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As I shared with you in January, the Nathan Cummings Foundation board decided to focus the totality of the foundation’s assets on advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice (REEJ). Today, I am excited to share our definitions of these broad terms and explain how we will direct resources to support REEJ solutions.

Racial justice is the removal of structural barriers and hierarchies based on race. It seeks to reimagine political, economic, and social systems in ways that allow all people to thrive, regardless of their racial identity. To advance racial justice, we will support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Civic Engagement: We support efforts to ensure that BIPOC and other marginalized communities have the access and capacity to participate freely in shaping the policies, practices, and institutions that impact their everyday lives. 
• Racial Wealth Gap: We support efforts that seek to repair historical harm, build wealth, and address the root causes of the racial wealth gap. 
• Racism + Oppression: We support efforts to build the infrastructure and capacity necessary to create systems that are free from oppression and allow us all to thrive.  

Economic justice means that everyone has opportunities to participate and thrive in the economy, including those who are marginalized by our current economic systems. Economic justice creates a stronger economy, because prosperity and equity go hand in hand. To advance economic justice, we will support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Economic Security: We focus on systemic efforts to mitigate economic precarity and secure a path to a more stable future for poor and low-income people.
• Access to Capital:We support efforts to provide more access to capital for historically excluded entrepreneurs and to cultivate an ecosystem in which they can prosper.
• Monopoly Power: We focus on efforts to decrease corporate power and create a level playing field for workers, marginalized communities, and small businesses.

Environmental justice is the right of all people and communities to a clean, healthy, and safe environment. It promotes equal environmental protection under the law and in fact. It empowers all communities to make informed decisions and fully participate civically and economically in the creation of environmental solutions. To advance environmental justice, we will support organizations that address the following focus areas:

• Environmental Harms: We focus on systemic efforts to prevent and repair environmental disparities and to ensure affected communities can meaningfully engage in solutions that protect both public health and ecosystems. 
• Inclusive Participation in the Green Economy: We focus on efforts to ensure BIPOC-led environmental organizations and diverse companies have access to and can take full advantage of Green Economy opportunities. 
• Regenerative Economic Models: We focus on social entrepreneurs and innovators who build regenerative projects and models based on sustainability, ecological restoration, resilience, and community wealth-building.

Now that we have clarity on definitions and focus areas, we are ready to seek partners who will lead the way in driving meaningful outcomes and impact. To support that search, we will be opening our website for letters of inquiry (LOI) for grants and program-related investments (PRIs), starting in January 2024. We will share more details on the LOI process soon. If you have any questions or comments in the meantime, please reach out to communications@nathancummings.org. I welcome your feedback!

In pursuit of solutions,

Rey Ramsey

President and CEO