New research by Echoing Green and The Bridgespan Group shows that the “color-blind” approach to grantmaking that many philanthropists have long used is not working. While this is often a well-meaning attempt at equity, ignoring the implications of race on the work they fund has only served to disadvantage people of color. In fact, philanthropic efforts that don’t consider race run the risk of exacerbating existing racial disparities or even creating new ones. The authors argue for two big changes in the world of philanthropy. First, funders need to financially support more leaders of color to help them overcome the various barriers they face, including lack of access to potential funders and unrestricted funding. Second, philanthropists need to pay more attention to race-conscious solutions. The authors provide several examples of how foundations have done this.

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