Where does a statewide funding organization start to make racial equity a significant part of its work?
That was the question MaineCF asked in 2016 when it identified racial equity as one of five core areas that could improve the quality of life for all Maine people. The foundation knew it wanted to advance racial equity, but how?
MaineCF staff began by reviewing national research and interviewing more than 80 people who work in the field of racial equity and justice in Maine. Early in this work, it became clear the foundation had to do more than talk the talk about racial equity. We needed to walk the walk. President and CEO Steve Rowe stated, “We realized that we needed to develop and apply a racial equity lens to the foundation and all of its work. This includes our culture, policies, procedures, and all aspects of our strategic and responsive grantmaking.”
MaineCF hired OpenSource Leadership Strategies (OSLS) of Durham, North Carolina, to provide critical analysis of the foundation’s operations and how they intersect with race. The consultants conducted a racial equity assessment and provided training for staff and board. It also helped MaineCF establish its Equity Leadership Team to guide learning and ensure the work engages all staff. Gloria Aponte C., senior program officer and racial equity strategic goal manager, leads the team.
“Dedicating time to deeper understanding about racial equity alongside our colleagues is an incredible opportunity. We must do more than learn, however. We must turn knowledge into meaningful action,” says team member Hannah Whalen, MaineCF director of philanthropy and donor services.
Four years into the racial equity initiative, MaineCF as an organization is still learning – and striving for a future when all people in Maine have access to opportunities and life outcomes that are not determined or predictable in any way by race or ethnicity.
At top: Matthew DuBois, an entrepreneur from Skowhegan and a MaineCF board member, listens to Allan G. Johnson, keynote speaker at MaineCF’s inaugural summit, “Privilege, Power, and Difference,” on November 1, 2016. Photo Jill Brady
