Closing the Gaps in Racial Equity and Social Justice

• The Challenge
• Promising Practices
• Benchmarks

  BENCHMARKS OF PROGRESS

One challenge facing philanthropy is to evaluate its effects or benefits. There is great demand for techniques that assess impact, measure results, or mark progress. An approach that fits the theory of action in this project is to gather evidence that shows progress on the different pathways.

Each of the benchmarks below is linked to Challenges that need to be addressed, using Promising Practices. Making progress on this pathway, along with the other pathways, is thought to be connected to the overall goal of “improving the bottom line” of disparities reduction.

In other words, you can give your philanthropy high marks for progress achieved on this pathway when you see signs that…

• More philanthropic organizations are better prepared or positioned to play a useful role.
• The subject of justice and equity is more readily discussed, with diminished feelings of hurt, anger, shame, or helplessness.
• Promising solutions that stand a chance of “moving the needle” are more likely to see the light of day and given the opportunity to gain support.
• The connections, networks, and leadership needed to bridge divides and move effective solutions to fruition are better supported and increasingly effective.
• Philanthropic resources directed to this issue are increasing.
• Maintaining one’s philanthropic focus on disparities reduction requires strategy, discipline, and patience – all in greater supply in the philanthropic community.

And for the overall goal, evidence is needed to show that...

• Gaps in social justice and racial equity are closing, and philanthropic organizations are playing more helpful roles in achieving this goal.

This page updated 18 August 2008