The Applied Research Center - Catalytic Change

Catalytic Change

May 20, 2009

Catalytic Change: Lessons Learned from the Racial Justice Grantmaking Assessment. The Applied Research Center (ARC) and the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) developed the Racial Justice Grantmaking Assessment following ARC’s 2004 publication of Short Changed: Foundation Giving in Communities of Color.

Available as PDF download here.

Short Changed documented, as recent reports have confirmed, decreasing grantmaking with clear racial justice impacts, as well as decreasing support for organizations led by people of color. As foundation executives grapple with the meaning of racial disparities in philanthropy and how to remedy them, we hope that the ARC-PRE assessment will help all of us understand how foundations can advance racial equity more effectively.

The two organizations have focused consistently on establishing a racial justice lens in grantmaking, a task for which the foundation world has had too few guideposts and resources. The need for such benchmarks motivated us to create a clear set of definitions, questions and processes to help foundations assess their internal and external systems not only to support organizations led by people of color, but also to drive resources toward those groups that operate with an analysis likely to generate more systemic and racially just solutions.

ARC and PRE initially designed a survey/questionnaire to help foundations examine their inner workings as well as the public expressions of their commitments to racial equity. We received feedback on that tool from more than 50 funders and activists, including participants at the National Network of Grantmakers’ People of Color Caucus meeting in Bellingham, Washington in 2006. We knew that the tool itself was unfinished, and began looking for foundations that might be interested in helping us test and refine it. Our initial audience was not foundations that needed to be persuaded that race mattered. Rather, we focused on foundations that were committed to addressing racial inequities, and that wanted to understand more deeply how their institutions were faring, and how they could improve.

Videos

Videos
Wall Street and Congress Screwed the Economy by Screwing Us Street to Senate: Get to Work for the Jobless Jobs Creation's Winning Formula: Green Equity + Grassroots + Good Government Facing Race: The Illinois Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity, 2007-2008 Racial Profiling: It's Time to Face the Truth

Racewire Blog

Racewire Blog
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ColorLines Features

ColorLines Features
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Books & DVDs

Books & DVDs
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Economy & Green Jobs

Economy & Green Jobs
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Education

Education
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Underprotected, Undersupported

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Vouchers: A Trap, Not A Choice

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Learning Curves

Expanding the Constituency for Comprehensive Sexuality Education
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Health

Health
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Closing the Gap: Solutions to Race-Based Health Disparities, 2005

10 Key Recommendations for Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health.
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Immigration

Immigration
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Legislative Reportcards

Legislative Reportcards
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Model Policies

Model Policies
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Multi-racial Coalitions

Multi-racial Coalitions
Building Community Power for Better Schools An Evaluation of the Parent and Youth Education Policy Collaborative. Power, Participation, & State-Based Politics An Evaluation of the Ford Foundation's Collaborations that Count Initiative MultiRacial Formations This 116-page study presents general observations, key lessons, and recommendations on a range of multiracial models and experiences from a…

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MultiRacial Formations

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Philanthropy

Philanthropy
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Poverty & Welfare

Poverty & Welfare
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Rights & Justice

Rights & Justice
The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2006) Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003. The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2003) Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003. Profiled & Punished How San Diego Schools Undermine Latino & African American Student Achievement. April 2002.

The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2006)

Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003.
The Public's Truth: Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties (2003)

Stories of Racial Profiling and the Attack on Civil Liberties. Community Testimony presented Saturday, May 10, 2003.
Profiled & Punished

How San Diego Schools Undermine Latino & African American Student Achievement. April 2002.

Take Action

Take Action
Feb 10: The New Jim Crow Book Signing Longtime civil rights advocate and litigator Michelle Alexander has come out with her first book,… Aug 15: Chevron Protest in Richmond, CA Saturday, August 15, 11:30 am Chevron Protest in Richmond, CA: Mobilize for Climate Justice!

Facing Race Conference

Facing Race Conference
Register Now for Facing Race Conference 2010 Sept. 23-25, 2010 McCormick Hyatt Chicago, IL Yes, I want more info!

Tools

Tools
Ella Baker Launches Green Jobs Guidebook Green Job Guidebook Created to Show Best practices for Job Training Programs Across California. Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit Download PDF of the full toolkit: Overview: what are Racial Equity impact assessments? A Racial Equity Impact Assessment… Racial Equity Impact Assessments for Economic Policies and Budgets Download PDF of the Toolkit: Economic policies and public spending and revenue decisions have enormous impacts—positive and negative—on…

Ella Baker Launches Green Jobs Guidebook

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Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit

Download PDF of the full toolkit: Overview: what are Racial Equity impact assessments? A Racial Equity Impact Assessment…
Racial Equity Impact Assessments for Economic Policies and Budgets

Download PDF of the Toolkit: Economic policies and public spending and revenue decisions have enormous impacts—positive and negative—on…

Training

Training
Mississippi Racial Justice Leadership Institute Racial Justice Leadership Institute trainings in Jackson, Mississippi on April 30th and in Oxford, Mississippi on May 1st. Sign up… Racing to War Curriculum Racing to War is a three-part discussion series designed to help organizations examine the racial impact of the “war on… Gaining Perspectives Assessing our Options in the Aftermath of the September 11th Tragedy. A Curriculum from the Applied Research Center available as…

Mississippi Racial Justice Leadership Institute

Racial Justice Leadership Institute trainings in Jackson, Mississippi on April 30th and in Oxford, Mississippi on May 1st. Sign up…

Racing to War Curriculum

Racing to War is a three-part discussion series designed to help organizations examine the racial impact of the “war on…

Gaining Perspectives

Assessing our Options in the Aftermath of the September 11th Tragedy. A Curriculum from the Applied Research Center available as…

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