In our final episode, four TGP Senior Advisors – Katie Hong, Lisa McGill, Abby Sarmac and Lalitha Vaidyanathan – reflect on the stories we heard across Season 1, sharing perspectives and advice based on their work as consultants supporting a diversity of philanthropy boards and leaders along their racial equity journeys.

Together they reflect on the moment we’re in as a philanthropic sector and acknowledge the critical work of infrastructure groups who’ve paved the way for philanthropy to take on equity and justice like the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) and Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP). They explore the work of racial equity at the personal, interpersonal, organizational and systemic levels and emphasize that there’s no roadmap or one right way. 

Finally, they drive home the importance of moving this work forward as a community. “We need each other for transformation…and if you’re embarking on this work, you’re not alone. You’re absolutely not alone.” Katie shares. 

In 2020, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation committed $150M to support racial justice alongside the development of an entirely new office – the Office of Culture, Race and Equity – to incorporate equity efforts across the foundation’s culture, operations, and grantmaking. 

In this episode, President Larry Kramer and Chief Equity Officer Charmaine Mercer reflect on what it took to get there and how their unique decentralized approach – called “the Hewlett Way” – played a role. 

Along the way, Larry provides visibility into his role as a translator between the staff and board; Charmaine shares the foundation’s approach to advancing racial justice across 18 unique teams and 130 staff members; and together they emphasize the importance of trusting and supporting those closest to the work. 

In this special episode, founding members of The Share Fund, Estakio Beltran, Bill Marklyn and Holly Marklyn take us beyond the bounds of traditional governance and philanthropy, and into a new world of giving that makes the redistribution of wealth and power a reality. The Share Fund is an LLC rather than a foundation and is managed through a participatory process where community leaders like Estakio make all funding decisions and funders, Holly and Bill, play funding and support roles. Holly, Bill, Estakio and the other community leaders also receive support from the team at Phīla Engaged Giving to bring their vision to life. 

Across their conversation, our three guests share powerful stories of designing and experiencing philanthropy that is joyful, relational and community-driven. They illuminate some of the limitations of traditional philanthropy structures, mindsets and practices, encouraging us to grow into new ways of thinking and working. “Wealth should not, in my view, be the reason for power, which is what The Share Fund is all about. It’s trying to decouple wealth and power,” Holly shares, as an example. 

Judy Belk (senior advisor and former president and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation, also known as “Cal Wellness”) and Debra Nakatomi (CEO of NakatomiPR, trustee and former board chair of The California Wellness Foundation) exchange powerful stories of their experiences with race from childhood to the present, reflecting on what’s possible when foundations lead with lived experience.  

Together they underscore the importance of intentionality in board recruitment, accountability at the board level and the willingness to be pushed in this work. As they reflect on Cal Wellness’ journey, they present a blueprint for how foundations can go beyond their grantmaking dollars – using their voice, endowments and power of their trustees – to maximize their service to communities. 

Listen in as Monika Kalra Varma, the first BIPOC president & CEO of BoardSource, and Julia Wilson, BoardSource’s outgoing board chair, share powerful stories and reflections on their experiences tackling the complexities of race equity work head on as a united front at BoardSource. 

Together they give us a behind-the-scenes look at the intentional work of designing and cultivating a board culture that supports, sustains and advances race equity leadership: one that creates space for leaders to show up as they are and encourages “talking about the real stuff out loud” – even when it’s hard. A culture that is fueled by authenticity and propelled by trust. 

Along the way Monika and Julia discuss the realities of leadership transitions - and especially those of historic firsts. They reflect deeply on their personal experiences and share gratitude for a journey that has been both sacred and transformational.

En este episodio, Tanya Edelin y Dilcia Molina-Sanchez comparten sus experiencias como miembros de la junta directiva de la Fundación if para Radical Possibility. 

A lo largo de su conversación, Tanya y Dilcia comparten cómo se siente estar en una junta que está dispuesta a ser radical, participar en las conversaciones difíciles y tomar medidas para transferir el poder a la comunidad; una junta que prioriza la inclusión, ofreciendo remuneraciones a los miembros de la junta comunitaria y servicios de interpretación de idiomas en cada reunión y continúa haciendo ajustes a medida que se diversifican aún más, para que todos los miembros puedan participar plenamente.

Ofrecen información sobre lo que le tomó a la organización llegar a donde está hoy, al mismo tiempo que reconocen y nombran el trabajo que aún debe hacerse para construir una base verdaderamente diversa y equitativa.

La conversación de Tanya y Dilcia cuenta con el apoyo de dos intérpretes de idiomas, Elizabeth McMeekin y Kathy Ogle. En la grabación en español, escucharás a Elizabeth como la voz de Tanya.

In this episode, Tanya Edelin and Dilcia Molina share their experiences as board members of the if Foundation for Radical Possibility. 

Throughout their conversation, Tanya and Dilcia share what it feels like to be on a board that is willing to be radical, sit in the hard conversations, and take action to shift power to community; a board that prioritizes inclusion – offering stipends to community board members and language interpretation services at every meeting – and is continuing to make adjustments as they diversify even more, so all members can fully participate. 

Together, they offer insight into what it took for the organization to get where it is today while recognizing and naming the work that still needs to be done in order to build a truly diverse and equitable foundation. 

Tanya and Dilcia’s conversation is supported by two language interpreters, Elizabeth McMeekin and Kathy Ogle. In the English recording, you will hear Kathy as the voice of Dilcia. 

In this episode, Beth McCaw (Founding Funder of Threshold) and LeAnne Moss (Executive Director of Renton Regional Community Foundation) share honest reflections of their personal journeys as white women in anti-racist work.

Together they dig into the process of embodiment – of moving racial equity from an intellectual exercise in your head with reports, data points, and understandings of history to a commitment you feel in your heart and whole body with emotions like guilt, shame, discomfort and joy. And they talk about why this can be particularly difficult for white-bodied people. 

They share the importance of boards being willing to make mistakes and interrogate what they do and why, and they acknowledge that all of the work - both personal and organizational - is messy. Amid the messiness, leaders need to remember to take care of themselves. (And yes, even for those of you who think self-care sounds “woo-woo”). “Sometimes it's hard to be the bird at the front or the bug on the windshield,” Beth acknowledges. 

Listen in as Sharon (President and CEO, Yakima Valley Community Foundation) and Brenda (CEO Headwaters Foundation of Montana) share how they’ve worked with their boards and staff to transform their organizational cultures and center racial equity amid rural, politically conservative environments.  

Along the way, Brenda shares the complexities of doing this work as a Brown woman in a conservative state, Sharon normalizes emotion and heart in the workplace, and together they emphasize that it’s not only okay to be completely human, but also necessary to move this work forward.

Philanthropy Northwest’s current and two preceding Board Chairs – Nichole June Maher, Aleesha Towns-Bain and Kevin Walker – kick off our pilot season on racial equity work at the governance level, stitching together memories across 13 years of the Philanthropy Northwest board’s racial equity journey. 

Together they reflect on where the board was in 2010 – predominantly white and male, without an explicit commitment to centering racial equity – and where it is today in 2023, with 13 of the 18 directors being people of color, an explicit and unanimous commitment to centering racial equity, and on a journey to explore of how best to live into this commitment. 

They provide a transparent account of challenging moments and lessons learned along the way, emphasizing the importance of identifying and shifting the unwritten rules of boards that perpetuate exclusive practices and disproportionately harm board members of color. They also celebrate how over time, the board shifted from a culture that shied away from conflict towards one that embraced disagreement. “That was a really powerful growth period for the board,” Aleesha shares. 

Listen in as President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Chris Nanni weaves together personal and organizational reflections on driving equity in the most fragmented community in the Southeast. Chris shares a wealth of knowledge and ideas – particularly for listeners looking to learn from peers who are working to build bridges across their communities.

Full Episode Guide: https://philanthropynw.org/podcast/givingpractice/chris-nanni?utm_source=Podcast_Platform&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=Can_We_Talk_About_Season_2 

Empire Health Foundation Vice Chair Monica Simeon and President Zeke Smith provide insight into what advancing equity looks like for a health conversion foundation serving politically and geographically diverse communities across seven countries and three tribes in Eastern Washington. 

We’re back for Season 2! Join our season’s hosts Katie Hong, Robin Martin and Abby Sarmac as they introduce themselves and share the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ behind Season 2: Equity on the Ground. 

Kent McGuire of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Zoe Stemm-Calderon from the Raikes Foundation sit down with Katie Hong to discuss their work on advancing equitable and inclusive public education across the United States. In this episode they share their foundations’ collaborative efforts as well as their own personal and professional experiences – both inside and outside of philanthropy – in the education space. 

Abby Sarmac hosts a conversation with Pearl Lujan from the Kindle Project’s Indigenous Women’s Flow Fund. Together, they discuss their work as intermediaries and donors together on this project, and share how slowing down helped build deep and transformative relationships with Indigenous communities. 

President and Founder of New Breath Foundation Eddy Zheng shares his personal story and experiences navigating incarceration and detention for 21 years, and how hope, healing and breath, led him to create a foundation focused on dismantling institutions of policing, incarceration and deportation. 

The foundation is unapologetically committed to building long-term power in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities, as well as cross-racial solidarity to build collective liberation for all.

Full Show Notes: https://philanthropynw.org/podcast/eddy-zheng?utm_source=Podcast_Platform&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=Can_We_Talk_About_Season_2

One month into President Trump's second presidency, Susan Taylor Batten, the President and CEO of ABFE and Lyle Matthew Kan, interim President and CEO of AAPIP (Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy), sit down with us to share stories and insights on how philanthropy is navigating the administration's efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. They acknowledge the fear and uncertainty of this moment, encouraging funders to move beyond fear and "put our privilege on the line" to move money and resources to those most impacted and at risk. They also provide tangible resources for philanthropy from the Racial Equity Advancement and Defense Initiative (READI), a collaboration with ABFE, AAPIP, NAP (Native Americans in Philanthropy) and HIP (Hispanics in Philanthropy), which models the importance of doing this work together - in partnership and community. 

Join D’Artagnan Caliman, Vice President of Community Partnerships, and Juma Sei, Communications Manager, at 1803 Fund as they introduce the capital investment fund’s approach to advancing long-term prosperity for Portland, Oregon’s Black community. 

Throughout the episode, D’Artagnan and Juma share what Black Portland means to them and the importance of closing the gap between funder partners and community partners. Together they provide a deep dive into the fund’s grantmaking arm, sharing the frameworks and philosophies that they ground their work in. This  includes an emphasis on long-term partnership, a respect-based investment practice, a framework for accountability and a deep belief in collaboration as essential for transformation.

Carmen James Randolf, CEO of Women’s Foundation of the South (WFS) comes onto our show to introduce the four-year-old foundation and its vision of health, wealth and power for womxn of color in the South. 

She outlines the various aspects of the foundation’s strategies, rooted in genuine care for women of color community leaders who tend to be under-recognized and underfunded. This care looks like listening, anticipating needs, protecting the community amid political threats and attacks, and giving community leaders opportunities to connect, learn and rest. 

“We need to invest in the full humanity of leaders who are doing this work,”  she says.

Finally, Carmen calls on philanthropy across the U.S. to “pay attention to what’s happening in the South,” and specifically the regressive policies that are being tested and exported to other states.

Karri Matau (CEO, Community Foundation of Snohomish County) returns to the podcast alongside Matt Morton (President, Community Foundation for Southwest Washington) to explore what it looks like to lead for racial equity at the staff level.

They offer insights into how they are taking an interconnected approach that allows them to stay rooted in their values while adjusting to the changing context. They discuss the importance of continually showing up in their communities and supporting staff to do the same.

Furthermore, both Matt and Karri offer tangible practices and policies that their foundations have worked on to best support their staff, and how these shifts can ripple out to building stronger communities. See the full episode guide.

Each episode of season 3 spotlights lessons from Toward Transformation, Philanthropy Northwest’s equity-focused guide, and brings you real-world case studies, tough questions and tangible ideas you can bring back to your organization.

Katie Carter (CEO, Pride Foundation) and Karri Matau (CEO, Community Foundation of Snohomish County) join us to kick off Season 3, where we’re uplifting reflections and strategies on advancing racial equity in community philanthropy. 

Together, Katie and Karri share what it means to center community and how equity shows up in their work – starting with their boards. They cover topics from recruiting values-aligned directors to managing misaligned board members and holding their boards accountable. 

Throughout the episode, they weave in stories that highlight the need to transform structures and systems in philanthropy and act boldly for racial equity in this current climate. See the full episode guide.

Each episode of season 3 spotlights lessons from Toward Transformation, Philanthropy Northwest’s equity-focused guide, and brings you real-world case studies, tough questions and tangible ideas you can bring back to your organization.

Hosted by Mares Asfaha, this season dives deep into the evolving world of community philanthropy — featuring honest conversations with leaders from community foundations, identity funds, United Ways and public foundations.

Each episode spotlights lessons from Toward Transformation, Philanthropy Northwest’s equity-focused guide, and brings you real-world case studies, tough questions and tangible ideas you can bring back to your organization.

Plus, don’t miss our newest segment: Mares’s Soapbox Snack Break—sharp, funny, and exactly what you didn’t know you needed.

In our final episode of Season 2, Katie Hong and Abby Sarmac sit down to recap the season, recount their ‘why’ for engaging in racial equity work, and celebrate achieving their dream of hosting a podcast! 

They ground the episode in what we set out to do this season, which was to uplift the nuances of operationalizing equity commitments across a diversity of contexts. From these various contexts, places and funding models, Katie and Abby found inspiration in the similarities that many guests share, specifically the importance of listening, showing up with care and going farther together. 

Katie and Abby also highlight the unique roles different types of funders can play, from community foundations to intermediary funders to philanthropy-serving organizations, and how each can leverage its role to strengthen equity in our sector. 

They bring in their personal and professional stories, reminding us of the importance of bringing our whole selves and our collective humanity to advance racial equity. 

Executive Director of Seeding Justice Se-ah-dom Edmo and Board Chair Esperanza Tervalon sit down with us to reflect on the foundation’s nearly 50-year history of convening movement leaders to build collective power across Oregon state – and more recently, Washington and Idaho – towards justice and liberation for all communities. 

Together they open their doors and invite us into a foundation that feels different from others; one led by organizers and movement leaders, that centers those most impacted by injustices, that champions practical, flexible and responsive solutions, and that believes wholeheartedly in caring for one another as humans. 

As they reflect on the current environment, Se-ah-dom and Esperanza remind us of the importance of finding our people and taking good care of ourselves to sustain this critical work. 

Episode Guide: https://philanthropynw.org/podcast/givingpractice/se-ah-dom-edmo-and-esperanza-tervalon

Gloria Dixon, the director of philanthropy at BECU and the executive director of BECU Foundation joins Katie for a discussion on how corporate funders can show up for communities using trust-based practices. 

In this episode, Gloria shares how the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people’ is aligned with BECU’s philanthropic work. BECU takes an equity and community-based approach to supporting 200+ nonprofit partners that are working to improve financial health and well-being. She also discusses the importance of trust-based philanthropy as a model for other corporations to put people and communities first.