Search Results
California Criminal Justice Funders Group is honored to welcome our newest Steering Committee member: Karren A. Lane, Director of the Youth Organizing Capacity Building Initiative from the Weingart Foundation. We are grateful for her experience and wisdom. Learn more about Karren below!
When we announced a few years ago that NCG would be taking up racial equity as a central part of our work we received praise, and we also encountered some skepticism. Many cautioned us that everyone seemed to be “getting into equity” and that we’d better be sure we had something distinct to add. We have taken that to heart.
Join us as we return to an in-person Annual Corporate Philanthropy Summit July 28, with an impactful and inspiring program, networking, and important connections made between for-profit and non-profit philanthropy leaders sharing ideas, trends, best practices, partnerships, and opportunities to work together in the business of doing good for our community.
November’s presidential election results will have pulled the United States back from the brink of authoritarianism. After we’ve taken a moment to celebrate our achievement and rejuvenate, there comes the challenge of plotting a course forward. Because there’s no going back to some imagined normalcy. Many consequences of Trump’s presidency – cult of strongman personality, capture and erosion of the courts and other democratic institutions, normalization of misogyny and white nationalism, consolidation of Christian Right power, mobilization of vigilantes, enrichment of oligarchs, rise of a media disinformation infrastructure – will not be so easily undone.
This is a governance moment. We can master governing for all people by bringing a racial equity consciousness to every aspect of how government does business. We have an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen our democracy by fully activating our multiracial population and building a nation where everyone participates, prospers, and reaches their full potential.
Recently, Dwayne Marsh, CEO of Northern California Grantmakers, and I were reflecting on how many foundations in our memberships are looking to change direction and move toward racial equity. In an ice-bucket-style challenge, Dwayne posted his thoughts and then tagged me with the question, “How best does philanthropy choose courage in the face of the unprecedented complexity the moment offers?"
I grew up in a semi-segregated Richmond, Virginia at a time that its heritage as a part of the South was very strong. Realizing the aspirations of those who came before us and the promise of democratic freedoms is my life's work. In a three-decade career spanning nonprofit, government, and philanthropic service, I have never once felt lost for purpose. My life's experience, the gift of a legacy of public service of my family and mentors, and my determination to forge a future that remedies past injustices drive every decision I face.