Phil Cubeta, CAP’s Post

Jim Kohlberg, who is so low-key he doesn't have a LinkedIn account, announced $30 million to help reform #SCOTUS via a new initiative at Brennan Center for Justice not long before President Biden put forth some overlapping SCOTUS-reform goals of his own. The $30 million (plus) question is -- will a sufficient number of other donors, low-profile and high-profile alike, join this work in time to make a difference? From the article, for Inside Philanthropy: "the right won’t give up its judicial high ground easily, having won its victories through consistent, long-term thinking and action, including in the philanthropic domain. Nor will change happen quickly, given the lifetime tenure of Supreme Court justices. Conservatives have already started attacking what they consider to be “woke” philanthropy with Congressional hearings and proposed federal legislation to punish liberal donors, as well as lawsuits to limit funders’ ability to support racial equity efforts. Having won their victories through consistent, long-term thinking and action, these same forces are likely to do everything in their growing power to make it harder for mainstream and progressive organizations to adopt a similar approach. Having stacked the Supreme Court with hard-right conservatives, even efforts to legislate an enforceable ethics standard or other court reforms, as Kohlberg aims to do, may well end up being spun as an attempt to turn the country back in a 'godless' direction." #2024election #SCOTUSReform #philanthropy #thinktanks #theGOPisweird #courtreform #protectdemocracy

Affirmative Action is a habitual practice for Philanthropy to bring systemic change, especially for equality and embracing diversity. Learn how recent US Supreme Court ruling affirmative action affect us.

Democracy is the bedrock upon which all else stands or falls. Now is the time for foundations and other funders to reinforce our dedication to its advancement. Civic engagement is the antidote to polarization, and philanthropy, its catalyst. Read more in my latest piece in the The Chronicle of Philanthropy: https://lnkd.in/eAethHvR

This article provides good insight into how the Supreme Court Affirmative Action decision is having a profound impact on racial equity progress even in non-academic environments. Would love to see a series that includes what role board of directors can play in supporting Philanthropy to move in courage to counter the issues outlined in the article. Curious what others think.

How does philanthropy contribute to political gridlock? Grant makers on the left and right finance networks of activists and advocates whose all-or-nothing, combative stances keep the political parties tethered to the poles. Lyceum Labs executive director Daniel Stid (former head of the Hewlett Foundation's democracy program) writes for #TheCommons. Key points in the essay: - Philanthropy underwrites advocates whose all-or-nothing stances keeps politics tethered to its poles. - “Shadow” parties aim to enforce ideological orthodoxies yet are insulated from the pressures that candidates face. - Philanthropists need to take responsibility for their contribution to polarization and gridlock. https://bit.ly/3VaCyD8

We can't say enough how important democracy work is to climate progress. In a piece for Inside Philanthropy this week, foundation leaders Cathy Cha and Ralph Lewin remind us that "the strength of democracy — whether at the local, state or national level — has huge impacts on the ability of all funders and our nonprofit partners to deliver results on any issue and for any community." We see the impact of lack of representation across the South, from city councils and state regulatory agencies that greenlight polluting industry at the expense of residents' health, to a rash of state-level voter suppression and anti-protest laws that make it ever harder for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people to be heard. Supporting fair elections, accessible public processes, and engaged and energized voters needs to be all of our business. https://lnkd.in/g-vPep6r

New in The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Many of us are invested in protecting our democracy. But how do we know which interventions work, and how do we relay that to the right people? Public Agenda President Andrew Seligsohn lays out the path forward. Read his full piece here: https://lnkd.in/dXMtCnpa

I love seeing perspectives like this because it brings a dose of reality to many of the struggles and movements in the current day; concerning their relationships to the struggles of the past. The “divisiveness” brought about by calls for equality is no more divisive than the major upheavals of the civil rights movement nearly 60 years ago. Progress will always cause controversy, but leaders must examine pushback by the quality of the arguments being made, especially at a time when many of these arguments miss the point or are made in bad faith. Equality is a long-term project that benefits from both incremental progress and broader leaps forward. The bare minimum organizations can do is to take a clear stance. #Nonprofit #BlackLeadership #Justice

Please read George’s nuanced piece capturing the way folks in Central Oregon are trying a new way of making community decisions on solving problems like childhood homelessness. I’m proud that The Rockefeller Foundation, Omidyar Network, and other national funders were able to help some, but this was driven by local resources and determination—the bake sales are the real story here, not the grants. This was sparked by amazing local leaders who care deeply about the place they live—and also believe that people in central OR can do bold, big things that lead the country. (A few I've had the honor of speaking with are Josh Burgess Anthony Broadman and Elizabeth Marino). My colleague Masha Hamilton gets to go to Deschutes County this weekend to meet others, I'm envious. If you’re in philanthropy, get in touch! The many organizations in Oregon who are involved in both the assembly and childhood homelessness work still need your support, two among many are the Central Oregon Civic Action Project and Elizabeth's Lab for the American Conversation at Oregon State University-Cascades! There are also other communities across the country who want to try using the assemblies to solve problems they care about (my hometown is one!). They need your help--trying something new like this is a big effort and risk, especially for folks in smaller communities. DemocracyNext and Healthy Democracy are great first stops to learn more, the Network Democracy Funders Network is developing some cool tools to make supporting innovative approaches to democracy even easier--stay tuned. A final note: assemblies aren't about getting to a particular result. They aren't about being more or less progressive, conservative, populist, whatever. The idea is to get everyone around the table to solve problems. No one knows what the recommendations from the assembly in central Oregon will be--that's up to them. 🤞