If Solutions Project did not begin funding in the South, our strategy to accelerate the transition to clean energy would be missing critical pillars. For me, it’s a personal legacy that desires to support a part of this country that has given me so much and is immensely important to our national politics. For those looking to be bold and grow in this political moment, I invite you to support the American South. “Welcome, we are glad to have you!”
Tyler Nickerson serves as the director of investments and state strategy at the Solutions Project. Follow @tylerwnickerson on Twitter.
Photo by Khanrak, used under Creative Commons license.
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