PREPARING PHILANTHROPY TO PROMOTE EQUITY | CHALLENGES

Although philanthropy can play a critical and strategic role in strengthening democratic practice and promoting equity in the Mid South, these organizations and their leaders face particular challenges that stand to undermine their effectiveness:

• While local government and citizens may look increasingly to philanthropy to assume a leadership role on potentially divisive and controversial issues, philanthropy cannot be expected—nor should it allow itself—to serve as a substitute for government, relieving that sector of its obligation to serve the citizenry and promote the general welfare. Similarly, philanthropy should not attempt to replace citizen initiative at the local, state, and regional levels. Instead, philanthropy should invest in strategies that enable government to fulfill its obligations more effectively, as well as those that equip citizens with skills, resources, knowledge, and relationships required for full civic participation.
  
  
• While philanthropic leaders might new the nonprofit and public sectors as natural allies in their efforts to promote equity, they must also work deliberately to engage and support business leaders from throughout the region who have a vested interest in developing community wealth and building a more prosperous region. While no ready-made blueprint exists for how foundations can support and nurture collaboration among the private, public, and nonprofit sectors such relationships will be increasingly necessary if the citizens of the region hope to realize the vision of the New Mid South.
  
  
• In their efforts to make strategic investments to promote racial, social, and economic equity, the governing boards, executive leadership, and program staff of the region's foundations must reflect inward to assess the organization's capacities, inclusivity, and clarity of mission and purpose. Foundations must also consider to what extent public policies shape and stand to impact the proposed plan of action. Almost all of the equity issues that foundations seek to address—access to health care; asset development; the provision of safe, stable, and affordable housing; public education; and child care—are in some way affected by local, state, and federal policies. To work effectively on these issues, foundation boards and staff must take time to learn more about the public policies that directly impact the efficacy and effectiveness of their grantmaking and remain open to adapting their grantmaking strategies to reflect relevant changes in the public policy environment.
  
  
• While philanthropic organizations have significant resources that can be invested to create equitable outcomes for all citizens, leaders of these organizations must take care not to fall into the trap of "telling" communities how they must resolve the challenges before them, ignoring the wisdom, aspirations, and strategies of the people who live and work in these places. Foundations can surface issues, raise critical questions, and invest in solutions in their efforts to promote equity.