Grantee Convenings on Equity

Since 2017, in partnership with Dr. Sherri Killins-Stewart, the Foundation staff and grantee leaders from the three portfolios and all funded geographies have co-designed annual convenings focused on racial equity.   The focus of a September 2022 case study, “Equity as a Verb: Learning From and With Grantees,” the convenings allowed both the funder and grantees to forge a closer partnership to address the challenges of system wide inequities.  The convenings have become a source of professional development for many, including Foundation staff. The co-creation process allows staff and grantees to work together to develop shared learning agendas, ensuring all show up with the same level of inquisitiveness. The crafting of these shared learning agendas relies heavily on the wealth of leadership and expertise within the Foundation’s three portfolios: Early Childhood Development, Education, and Youth Development. Over the years, the Foundation’s convenings have covered a wide-range of issues including Engaging Multiple Voices and Inclusive Decision Making, Sustaining and Supporting Authentic Engagement, and Exploring Common Goals.