Dear Readers,
Our work together is more important than ever. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I found myself reflecting about how grateful I am for all of you, staff, volunteers and trustees for an amazing web of nonprofits and foundations. I know this to be true: Philanthropy has a vitally important role to play in building a more just, fair and democratic world.
I hope by now you’ve seen the new strategic framework that will guide NCRP for the next 10 years. We’re expanding the scope of our work to engage with wealthy individuals who don’t give through foundations. We’ll intentionally link with movements to help our nation move forward. And we’re continuing some of our key major initiatives.
This issue of Responsive Philanthropy includes some terrific articles that we hope will spur conversation and much-needed action on equity, the untapped potential of the South and the rigorous study of our sector’s role in a democratic society.
How has philanthropic support in the South changed over the past few years? How can we strengthen partnerships between Southern and national funders? NCRP’s Ryan Schlegel posed these and other questions to Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation executive director Justin Maxson and network officer Lavastian Glenn. Read about it in “Grantmaking in the South: An opportunity to support equity and opportunity.”
A few months ago, the Ford Foundation announced that it will explicitly include people with disabilities in their focus on addressing inequality. In “Ford Foundation and supporting the disability rights movement: We’ve only just begun,” disability rights organizer Jim Dickson and Sarah Blahovec of the National Council on Independent Living ask: “What is the rest of the philanthropic community going to do?”
Philanthropy has been largely ignored by academia despite its important role in our democratic society. In “Moving philanthropy from the margins to the center,” Robert Reich, Chiara Cordelli and Lucy Bernholz are encouraging scholars to ask tough questions about how philanthropy may contribute to or threaten the public good.
Finally, we’re excited to feature the National Birth Equity Collaborative in this edition’s Member Spotlight. NBEC, based in New Orleans, seeks to reduce Black maternal and infant mortality through research, collaboration and advocacy.
Let us know what you think of these articles. We’re always eager to hear your comments and story ideas, so don’t hesitate to send your feedback to community@ncrp.org.
Sincerely,
Aaron Dorfman
President and CEO
NCRP