At Exponent Philanthropy, we recognize the history of racism in the field of philanthropy and that our organization has a particular responsibility to dismantle behaviors that are barriers to centering people who are experiencing marginalization. To this end, we are building an internal racial equity culture to challenge structural racism; transform our organization and the field; and build a community in which lean funders, our board, and our staff can be effective allies.

Two concepts have become abundantly clear through our training and research over the years. First, the intentional inclusion of diverse perspectives leads to better decision making, more equitable outcomes, and an outsized impact in philanthropy. Second, racial equity and diversity play a role in all aspects of the management and operations of lean foundations.

We hope this publication can help you mind the gap between your intention and impact. At its core, racial equity is not just about increasing the diversity of foundations. Rather, it is about sharing power with the communities you seek to serve.