Presidents discuss internal stakeholders in second COVID-19 call
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released preliminary data showing that 30 percent of COVID-19 patients are African-American, far outpacing their share of the US population (13 percent). The new data begin to confirm the disproportionate and devastating impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities. These disparities have served as the impetus for a series of digital gatherings of foundation presidents, hosted by the Presidents’ Forum on Racial Equity in Philanthropy.
Where are foundation leaders focusing their attention and intention? As guest speaker Van Jones (a political commentator for CNN) emphasized during one videoconference, critical Black community needs include personal protective equipment, tests and ventilators.
Through these conversations, we have learned that funders are grappling with when and how much of their response dollars to deploy given the unpredictability of the situation. We also know that having time for reflection and shared accountability is key. The Presidents’ Forum supports the creation of new actions towards and narratives for philanthropy’s role relative to supporting the leadership of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
During the most recent gathering, several presidents discussed supporting their staff, board, trustees and donors and figuring out the balance between underinvesting vs overinvesting their time with each group. Another wondered how personnel policies may shift, and questioned whether current practice will turn into organizational policy as the pandemic subsides. “Is it equitable? It’s not clear to me what the right thing to do is—some [of my staff] have kids, some live alone … what changes to policy in the workplace will live on once we’re back in the office is not known.”
One foundation leader shared that as her organization went from “moving one hundred miles per hour to 1,000 miles per hour,” and as a person of color, also expressed concern for her community and how it is disproportionately impacted. Additionally, three of her extended family members were diagnosed with COVID-19, and her leadership has been reshaped by these personal and professional challenges. “It is no longer about my role [as president] as the work is about the community’s needs.”
The presidents used their time together to talk about their personal experience during the crisis, as another foundation president shared that one of her staff lost a family member to COVID-19. Still another president revealed feeling vulnerable when asked how he is doing, when his focus is on how others are doing.
The regular ZOOM meetings, open to all foundation presidents and CEOs, fulfill a need for presidents to stay connected to each other and learn from peers during this unprecedented crisis. Presidents are sharing internal practices such as new human resources policies and discussing the larger implications for the field, as well as how their current experience is informing how to develop a racially-equitable response to the pandemic.
Led by the Institute for Strategic and Equitable Development with implementation partner Keecha Harris and Associates, Inc., the goal of the Presidents’ Forum is to create a space where foundation CEOs can candidly discuss the most difficult issues, trade-offs and opportunities around race and equity—and think through these critical issues with their peers facing the same or similar questions to transform the sector. With a focus on racial equity, the Forum provides peer-to-peer support and learning experiences through facilitated dialogue for CEOs dedicated to shifting philanthropy toward a diversified, equitable and inclusive giving community.
KHA is organizing a series of 75-minute virtual, open dialogues for foundation senior executives on philanthropy’s response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about the first convening here. The next videoconference will be held on Friday, May 1. Please contact Sara Padilla at spadilla@khandassociates.com for additional details.