“As we all know, February is Black History Month. As a society, we honor those whose voices have been marginalized and people of color who have made contributions to the shaping of our history. But as grants and fundraising professionals, our work in inclusive fundraising should not be limited to one month.”

RBW Strategy is asked about DEI implementation all the time as we work on grant applications and it is something we discuss with clients at the planning stage. However, our work extends beyond those discussions, to capacity building for and support of BIPOC-led organizations, and in support of Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and AAPI communities. While we have been supporting such organizations since RBW’s inception in 2013, I didn’t see the critical importance of this work until examining the discrepancy between funding for white-led organizations and those led by people of color. As we posted earlier this month, BIPOC-led organizations receive 45% less funding than white-led organizations. If we as nonprofit professionals can help level the playing field in the grants and fundraising space, and I know others are focusing on this as well, we can ensure BIPOC-led organizations have a fighting chance to maintain and sustain funding. We can’t even imagine the impact that could have on historically marginalized communities around the country and the globe.”

Rachel Werner, MPA, GPC, PMP, Owner & CEO of RBW Strategy