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NCG has launched a two-part event series in partnership with Mother Jones. Part 1 introduced funders to the role that nonprofit news outlets play in shaping a healthy democracy. Part 2 will follow-up with a deep dive into how historically marginalized communities are targeted with strategic disinformation campaigns and what local journalism can do to address it.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) have responded quickly and nimbly to ensure Black, Indigenous, and other people of color who have been most impacted have access to timely and accurate information in multiple languages, tests and vaccines, food, internet, and so much more. These organizations are essential partners, trusted by the people they serve, who have taken on public health work that often goes beyond their core missions and programming because their communities need it.

As we look toward this year’s general election, the escalating negative political rhetoric is once again targeting the issues affecting people most marginalized in this country: transgender rights, reproductive autonomy, immigration, just to name a few. History has shown that these attacks are not new; they are a political ploy to stoke distrust and division during a critical election year while creating backlash against progressive wins. States and local jurisdictions across the country are passing bills to roll back progress on our civil liberties.

“We are the ones we have been waiting for” is true for almost everything we do in our fight for equity and justice here in the Bay Area and beyond. As we seek to dismantle some of the inequitable and short-sighted funding practices of philanthropy, the same sentiment is true. Many community leaders across Northern California have been calling for a system shift for decades. And now is the time to take action.

New organizations emerged in response to COVID-19, 2020’s racial reckoning, and to meet the rising needs and service gaps in communities. Many of these organizations are led by BIPOC leaders, have small budgets, small teams, and are often fiscally sponsored. What do these emerging organizations need for long term sustainability? How can funders support these organizations?

Foundations effect greater change in the world when their funding decisions are shaped by the people and communities most harmed by inequities. While many funders agree with this notion, there is often a struggle to invest in systems change and to actualize community-centered funding. This session will discuss effective vs. extractive listening practices, provide a  framework to implement power-sharing, and  highlight lessons learned from regional grantmakers to evolve their practices.

Arts and culture creates community, celebrates identity and expression, make cities vibrant, and spurs the economy. What is at risk when artists and arts and culture organizations are displaced?