We seek to shift economic development practices to be more inclusive of people of color and produce better outcomes for our priority communities.
Increased Advocacy for Equitable Development
We seek to improve labor standards by increasing community voice in policy processes and by creating greater public and private sector accountability.
We support a cultural shift in economic development efforts through training programs, industry networks and technical assistance that equip government agencies with the necessary tools to embed accountability and equity into their economic development work. We believe that increasing the representation of diverse and progressive constituents in economic development decision making will lead to new policies and practices that produce better outcomes for people of color and low-wealth communities.
We believe that advocacy and organizing efforts have shifted public policy and private sector practices in relation to labor laws that benefit our priority communities. We support efforts to develop new progressive policies, protect existing progressive policies, and abolish regressive policies that harm people of color and low-wealth communities. We also plan to use this intervention for targeted support of cities or regions for longer-term place-based investments.
Selection Criteria
Promote Diverse Perspectives
We will support projects that foster a more diverse and inclusive public sector and prioritize the perspectives and innovations developed by its most marginalized citizens – leading to new systems of accountability and economic growth that is truly felt by all.
Reforms to Procurement and Labor Standards
We will support organizations that provide field infrastructure, research, and initiatives that improve labor standards and procurement policies.
Letter of Inquiry
We recognize the many needs and demands COVID-19 and the national social uprising against racism present for nonprofits and communities. We also acknowledge that we have limited resources, nonprofits have limited time, and that very few unsolicited funding inquiries at our foundation have historically led to a grant.
Given these realities, we are not accepting unsolicited letters of inquiry until further notice.
Equitable Economic Development
You can see recent Equitable Economic Development grants below.
And explore other Inclusive Economies grants in our database.
The purpose of this grant is to support the One Fair Wage relational voter program which aims to engage hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers who have been heretofore excluded both from the minimum wage and from voter engagement efforts.
The purpose of this grant is to support the Local Solutions Support Center to provide local officials and national and local advocates with tools and resources to define, defend, and where needed, expand local power in response to Covid-19 crisis.
The purpose of this grant is to support the furthering of TOPEF’s Board and Commission Leadership Institute (BCLI) and to expand training opportunities more broadly across progressive partners and TOPEF grassroots community leaders.
The purpose of this grant is to support the Anti-Monopoly Fund to build a grassroots, sustained, and cross-sector anti-monopoly effort to rein in the power of corporations in the U.S. to the benefit of low- and middle-income people.
The purpose of this grant is to support Coworker.org to build systems that workers can use to develop leadership, new forms of collective power, and productive engagement with employers.
The purpose of this grant is to enable Transform Finance to support social justice actors to develop place-based and topic-based strategies to influence financial actors and capital flows in advancement of social and economic justice.
The purpose of this grant is to advance three CIWO projects: Strengthening Labor Standards Enforcement, Build the Bench, and WILL Empower, that are working to shift the balance of power towards greater economic and social equality.
The purpose of this grant is to reduce municipal government’s usage of tax breaks for economic development through developing alternative economic development financial products to attract investment and mobilizing municipal investors to push for accountability and transparency.
The purpose of this grant is to strengthen NGIN’s network and deepen its practice innovation work to enable practitioners across the country to do disciplined practice and product innovation together: systematically inventing, testing, and scaling practices that enable more Americans to own and drive growth in the next economy.
The purpose of this grant is to support Georgetown University’s Beeck Center in conducting field work to advance the growth and success of minority-led and women-led financial services firms, including a survey of current initiatives, a stakeholder convening, and Opportunity Zone case studies.
To report a series of stories on poverty, power and public policy, with a focus on workers; develop a monthly newsletter; build a membership program; and switch to a new content management system.
Building Trust Through Practice: A Shared Journey Toward an Inclusive Economy
There's a lot of talk in philanthropy about racial justice, trusting and centering grantees, sharing power, and enabling the risks necessary for innovative ideas to launch, succeed, or fail. But what does this look like in practice? In this…
Covid-19
April 14, 2020
Foundations and Donors Step Up Grants to Help Workers Hurt by the Pandemic
As reported in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Surdna is one of many funders stepping up their support for workers. Below is an excerpt of an article by Alex Daniels that looks at foundations' early efforts to help workers survive and thrive. Early…
News
March 14, 2019
Living Cities Blog: Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up [SU(3)] – Part 3
San Francisco – along with Albuquerque and New Orleans – are a part of a Living Cities’ cohort intended to tackle entrepreneurial barriers for people of color. The initiative–named Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up –is designed…
News
September 17, 2018
Living Cities Blog: Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up [SU(3)] - Part 2
Albuquerque – along with San Francisco and New Orleans – are a part of a Living Cities’ cohort intended to tackle entrepreneurial barriers for people of color. The initiative–named Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up –is designed to connect…
News
August 1, 2018
Living Cities Blog: Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up [SU(3)] - Part 1
New Orleans – along with Albuquerque and San Francisco–are a part of a new Living Cities’ cohort intended to tackle entrepreneurial barriers for people of color. The initiative–named Start Up, Stay Up, Scale Up –is designed to connect…
News
June 8, 2018
Community LIFT: A Push for Place
By the end of July, the group that works to connect the dots among the city’s community development corporations plans to have a report that looks at how other cities are connecting the dots in a much broader way. Community LIFT has…
What We're Learning
August 4, 2017
Funders' Network Report: Anchored in Place
Anchor institutions can play a vital role in strengthening and connecting local economies, and can serve as powerful drivers for building inclusive and equitable communities. A new report issued this week by the Funders’ Network as part of its…
News
June 6, 2017
Six New Cities Selected for Equitable Economic Development Fellowship
WASHINGTON – June 6, 2017 – Today, National League of Cities (NLC), PolicyLink and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) announced the selection of six additional cities for participation in the organizations’ jointly-supported Equitable Economic…
News
April 28, 2017
Next City Announces New Equitable Cities Fellows
Next City announces two new journalism fellows who will cover the equitable economic development beat, Deonna Anderson and Serena Maria Daniels. Click here for complete…
You can see recent Equitable Economic Development grants below.
And explore other Inclusive Economies grants in our database.
The purpose of this grant is to support the One Fair Wage relational voter program which aims to engage hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers who have been heretofore excluded both from the minimum wage and from voter engagement efforts.
The purpose of this grant is to support the Local Solutions Support Center to provide local officials and national and local advocates with tools and resources to define, defend, and where needed, expand local power in response to Covid-19 crisis.
The purpose of this grant is to support the furthering of TOPEF’s Board and Commission Leadership Institute (BCLI) and to expand training opportunities more broadly across progressive partners and TOPEF grassroots community leaders.
The purpose of this grant is to support the Anti-Monopoly Fund to build a grassroots, sustained, and cross-sector anti-monopoly effort to rein in the power of corporations in the U.S. to the benefit of low- and middle-income people.
The purpose of this grant is to support Coworker.org to build systems that workers can use to develop leadership, new forms of collective power, and productive engagement with employers.
The purpose of this grant is to enable Transform Finance to support social justice actors to develop place-based and topic-based strategies to influence financial actors and capital flows in advancement of social and economic justice.
The purpose of this grant is to advance three CIWO projects: Strengthening Labor Standards Enforcement, Build the Bench, and WILL Empower, that are working to shift the balance of power towards greater economic and social equality.
The purpose of this grant is to reduce municipal government’s usage of tax breaks for economic development through developing alternative economic development financial products to attract investment and mobilizing municipal investors to push for accountability and transparency.
The purpose of this grant is to strengthen NGIN’s network and deepen its practice innovation work to enable practitioners across the country to do disciplined practice and product innovation together: systematically inventing, testing, and scaling practices that enable more Americans to own and drive growth in the next economy.
The purpose of this grant is to support Georgetown University’s Beeck Center in conducting field work to advance the growth and success of minority-led and women-led financial services firms, including a survey of current initiatives, a stakeholder convening, and Opportunity Zone case studies.
To report a series of stories on poverty, power and public policy, with a focus on workers; develop a monthly newsletter; build a membership program; and switch to a new content management system.