Family Ties: Diversity resources and events for the family

Grantmaking that reflects diverse perspectives and information is practiced by many philanthropic organizations, and is often a calculated element of the decision making process of where, when and how to fund. The rationale is that the greater the variety of input - from both within a foundation as well as outside in a community - the greater the impact and effectiveness to, and variety of, needs addressed.

But family foundations generally have little to no staff to gather input, and, by virtue of being family operated, may have little diversity existent in their governance. So family foundations are challenged with how to best integrate and then translate diverse viewpoints into their grantmaking.

The term diversity basically encompasses the breadth and depth of human difference - race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, ability, economic status, etc. One way a few family foundations have begun to achieve diversity in their grantmaking is by focusing those efforts in a way that aligns with their overall missions and funding priorities, helping to keep it a manageable endeavor.

Diversity is one of SDG's Guiding Principles for members: "We seek diversity and inclusiveness in order to reflect the communities served, ensure that a range of perspectives inform our approaches, and strengthen our ability to respond effectively to a changing society."

In this issue of Family Ties, we bring our family foundation members timely resources to help you understand why diversity is important to your grantmaking and how to make it fit with your foundation's work:

■ Do Nothing About Me Without Me: An Action Guide for Engaging Stakeholders. This new GEO publication argues that involving multiple stakeholders isn't a "nice-to-do" but a "must-do" in order for grantmakers to get a true sense of problems and develop innovative solutions.

■ One of our fellow grantmakers associations, the Minnesota Council on Foundations, has compiled "Diversity & Inclusion Tips" on its website, including this tip quoting SDG member Valerie Jacobs.

■ Back in February, we shared with you the Council on Foundations' excellent publication Ten Ways for Family Foundations to Consider Diversity and Inclusive Practices; it seems appropriate to again provide it here.

■ Finally, we encourage you to come learn about diversity and inclusion in person at the 2010 SDG Annual Conference! During the closing plenary, conference attendees will hear from James Surowiecki, author of the bestselling book The Wisdom of Crowds and The New Yorker columnist, about his observations that large groups of people are better at solving problems than a few. Together with President and CEO of The California Endowment Dr. Robert K. Ross, Surowiecki will discuss what philanthropists need to know about increasing the number of people and perspectives involved in their grantmaking. Register for the Annual Conference today!