Racial equity is a crucial aspect of giving circles. In order to shape the future giving circle members must be able to talk about the most pressing issues and hopefully use their circle as a tool to dismantle systemic racism. This tool will support your giving circle in its first step to embed racial equity into your everyday practice.
The exercises that follow are designed to help individuals and giving circles understand their connection
to place, and the relationship between place, racial repair, and money. Some giving circles may already
have a focus on place, whereas others may be considering how a place-based lens could enhance their
racial equity goals. Wherever you fall on this spectrum, the following tool will help you deepen your
commitments to racial equity through creative reflection.
Each prompt is intended to build on the previous one. We recommend completing each exercise individually
first, and then as a group. If your giving circle is holding time to do these exercises together, we suggest
building in enough time to individually reflect on each prompt, before discussing it all together. You can
work with this tool by editing it in a PDF viewer (Acrobat, Preview, etc.) on your computer/phone/tablet,
printing it out and drawing on it, or simply using it as a reference while recording your work in a separate
blank space (journal, poster, document, etc.).
Giving circles working to embed racial equity into their giving and culture often can forget one of
the most important aspects – how they show up for their community and communities they are
partnering with.
In order for giving circles to live their values, they build authentic, deep relationships with the
communities they are giving too. The mission, vision, and values of a giving circle should be
present in all relationships members form. This guide is designed to help you evaluate and have
deeper conversations about your work and reason for getting involved in giving circles.
Giving circles, when created with intentionally and rooted in community, can be tools for social
justice and advocates for racial equity. For giving circles just stepping into racial equity work, the
process can be daunting and many may not know where to start.
A “Racial Equity Imperative Statement” will give circles a northstar for their members as
they work to shift their culture and practices to be embody a future rooted in racial equity.
Through the creation of a “Racial Equity Imperative Statement” members will create a shared
understanding of why racial equity work matters to their circle. In understanding the “why”
members will be equipped to begin to deepen your giving circles racial equity practice and ensure
accountability along the way.
This resource will:
• Guide you through a series of questions that will sharpen your understanding of the root of
racial inequity and
• Equip your circle with the awareness to draft a “Racial Equity Imperative Statement” to guide
and deepen your racial equity practice
Shifting your giving circle toward racial equity is an everyday practice that impacts every aspect
of your work. In order to make a change, you first have to be aware of the problem. This resource
will walk giving circle members through a series of reflection questions about their circle’s current
equity practices. After completing this exercise giving circle members should have additional
clarity around:
• Where they have made progress toward racial equity
• Where they could improve, as well as, what next steps they could take
• Challenges their circle is faces in creating a more racially equitable space
Conflict is a natural part of any group of individuals.
It can arise during something as trivial as deciding where to grab lunch or as important as
working toward racial equity. When building your circle, it is critical to start with creating “human-
centered” spaces. In building a space where members can show up fully, you will also create a
space that can hold conflict productively.
Sudha Nandagopal of Social Venture Partners International and Seiji Carpenter of Radfund discuss what it means to share and build power, and how giving circles can be a vehicle for change.
Learn from The Council as they discuss what racial equity is and why it’s important, as well as what it can enable you to do differently in your giving circle work.
Let’s unpack what’s at the heart of trust-based philanthropy. Hear from philanthropy leaders as they share their personal experiences of relationship-building in the field.