Racial Justice

Promotes Civic Engagement

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and other marginalized communities face long-standing and concerted efforts to restrict and suppress their participation in the public sphere, especially in civic processes. We support efforts to ensure these communities have the access and capacity to participate freely in shaping the policies, practices, and institutions that impact their everyday lives.   

For 2026, we are prioritizing the following, with an emphasis on work happening in or focused on the U.S. South that:

• Decreases regressive policies aimed at disenfranchising BIPOC communities and limiting civic participation   

• Fosters leadership development for public servants including advocates and elected officials   

• Encourages innovative policy interventions around democratic values   

Addresses the Racial Wealth Gap

Addresses the Racial Wealth Gap: Extreme racial wealth inequality persists in the United States, especially among Black communities, as a product of centuries of unjust policies and practices. We support efforts to repair this harm, build wealth, and address the root causes of the racial wealth gap.    

For 2026, we are prioritizing the following, with an emphasis on work happening in or focused on the U.S. South that:

• Increases assets among those who have been most harmed by the racial wealth gap    

• Grows the number of local, state, and federal policies and institutions that support access to and ownership of assets for BIPOC communities, especially Black communities     

• Decreases the number of public and private barriers to BIPOC communities building wealth 

Combats Racism + Oppression

White supremacy is at the root of our society’s most unequal systems, institutions, and policies. We support efforts to build the infrastructure and capacity necessary to create systems that are free from oppression and allow us all to thrive.    

For 2026, we are prioritizing the following, with an emphasis on work happening in or focused on the U.S. South that:

• Combats systemic hurdles to racial justice   

• Supports education/narrative building efforts at the hyper-local, regional, and national levels to advance equity and justice   

• Builds a strong ecosystem of effective organizations that advance and sustain racial justice
  
• In 2026, we are particularly interested in in data transparency and technological interventions in the U.S. South that undermine societal biases and structural inequities.