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

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

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. 

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.