In a conference room at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in November, two dozen people from organized philanthropy and nonprofit organizations serving Native Americans came together to talk about their work with Native Americans and what they could learn from each other and be more powerful working together.

Many in the room had spent years and decades working on health, literacy and social welfare issues for Native Americans. Others were new to the field and curious about what they could learn.

The meeting, one of a series taking place over the next few years, is the work of Native Americans in Philanthropy. Thanks to grants from Philanthropy Northwest and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the group is establishing Regional Action Networks. These networks will bring together Native Americans working in the social sector, foundations, and nonprofits who work on Native American issues. The ultimate goal is to improve grantmaking to Native American issues and build relationships among Native American tribes, urban Native American communities, and philanthropy.

These networks bring together a variety of stakeholders in Native American issues, evenly distributed between nonprofits  (Native and non-Native), funders of all kinds, and individuals interested in Native American issues.

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Writing for Family Giving News, Carrie Avery, the president of the Durfee Foundation and the board chair of the National Center for Family Philanthropy, showcased the “I Am A Philanthropist” video as well the Los Angeles event in November spotlighting and connecting diverse donors:

I was interested in learning more about diversity in family philanthropy.  In my own 20-plus years of experience with my family’s philanthropy, I have seen how incorporating diverse perspectives into our grantmaking and practices has enriched our connection to the community.  I have witnessed how fresh vision can open one’s eyes to different ways of seeing community needs.  Sometimes it takes a newcomer to show what you haven’t seen, simply because you haven’t been looking for it.  I wanted to see what more I could learn about philanthropy by looking at the growing diversity in the field.  My curiosity was rewarded.

Avery reflects upon the event, the changing demographic profile of the United States, as well as how she’s seen the impact of diversity in family philanthropy first-hand. She included in her item a conversation with D5 Coalition member Judy Belk:

I asked Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ Judy Belk (a former NCFP board member) and event sponsor and emcee, how family philanthropy fits into the D5 effort.  Belk, who will be leading a very special NCFP Teleconference on this topic on April 12th, said, “Family is one of the major motivations for diverse donors in philanthropy, just as it is a motivator for many philanthropists.  They want to give, and they want to inspire the next generation.  We are looking at ways to support these new families in philanthropy.”

Read the whole story: “FEATURE: The Changing Face of Philanthropy: Diversity in Family Giving”

I Am A Philanthropist from D5 Coalition, a video produced by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the D5 Coalition.

“America is very diverse, as is the community I live in, San Jose,” says Carmen Castellano. “But you walk into some institutions and the diversity is not there. We want to see people who look like us reflected in those institutions. I want to show the brown face of philanthropy.”

Castellano is one voice in a powerful chorus of diverse donors profiled in “I Am a Philanthropist,” a new video produced by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the D5 Coalition. You can see the video by clicking on the image above.

An inspiring testament to the spread of philanthropy in communities across the nation, the video was a centerpiece of a gathering of diverse donors we held in Los Angeles in November. We celebrated diverse donors, gave them opportunities to network and learn, and aimed to inspire more giving.

Click here for a summary and some pictures of the event, along with resources for donors.

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How can we support, and sustain, more diverse and inclusive leadership in the nonprofit sector?

This is a core question of D5’s work, and for one day in November it was a key topic of conversation among 250 nonprofit leaders at the White House Forum on Nonprofit Leadership, held November 15 in Washington, DC. It was a packed day, one that allowed us to focus on issues important to building and sustaining nonprofit leaders.

Among other reasons for caring about nonprofit leadership, the White House is focused on the changing demographics of our nation, which require nonprofits to be attentive to a greater need for diverse and inclusive leadership.

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How should philanthropy respond to the tremendous demographic changes taking place in the United States?

One way is to weave the work of more diverse donors – “the best kept secret in philanthropy,” according to one of the leaders in the field – into more traditional philanthropy. More »

We’re thrilled to announce that The California Endowment is investing $4 million in the work of our growing alliance of national and regional organizations to make philanthropy in the U.S. more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

“The D5 strategy is designed to meet philanthropic institutions ‘where they are’ on the issue of diversity and help them take the next step in a way that is mission-supportive, results-oriented, and not too scary,” said Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO of The California Endowment and a founding chair of the coalition, in announcing the grant. The approach, he said, “is fundamentally about alignment. The coalition connects nodes of activity that have been percolating to…a single, workable strategy for the field—and this is new.”

Read the news release here.

Though there is strong, intuitive and anecdotal evidence that diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes, the hard data and research on this connection is sparse.  Recent research however, provides important and provocative insight into how diverse groups operate and why they lead to improved group performance.

In their research, Kellogg School of Management Associate Professor Katherine W. Phillips, Katie A. Liljenquist, from Brigham Young University and Stanford University’s Margaret Neale, found that diverse groups outperformed more homogeneous groups not because of the influx of new ideas, but because diverse perspectives triggered more careful decision-making.

Read a summary of the research and learn about Kellogg’s Center on the Science of Diversity.

We’re proud to launch the first-ever directory of population-focused funds—giving vehicles that enable diverse donors to give to diverse communities.

The directory provides information on more than 400 population-focused funds operating throughout the United States. Read on to find out more about why these funds are so important and read our News release on PFF Directory June 2011 on the directory’s launch.

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After an extensive national search, Kelly Brown has been selected to direct the D5 coalition. Kelly brings to the position stellar credentials and more than 20 years of experience working on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. She’s served as Director of Programs and Evaluation at the Marguerite Casey Foundation, Grants Director at the Vanguard Public Foundation, Administrative Director for TransAfrica/TransAfrica Forum and a consultant to nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and individuals working to strengthen underserved communities. Read the news release on Kelly’s appointment.

Kelly recently sat down for an interview to share her hopes for the D5 coalition and the greater work of growing philanthropy’s diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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So argue Stephen Heintz, Robert Ross, and Sterling Speirn–D5′s co-chairs–in an opinion piece in the new issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

“As co-chairs of the D5 Coalition…we’re proud that so many philanthropy organizations are participating,” they write. “But here’s the rub: For all its weight and acceleration, this effort simply won’t get off the ground unless foundations provide the lift. Foundations can and must do more to make philanthropy more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. More »