In this photo a young man from the Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice marches to honor MLK Day. Social Justice organizations are receiving increased foundation support.
Social justice philanthropy is on the rise, according to a just-released report from Foundation Center. Grantmakers and practitioners alike are more optimistic about moving their agenda forward, according to Social Justice Grantmaking II, an in-depth look at current attitudes and giving patterns in social justice philanthropy.
The report examines changes in grantmakers’ strategies and practices based on late 2008 interviews with 19 leading funders and eight advocates/practitioners. It also documents trends in giving based on actual grants awarded by over 1,000 of the largest U.S. foundations.
In 2007 social justice giving reached $3 billion, or 13.7 percent of overall grant dollars. Between 2002 and 2006, social justice giving rose nearly 31 percent, surpassing the 20 percent increase in foundation giving overall during that time.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation accounted for over half of the growth in social justice grant dollars during this period. Other top social justice funders are W.K. Kellogg Foundation, an MCF member, and the Ford Foundation. Together, the three provide over one-third of total social justice support.
Top funding areas within the category are: economic and community development (30.5%), human rights and civil liberties (13.8 percent), and health care access and affordability (13.4%).
The Foundation Center defines social justice philanthropy as “The granting of philanthropic contributions to nonprofit organizations based in the United States and other countries that work for structural change in order to increase the opportunity of those who are the least well off politically, economically, and socially.”
Those interviewed as part of the study cited the changed political environment, success of community organizing in the recent election, and new ideas and energy in the field among other factors reinvigorating a commitment to social justice philanthropy.
Study “Highlights” are available free. The full report can be purchased from Foundation Center.
Join the Conversation: MCF members, where does social justice funding fall among your giving priorities? What makes you optimistic about the potential impact of your and your grantees’ work?
