Philanthropy Together — a global initiative to diversify and democratize philanthropy through scaling and strengthening giving circles — has launched a Community of Practice programme focused on racial equity. The organisation hopes that the programme will create a space for donors to discuss thoughtful, intentional giving that will lead to amplifying individual dollars.

‘Giving circles are redefining philanthropy and what it means to be a philanthropist,’ said Executive Director of Philanthropy Together, Sara Lomelin. ‘We’re looking forward to building a larger community of everyday philanthropists who centre their giving around equity and justice in order to move wealth and power in new directions.’

Philanthropy Together launched in April 2020 and was awarded a $1 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation earlier this year to work specifically on advancing racial equity through giving circles.

The current plans to expand the Racial Equity Community of Practice are building upon a pilot version that was held in June 2020 – following the murder of Georgy Floyd by police and the global Black Lives Matter movement that spread in its wake. Philanthropy Together at the time convened 130 giving circle leaders from different identities and communities across the world to think critically about how systemic racism has negatively impacted their communities and find proactive ways to instil racial equity within their grantmaking.

The programme will now be year-round and serve as an ongoing, active learning space for giving circle leaders. Participants will learn actionable steps giving circles can take to support their short and long-term efforts to fund racial equity.