Surdna Foundation

We’re thrilled to introduce the 2024 World Makers video! This group of exceptional artists, musicians, writers, and creatives from Louisiana is using their talents to inspire change, uplift communities, and shape the future through the power of art and culture. 🎨🎶 The 2024 World Makers program is proudly supported by the Foundation for Louisiana, The Kresge Foundation, and the Surdna Foundation. Watch the premiere of the 2024 World Makers video. Stay tuned as we continue to share more about the incredible work being done by these visionaries. Videographer: Darrin Defillo, CRE8TIN9 Producer: Angelique Phipps, Foundation for Louisiana https://lnkd.in/gJS6j_Cd 

What do folks around the U.S. think of reparations? Our partner Liberation Ventures recently polled over 5,000 adults across the country to learn more about their perceptions. Some key findings: 💡 • 36% of people express some support for comprehensive reparations, double the support since 2002 • 68% of respondents report at least some familiarity with the concept of reparations • 45% of respondents believe that the legacies of slavery, including legalized racial discrimination and segregation, affect Black people today

In times of uncertainty, the mission to reduce inequality becomes even more crucial. Philanthropic support for diversity, equity, and inclusion has seen highs and lows in recent years. Our roundtable hosted by Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy explored the complex dynamics at play, examining how philanthropic organizations and individuals can navigate and respond to the challenges posed by the current climate while also working toward fulfilling SDG 10: Reducing Inequalities. This timely conversation mapped out strategies to drive change and make a lasting impact. Featured speakers included: Marla Blow, President and Chief Operating Officer, Skoll Foundation  Patrice R Green, Vice President of Programs, Surdna Foundation  Ivy McGregor, CEO, BeyGOOD Foundation  Bonnie Oliva-Porter, Founder, Margins: A Workplace Innovation Studio Moderated by Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy Executive Vice President Melissa Stevens. #MIGlobal #UNGA #DEI #SDG #Philanthropy

Earlier this month, we kicked off #ClimateWeekNYC early with a visit from our partners at Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Climate Justice Alliance, and New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance for an environmental justice discussion with our board and staff. We talked about recent environmental justice wins and challenges, how our partners are working to unlock federal funding for grassroots orgs, and what it takes to make a #JustTransition.

💭 How can philanthropy better share, cede, and build power among the communities we seek to serve? #ICYMI: Thousand Currents and the Surdna Foundation discussed "Redistributing Power Through Trust-Based Philanthropy." During the conversation foundation leaders unpack how philanthropy can share power to foster better funder-nonprofit relationships and build the trust required to get at the heart of questions about power. Take a listen below for gems.

Our partners at Proof News have developed critical tools to assess how #ArtificialIntelligence responds to questions about democracy. This latest research from the Center for Democracy & Technology uses Proof's AI comparison tool to test AI answers to questions about voting access for people with disabilities—finding that 60% of the responses had incorrect or misleading information. Learn more about Proof's AI & Democracy work: https://lnkd.in/gCrEgizE

What does it look like to radically redistribute resources to support artists and culture bearers in a way that centers trust? Since 2020, our partners at Constellations housed in The Center for Cultural Power have moved over $7.2 million to build BIPOC-led narrative and cultural power in regions across the country where resource extraction and under-funding persist. Read more about how #TrustBasedPhilanthropy can intersect with culture and narratives to reimagine a more just future for all: https://lnkd.in/gffXZDTv via Trust-Based Philanthropy Project Comic by Nansi Guevara #ThrivingCultures

This powerful quote couldn't be any more true from our Principal, Kristin Powell when she shared the Black Economic Agenda to a packed crowd in Atlanta last month. At Black Futures Lab, we understand the importance of telling authentic stories and revealing the truths of what Black people want to see in their communities across this nation. That's why we're proud to support our sister organization Black to the Future Action Fund's Black Economic Agenda — a comprehensive policy roadmap derived from the voices of 200,000+ Black people through our Black Census Project. Without question, it's unapologetically an agenda that is made FOR us BY us. ✊🏽 Click link below to learn more about the Black Economic Agenda and endorse it today. https://bit.ly/3AFG4O8 #BlackFuturesLab #BlacktotheFutureActionFund #BlackEconomicAgenda #ForUsByUs

Huge shout out to Asian Pacific Environmental Network (a grantee in my portfolio at Surdna Foundation!) and Communities for a Better Environment for this MASSIVE win in California! This is just the beginning - a model - for holding the oil and gas industry accountable! This is years in the making, power building, community organizing, and not giving up!

Grant opportunity for NYC-based organizations serving small businesses ⤵ Apply to the #NYSmallBusinessFundersCollective's Supplier Diversity Partnership grant to bolster efforts to diversify supplier networks in the city, increase supply chain localization, and increase the number of historically excluded small business owners seeking and securing contrasts with purchasers and anchors in NYC. The one-year partnership grants range from $100,000 to $250,000. We're proud to be a part of the NY Small Business Funders Collective alongside our partners at JPMorganChase, M&T Bank, Principal Financial Group Foundation, Santander Bank, MetLife Foundation, BankUnited, and Capital One. Learn more & apply: https://lnkd.in/eDtabtdK