The CPA Journal

December 2001

New Coalition Promotes Ethnic Philanthropy in New York

With recent grants from the AXA Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Coalition for New Philanthropy has raised more than $1 million to finance its three-year initiative to encourage and promote long-term, strategic philanthropy among African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans in the New York City metropolitan area.

The coalition consists of five collaborating organizations: the Asian American Federation of New York, the Hispanic Federation, the Twenty-first Century Foundation, the State University of New York's Center for the Study of Philanthropy, and the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (NYRAG). The partners represent three major ethnic funds working on behalf of more than 100 community-based not-for-profit organizations in the New York City metropolitan area, as well as a leading philanthropy research center and the main philanthropy association of the region.

2000 U.S. Census data show that New York City's population is now significantly more diverse than it was in 1990, with people of color now making up more than 50% of the population. Consequently, the coalition sees its work in promoting philanthropy among diverse donors as more important than ever for bringing new money to not-for-profit organizations in its targeted communities.

"New York's minority communities already have strong traditions of charitable giving," said Erica Hunt, chair of the coalition's executive committee and executive director of the Twenty-first Century Foundation. "The coalition is working to help donors magnify the effects of their giving by making it sustained and strategic. Our goal is to connect community assets to community needs."

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation's $360,000 grant will cover the Coalition's donor outreach efforts; a $149,500 grant from the AXA Foundation will underwrite communications projects, including publications and training materials. Previously committed funds include a "new ventures in philanthropy" grant from the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers in Washington, D.C. Other funds have been committed by the Surdna Foundation, the Edwin Gould Foundation for Children, and the Stewart R. Mott Charitable Trust.

Each ethic fund has established bureaus through which philanthropic leaders and advisors speak to ethnic voluntary, professional, and alumni associations; fraternities and sororities; and community and civic organizations about the traditions of ethnic philanthropy that have sustained these communities, and they explore the potential of strategic philanthropy. Topics include key community issues in education, healthcare, and community development, as well as discussions on how private dollars can be used to address them. The three ethnic funds are also creating support materials that speak to specific donor groups about how philanthropy relates to their own cultural traditions and charitable interests.