Can we talk about...? A podcast on leading for racial equity in philanthropy

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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.