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New national report documents
growth of racial, ethnic and tribal philanthropy
November 15, 2006
- The face of the country is changing, and with it,
the face of philanthropy. By 2050, people of color will
make up more than half of the U.S. population. As the
population of Chicago has diversified, so too have the
ranks of donors who are finding new ways to turn personal
success into community gain.
“People of color in Chicago and
throughout our country have a long and generous tradition
of giving,” said Valerie S. Lies, president and
CEO of Donors Forum of Chicago. “Now these donors
are finding new vehicles to give back and address their
communities’ needs by creating foundations, donating
to pooled funds or starting giving circles. At the same
time, many of our members, such as The Chicago Community
Trust and Chicago Foundation for Women and others, are
building philanthropic partnerships with these communities
of color in a much more inclusive process.”
For example, here in Chicago:
- The Chicago Community Trust houses
three initiatives aimed at encouraging Black, Latino
and Asian philanthropy – The African American
Legacy Initiative, Nuestro Futuro and Asian Giving
Circle, respectively. These initiatives have raised
millions of dollars to support nonprofit organizations
that serve their communities. For example, Nuestro
Futuro has raised $2 million from Latino business
and civic leaders in Chicago so far and distributed
$200,000 in grants this year to organizations
providing support to Latino parents with special needs
children and Spanish-speaking immigrants, among others.
“Latinos have a very long history of giving,”
said Maria Bechily, co-chair of Nuestro Futuro and
member of the Trust’s executive committee. “We
give to our families, to our schools, to our churches.
A lot of us have been involved in philanthropy, but
we may not have been using that word. The reason we
started this initiative was to promote strategic philanthropy.
We wanted to be able to fund little emerging organizations,
as well as those that are more established.”
- Chicago Foundation for
Women is the first women’s fund in the United
States to develop affinity groups of diverse women
to lead community outreach efforts. The foundation
has set up three ethnic identity-based Leadership
Councils – African American, Asian and Latina
– to create programming and fundraise for their
individual funds. To establish each fund, council
members raised a minimum of $10,000 and will be issuing
grants for the first time this year.
What’s happening in Chicago can
be seen across the country, as well, according to a
new report by the Forum of Regional Associations of
Grantmakers. The report reveals that racial, ethnic
and tribal philanthropy is a growing trend throughout
the United States that has generated millions of dollars
for health care, education and other community needs.
“This report documents how people
of color are finding innovative ways to make a difference,”
said Daria Teutonico, Director of New Ventures in Philanthropy
at the Forum. “Their efforts are garnering support
from community and private foundations who benefit from
their expert knowledge of community needs.”
To assist foundations and prospective
donors to learn more about the opportunities presented
by racial, ethnic and tribal philanthropy, the Forum
has created an online Racial,
Ethnic and Tribal Philanthropy Knowledge Center.
The center includes “how to” resources about
the nuts and bolts of building racial, ethnic and tribal
philanthropy; stories showcasing the diversity of the
field; and resources created especially for private
and community foundations.
Donors Forum of Chicago is the premier
resource for networking and education, information and
knowledge, and leadership on behalf of philanthropy
in the region. As a nonprofit membership association
of grantmakers, individual donors and advisors, the
Donors Forum advances philanthropy by servings its members
and by promoting an effective and informed nonprofit
sector. The Donors Forum Library is the Midwest's largest
collection of resources on philanthropy, nonprofit management
and fundraising. Print and electronic resources in the
Library can help nonprofits find prospective donors,
research foundation grant guidelines and track the latest
trends in the nonprofit sector.
The Forum of Regional Associations
of Grantmakers is a national network of local leaders
and organizations across the United States that support
effective charitable giving. The Forum houses the New
Ventures in Philanthropy Initiative, launched in 1998
to encourage the growth of philanthropic giving across
the country. For more information, visit www.givingforum.org.
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