Progress comes from supporting community-based, multiracial democracy

“Democracy is the system that creates pathways for people to act collectively, to hold leaders and institutions accountable and to fight for the change they want to see in the world. We need to think beyond tactics that yield only short-term wins, to our role in supporting communities so that they can set their own priorities, innovate on strategy and deliver on a long-term vision for change on the issues that affect their daily lives.”

– Jennie Riley, Executive Director of the Rx Foundation & Kelly Nowlin, Principal of KDN Philanthropy Consulting

Rx Foundation’s Executive Director, Jennie Riley, recently co-authored an op-ed about philanthropy’s need to support community-based, multiracial democratic practice, with Kelly Nowlin, who served on the board of the Surdna Foundation, and advises family foundations as the principal of KDN Philanthropy Consulting. Riley and Nowlin are among the funders collaborating with the Democracy & Power Innovation Fund, a learning and funding collective that includes state organizing partners. 

In their piece they share four lessons learned and tangible actions funders can take to support community-based, multiracial democratic practices across the country:

There are many rich examples shared from power-building organizations like the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), and Voces de la Frontera.

Finally, as Riley and Nowlin remind us, “Many of us have spent our philanthropic careers devoted to making tangible change on issues — health care, climate, economic security and more — but have seen limited progress or even years of work rolled back as democracy slips. A collective commitment to supporting a community-based, multiracial democratic practice is needed to sustain it.”