Our Partnership with Echoing Green’s Racial Equity Philanthropic Fund

Commitment signifies the continued importance of funding the racial equity movement

The Skoll Foundation is proud to announce a significant partnership with the groundbreaking Racial Equity Philanthropic Fund launched by Echoing Green, a global nonprofit that finds, supports, and connects emerging social entrepreneurs.

The Skoll Foundation’s $6 million commitment to the new Fund will help Echoing Green transform the field of social innovation over the next three years and ensure that recent heightened awareness of racial inequity translates into sustained action and impact.

“We’re proud to join forces with our long-time partner Echoing Green to support their vision for wielding social innovation as a powerful tool to advance racial equity,” said Don Gips, CEO of Skoll Foundation. “The attention and emphasis given to exposing and solving longstanding racial injustice must continue, and foundations and funders can play a critical role to sustain this work. Echoing Green has been at the forefront of identifying proximate leaders. We believe the Racial Equity Philanthropic Fund will enable Echoing Green to begin to address the inequities in the social innovation space.”

The Racial Equity Philanthropic Fund’s three-year objectives include launching and supporting 500 new and current Echoing Green Fellows and creating intentional pathways to social innovation opportunities to 5,000 emerging leaders with a deep interest in implementing racial justice work, particularly those with proximity to and experience with systems of racial inequity. It also will work with 10,000 corporate employees on driving their passions and skills to support front-line leaders in the movement for racial equity globally. Tactics to ensure a more inclusive ecosystem include providing capacity funding for organizations focused on racial equity, supporting students at HBCUs and other institutions advancing emerging leaders of color, and advising corporate leaders on racial equity principles.

The Skoll Foundation’s leading gift of $6 million joins the ranks of additional funders including Amgen Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Jerome L. Greene Foundation, and Miranda Family Fund. This coalition of cross-sector funders illustrates the collective action and bold, strategic investments required to support the breadth and scale of the Racial Equity Philanthropic Fund’s objectives.

“It’s never been more important for organizations to put their dollars to work and truly move the needle toward racial equity,” commented Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green. “Echoing Green’s global social innovation work, which is bolstered by an alliance-based approach, will ensure the collaborative, cross-sector lens we need to tackle the root causes of racial injustices around the world. We thank the Skoll Foundation for their continued partnership and generous contribution to the Fund.”

For more information and to support Echoing Green, please visit their website.