What
We
Do.
What We Do.
Advancing Racial Equity
Advancing Racial Equity
Building an anti-racist world isn’t something we take lightly at the Community Foundation. We are grateful for your support, encouragement, and partnership as we continue this journey together.
At the Community Foundation, we know we can no longer perpetrate well-meaning but misguided concepts like “colorblindness.” Grant and scholarship awards can be life-changing, and it is up to us to make sure these tools reach the groups and people that need them the most.
We take the concepts of diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice seriously and hold up these lenses every time we make a move, whether convening a group of community members to solve a problem or discussing funding decisions. Combating racism in our work isn’t a one-time project, it is a daily practice.
Our Committment
Since we publicly shared our original statement in June 2020, our commitment to anti-racism has only grown stronger. Immediate strategies have included grantmaking and scholarship programs. We know there are systemic barriers and challenges facing marginalized students and individuals within our community, and we are consistently seeking to achieve a more equitable application and selection process.
Our Process
The Community Foundation Scholarship Application process currently engages in a holistic review. The application includes a questionnaire and short answer statements that help to identify the many ways students of different races, genders, cultures, and backgrounds exhibit qualities of leadership, community service, and work ethic.
We scoured our grant application and selection processes for biases and undiscovered trends. The data revealed some award preferences toward organizations with a longer history, potentially underfunding nonprofits that struggled to gain traction from the beginning. By embracing and celebrating those left out in the past, we are actively building a far brighter future together.
We strongly and actively encourage applications from students, community members, and organizations representing all races, genders, and backgrounds. You may learn more about these policies and initiatives through the following episodes of the Good Works Podcast:
Keep in Touch
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