Since the early 2000s, national organizations like The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity and Candid, have been reporting on critical data highlighting the inequitable distribution of philanthropic dollars across communities.
On average 0.4% of giving by large foundations goes to Native communities. For every $100 awarded by foundations only 20 cents goes to LGBTQI communities. After a surge in funding for communities of colors following 2020, there’s been a sharp decline, with only 6.8% of all grantmaking devoted to communities of color in 2023. (Sources: Native Americans in Philanthropy x Candid, Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity). We’ve all seen the numbers.
What brings our network together at Philanthropy Northwest is a shared vision of these numbers looking different – one that demands cultural shifts and evolved practices to achieve lasting change.
Power of Practice aims to track these shifts through data and stories, illustrating what transforming our sector looks like on the ground, and offering a structure of accountability in a sector where so few exist. The data also helps us – staff and board at Philanthropy Northwest – hold ourselves accountable to our own mission of growing philanthropy’s capacity to do transformative work toward redistributing resources and power to underinvested communities in the Northwest and beyond.
What Constitutes Data: Taking a Movement Over Measurement Mindset
Our sector has a history of upholding traditional forms of research, claiming objectivity and the need for large quantitative data sets to understand what and/or where to fund. While data can provide valuable information, how it is gathered, who collects it and who gets to make decisions about input are all important considerations that drive the outcomes and findings we interpret.
And the numbers we collect are just the tip of the iceberg.
Behind every numerical data point is a whole universe of information, built up of lived experiences and human connections. For this reason, Philanthropy Northwest seeks to highlight and share not only numbers but also stories that bring authenticity, vulnerability and a humanness to the data we collect. We do this through our programs, our blogs, our podcast, Can we talk about…?, surfacing the voices of those in our sector working to advance racial equity. Stories are data too.
What We Are Learning
Power of Practice was fueled by 102 individuals across our network who took our Philanthropy Northwest Vibe Check Survey survey in June 2025. Three strong themes emerged from their responses:
- We are investing in community relationship building. Whether with grantees, donors or other partners in the community, our network is prioritizing trust and relationship building in their work.
- We’re getting stuck at the board level. Members are navigating challenging board dynamics that are creating barriers to advancing equitable practices within their foundations.
- Our biggest challenge is the current political climate. The loss of federal funding for nonprofits and limited organizational capacity have presented significant obstacles for foundations, grantees and communities.
Each of these areas is an opportunity to build upon successes, learn from our challenges and lean on one another as we transform ourselves and the sector.
This work is also just the beginning. We know that progress is never linear. However, we hope that together our collective efforts will grow over time, and that Power of Practice will help us spot where there’s movement and where we need to invest more attention.
Power of Practice was designed by and for our members. If you are a member, we invite you to explore the specific numbers and stories behind the themes outlined in this blog alongside other trends from our network.
Not a member? There’s still data to be seen! Head to our Power of Practice page to see national data on the funding gaps that our nonprofit partners face everyday. If you’re interested in accessing the full Power of Practice experience, we invite you to learn more about joining our network.
