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Often, the first step in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion is to facilitate a thoughtful conversation internally. There are several excellent resources that can help you do that:

• ABFE’s Responsive Philanthropy in Black Communities program provides training and technical assistance to help foundations develop a framework for their grantmaking that responds to the unique needs and disparities faced by Black communities.
• The Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE) provides training for foundations and philanthropic networks on how to integrate racial equity into their work.
• Funders for LGBTQ Issues has a Racial Equity Online Toolkit that provides a range of tools, commentaries and best practices to support grantmakers in implementing an LGBTQ racial equity lens into their grantmaking and internal operations.
• EPIP’s webinar with NCRP on Implicit Bias in Grantmaking provides insight into how implicit bias influences decisions and trends in philanthropic institutions.

Ultimately, philanthropy is driven by people, and so it’s crucial to build a team that reflects the rich diversity of our society. CHANGE Philanthropy core partners offer several resources on developing – and maintaining – a diverse cohort of staff, board, consultants, and vendors:

• Hispanics in Philanthropy’s Latino Leadership: Foundation Boards report presents data on the representation of Latinos on foundation boards and staffs, and highlights challenges and recommendations for increasing Latino participation in foundation leadership.
• ABFE’s Leverage the Trust Call to Action provides a toolkit Black foundation trustees to advance ABFE’s responsive philanthropy for Black communities in their institutions.
• EPIP offers a diverse range of tools to support and cultivate diverse emerging leaders in philanthropy, including its People of Color Network and webinars on Managing Up your boss and the impact of accumulated Microaggressions.

Measuring and assessing current levels of foundation funding for underserved communities provides an important starting point and benchmark. Several reports provide data on current levels of funding for underserved communities:

• Current levels of funding for communities of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and women and girls are provided in the final State of the Work produced by the D5 Coalition, a coalition working to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in philanthropy, of which CHANGE Philanthropy is a part.
• Funders for LGBTQ Issues produces an annual tracking report, which presents a comprehensive analysis of foundation funding focused on LGBTQ communities.
• EPIP produced a webinar on Funders for LGBTQ Issues’ Annual Funders’ Tracking Report that covers trends, gaps, and opportunities in LGBTQ grantmaking.
• The Women’s Funding Network and the Foundation Center offer Mapping Investments in Women and Girls, an interactive map for exploring foundation funding focused on women and girls.
• Hispanics in Philanthropy and the Foundation Center created a report on Foundation Funding for Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. and for Latin America.
• Native Americans in Philanthropy and the Foundation Center produced a report on Foundation Funding for Native American Issues and Peoples.

Advancing diversity and equity in philanthropy also entails advancing philanthropy driven by underserved communities themselves, through vehicles such as giving circles, funding collaboratives, and public funds.

• AAPIP’s National Giving Circles Network is supporting and connecting a group of giving circles rooted in AAPI communities.
• The directory of the Women’s Funding Network offers a gateway to its network of more than 120 women’s funds and foundations around the globe.
• Funders for LGBTQ Issues has a directory of LGBTQ-focused community foundations and public funds across the U.S.
• HIPGive is Hispanics in Philanthropy’s online platform for fundraising for Latino-led nonprofit organizations and projects.
• The W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Cultures of Giving report provides an overview of identity-based philanthropic vehicles, including lessons learned for building successful giving circles and funds rooted in communities of color.
• EPIP highlights the transformational importance of Giving Circles in their webinar.

Underserved communities are complex and rich in their diversity. Detailed data reveals nuanced needs and opportunities for funders to consider when developing their own grantmaking strategies to advance equity. Here are some resources that CHANGE Philanthropy recommends as a starting point for building a deeper understanding of diverse communities:

• AAPI Data serves as a resource hub for research and demographic data on Asian American and Pacific Islander populations in the U.S.
• The Pew Research Center’s Hispanic Trends site conducts detailed research on the demographics and trends of Latino populations in the U.S.
• The Williams Institute at the School of Law of the University of California, Los Angeles conducts a wide range of research on LGBTQ communities, including its LGBTstats, an interactive data tool for exploring LGBT demographics at the state and county level.
• The Census Data on Native Americans includes 2015 American Indian Featured Facts. Additionally, Federal Funding & Unmet Needs in Indian Country assesses the adequacy of funding provided via programs administered by federal six agencies and the unmet needs that persist in Indian Country.
• ABFE has outlined Black Facts sheets on the following topics: Child Welfare, Education, Employment & Workforce, Criminal, Wealth & Asset Building, and Health and Wellness.

Whatever your foundation’s grantmaking focus, there are likely unique ways that your issues of interest affect communities of color, LGBT communities, and women and girls. The CHANGE Philanthropy core partners have developed a number of reports and briefings that articulate unique needs and opportunities related to integrating underserved communities in various issue areas:

• Funders for LGBTQ Issues has produced several reports on how funders can address the needs of LGBTQ communities in various issue areas: Vital Funding, on funding to address LGBTQ health disparities; Pathways Forward, on funding to address LGBTQ immigration issues; and the Out in the South series of reports on funding to strengthen LGBTQ communities in the U.S. South across a range of issues.
• ABFE’s Black Facts series provides data on the disparities that Black communities face in issue areas such as education, employment and workforce development, criminal justice, wealth and asset building, and health and well-being.
• Native Americans in Philanthropy’s Native Voices Rising report provides recommendations for funders interested in funding Native-led organizing, including an analysis of opportunities in specific issue areas such as environmental justice, media, and voter engagement.
• Hispanics in Philanthropy has developed several reports on opportunities for funders seeking to address the needs of Latino communities in specific issue areas: HIP to College 2012-2015, on funding strategies for improving Latino student success; and The Right to Dream, on promising practices around Latino men and boys.
• AAPIP’s Widening the Lens on Men and Boys of Color provides a detailed analysis of the many unique needs faced by AAPI men and boys of color.