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$80 Million To Advance Racial and Ethnic Justice
Chicago, IL | MacArthur Foundation | July 27, 2021— MacArthur announced roughly $80 million in grants centered on advancing racial and ethnic justice. The Equitable Recovery grants are funded by MacArthur’s social bonds, issued in response to the crises of the pandemic and racial inequity.
“As we emerge from this moment of crisis, we have an opportunity to improve the critical systems that people and places need to thrive. Our systems and structures must be rebuilt,” said MacArthur President John Palfrey. “We are committed to ensuring that our response to the pandemic is focused on supporting the reimagining of systems that create a more just, equitable, and resilient world.” MacArthur is supporting work in four areas: supports building Black power by supporting Black-led and -focused philanthropic organizations. MacArthur also will take a leadership role in positioning reparations and racial healing as issues that philanthropy helps to meaningfully address. communities to enable autonomous pursuit of a recovery guided by their priorities, cultures, and practices. improving access to resources for immediate health challenges while advancing new policies, models, and structures to support a more equitable and resilient public health sector in the future. communities and reducing incarceration and housing instability by generating an array of housing solutions that can help to permanently end the use of jails and prisons as housing of last resort. MacArthur identified the areas through a participatory process with a diverse group of external advisors, who informed our strategic approach. Our participatory process aimed to center the voices of communities that are affected by our decisions and have a stake in our grantmaking outcomes. Almost two-thirds of the awards represent new grantee relationships, and most of the organizations are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led or -serving. The grants also reflect MacArthur’s global reach: 45 percent of the new funding supports work outside of the U.S., including 12 percent in India, and 14 percent in Nigeria, where MacArthur has offices.
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Self-determination of Indigenous Peoples
In Self-determination of Indigenous Peoples, MacArthur approved 15 grants totaling $16 million to organizations including: respects and honors Indigenous peoples’ inherent rights and dynamic cultures and empowers Indigenous peoples to pursue their selfdetermination and sustain their lands, cultures, and ecosystems.
Project, which will increase investment in Native American-led and -serving organizations that focus on issues such as self-determination, climate change, and COVID-19 recovery. scientists and governed by a board and community advisory group that includes tribal experts in precision health, technology, law, policy, business, ethics, and cultural matters—will receive $2 million to use health data for quality-of-life improvement and to ensure that advances in genetics and health research benefit all Indigenous people.
Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation
In Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation, MacArthur approved 35 grants totaling $22 million to organizations including: healthcare supply chain more resilient to disruptions and to promote an equitable response, especially in communities of color.
Illinois racial equity reform agenda and to support Illinois Unidos, a collaborative COVID-19 vaccine access and public health initiative. community organizations in ten states in India build awareness and learning about healthcare and other social protections associated with
COVID-19 relief and recovery.
Racial Justice Field Support
In Racial Justice Field Support, MacArthur approved 37 grants totaling $36 million to organizations including: million to build the capacity and power of Black communities in the U.S. and globally to work on cultural, social, economic, and political upliftment, including support for the National African American Reparations
Commission. IBW-21 will serve as the fiscal sponsor for National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations (N’COBRA), which will receive $1.5 million for non-lobbying activities to support the movement for reparations for people of African descent in the United States and the global Black diaspora.
Fund in partnership with the Ford Foundation, to build on momentum from the youth-led #ENDSARS movement and to inspire, empower, and equip a new cadre of leaders with skills for personal, organizational, and community transformation. programming space within the Obama Presidential Center that will focus on leadership training, racial healing, and civic engagement on Chicago’s
South Side.
