Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism

FatimaNajiy — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 14:25:35 +0000

Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism FatimaNajiy Mon, 09/13/2021 - 10:25

Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism

In late 2020, the Council on Foundations (the Council) launched the Values-Aligned Philanthropy project to continue to build on their previous efforts within the philanthropic sector to respond to growing concern about the issue of funding hate and extremism. The Council took this step recognizing that while there is significant work being done by grantmakers and social sector leaders across the country to prevent hate funding, there has not been a comprehensive analysis of what has been done and who is doing what from the perspective of philanthropy. The Council believes that mapping the eco-system will provide a baseline for identifying gaps, best practices, and next steps to addressing this problem. Research and writing for the project have been provided by Roey Thorpe, an independent consultant, with guidance from Council staff.

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Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism

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Values-Aligned Philanthropy Board Discussion Guide

JasonLudwig — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 17:35:41 +0000

Values-Aligned Philanthropy Board Discussion Guide JasonLudwig Fri, 09/01/2023 - 13:35

Values-Aligned Philanthropy Board Discussion Guide

Foundation leaders committing to values-aligned philanthropy to ensure their grantmaking efforts do not fund hate and extremism may encounter hesitancy from unexpected sources: their own boards. In our new Values-Aligned Philanthropy Board Discussion Guide, we lay out tips for communicating the concept of values-aligned philanthropy to a board of directors, structuring a discussion to highlight its importance, and suggested answers to real-world concerns that other organizations have faced.

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Are We Funding Hate?

nidale.zouhir@cof.org — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 19:13:02 +0000

Are We Funding Hate? nidale.zouhir@… Thu, 10/20/2022 - 15:13

Are We Funding Hate?

Frequently Asked Questions about Corporate Risk, Responsibility, and Response

Why should corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility staff be concerned about this issue?

Many corporations are taking steps to ensure that they are not funding hate and extremism through their corporate foundations, direct contributions, or employee giving programs. The reasons for this action vary, but fall into several broad categories:

Social responsibility: Companies that have built a reputation for acting in the public interest, with products and services that improve quality of life for their customers, do not want to contribute to organizations or causes that conflict with this commitment.
Brand consistency: For companies that have built their brand around strong alignment with specific social issues, communities, or organizational values, taking a public stand against hate and extremism bolsters their brand image and is part of their marketing strategy.
Risk management: As public awareness of the problem of hate and extremism has increased, so has media attention and organized response to the sources of funds. Public controversy can affect a brand for many years and be hard to correct, so companies continually work to avoid negative publicity that could affect their customer base. Reports of funding hate and anti-democratic extremism are big news, with Kroger, Amazon, and Chick-Fil-A representing just a few of many examples. It is far better to set up policies and procedures in advance of public disclosure of a problematic event, both to minimize the chances of a problem arising and to be prepared to respond in a decisive way if one does. Having a policy in place also gives you the ability to demonstrate your intention should a concern arise.

What can we do to prevent funding hate and extremism?

Companies define their values and brands in myriad ways, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach. A comprehensive policy will both decrease the chance of funding these causes and provide a roadmap for action should an accusation arise.

Corporate leaders who have stepped forward to take a principled stand against hate and extremism include the following:

The Association for Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) brings together professionals in the field of corporate responsibility and provides connections and resources, including sample policies, for corporate professionals putting their values into practice.
Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP) has a public statement from leaders of some of the biggest global corporations where they speak out against discrimination and hate. Companies can join by contacting CECP directly.
Amalgamated Foundation’s “Hate is Not Charitable” campaign offers an opportunity to join other philanthropic organizations taking a stand against hate.

How do we get started?

Become more familiar with the issue. The Council on Foundations offers a great starting point: our report and resource hub provide an overview of the problem, philanthropic response, and resources. Both the report and resource hub include links to published articles and reports, as well as sample policies and the Council’s statement encouraging the philanthropic sector to take action. We recommend supplementing this by researching your target markets and learning which are most impacted by hate groups. Regional philanthropic organizations can be valuable resources for finding philanthropic expertise in your geographic targets.
Determine whether your company has funded any groups that appear on lists of hate and extremist organizations (see below). Comparing a list of all grant recipients, including employee giving programs if you have them, lets you know where you stand. Including grantees from the past 5-10 years (depending on your capacity for this research and the tools available to you) will give you the most thorough data.
In consultation with your legal counsel, create a policy that considers the following questions:
- How does the policy align with our corporate values and goals?
- What is the risk/benefit analysis of creating such a policy?
- What types of activities will be covered by the policy? For example, some companies have policies that apply to foundation giving but not employee giving programs or customer-designated gift programs, while others have policies that apply to all three.
- How will you address gifts designated by corporate leaders, including board members?
The Council provides examples of policies on our resource hub, including these from Facebook, Amazon Smile, and Amalgamated.
Adopt a procedure for dealing with concerns as they arise. Your procedure will be specific to your company, but should at a minimum answer the following questions:
- Who is the point person in your company for receiving concerns related to hate funding? Keep in mind that these concerns may be triggered internally (staff, customers) or externally (media, watchdog groups).
- How will you gather information about the groups in question, and who will this information be shared with?
- Who are the decision-makers about the funding in question, and who needs to be notified about the decision?
- Will a public response be necessary, and if so, how will that be handled?

How do we identify hate groups?

The Council maintains a webpage of organizations that list hate, extremist, and anti-democratic groups, but there is no one definitive list. The starting point for many is the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which offers information about many hate and anti-democracy extremist organizations. Not everyone agrees with all of SPLC’s listings, and you will likely want to use multiple sources, but they offer the most comprehensive list as a place to start.

Many corporations use commercial tools to help screen organizations and support corporate giving: Global Giving, Benevity, Blackbaud, YourCause, CAF America, and Bonterra (formerly CybergGrants) offer proprietary screening mechanisms that enable corporations to set up giving programs, including employee and customer giving, and screen organizations based on tax status, ethical compliance, and other issues. In addition, the Horizon Forum has developed a valuable tool that compiles many lists of hate and extremist groups, and the Amalgamated Foundation (associated with Amalgamated Bank) supports corporations in offering socially responsible philanthropic programs.

We Value Your Partnership!

The Council is available to speak with you further and is here to support you on this journey. We encourage you to visit the rest of our Values-Aligned Philanthropy Resource Hub. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know.

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Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations

emily.moses@cof.org — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:10:16 +0000

Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations emily.moses@cof.org Fri, 06/10/2022 - 10:10

Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations

Through our Values-Aligned Philanthropy project, the Council on Foundations is encouraging foundations to take steps to ensure that they are not funding hate. Our white paper created a landscape scan of the issue and the work being done in the philanthropic sector to combat hate funding. We also maintain an online hub with updated links to resources and sample policies.

This toolkit is the latest addition to these resources: a step-by-step guide for community foundations developing and implementing an anti-hate policy, including suggestions for the structure and wording of the policy.

View a webinar recording for further guidance on using the toolkit.

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Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

FatimaNajiy — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 13:26:25 +0000

Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy FatimaNajiy Sun, 09/12/2021 - 09:26

Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Community Foundations

Private Foundations

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Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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Information on Hate Groups — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

FatimaNajiy — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 14:10:56 +0000

Information on Hate Groups — Values-Aligned Philanthropy FatimaNajiy Sat, 09/11/2021 - 10:10

Information on Hate Groups — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

United States

Anti-Defamation League HEAT (Hate, Extremism, Anti-Semitism, Terrorism) Map
Center for American Progress Infographic on Islamophobia Network
Horizon Forum
Media Matters for America
Southern Poverty Law Center List of U.S. hate groups
Southern Poverty Law Center List of white nationalist groups

International

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Organizational Resources on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

FatimaNajiy — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:44:18 +0000

Organizational Resources on Values-Aligned Philanthropy FatimaNajiy Fri, 09/10/2021 - 11:44

Organizational Resources on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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Reports on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

FatimaNajiy — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 18:53:43 +0000

Reports on Values-Aligned Philanthropy FatimaNajiy Thu, 09/09/2021 - 14:53

Reports on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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Resources on the Rise of Hate Funding — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

FatimaNajiy — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 19:15:01 +0000

Resources on the Rise of Hate Funding — Values-Aligned Philanthropy FatimaNajiy Wed, 09/08/2021 - 15:15

Resources on the Rise of Hate Funding — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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Resources on Neutrality Paradox, Free Speech, and Related Issues — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

FatimaNajiy — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 21:24:21 +0000

Resources on Neutrality Paradox, Free Speech, and Related Issues — Values-Aligned Philanthropy FatimaNajiy Tue, 09/07/2021 - 17:24

Resources on Neutrality Paradox, Free Speech, and Related Issues — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism

Values-Aligned Philanthropy: Foundations Resisting Hate and Extremism

Download Document

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Values-Aligned Philanthropy Board Discussion Guide

Values-Aligned Philanthropy Board Discussion Guide

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Are We Funding Hate?

Are We Funding Hate?

Frequently Asked Questions about Corporate Risk, Responsibility, and Response

Why should corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility staff be concerned about this issue?

What can we do to prevent funding hate and extremism?

How do we get started?

How do we identify hate groups?

We Value Your Partnership!

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Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations

Values-Aligned Philanthropy for Community Foundations

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Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Sample Policies on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Community Foundations

Private Foundations

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Information on Hate Groups — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Information on Hate Groups — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

United States

International

Further Reading: U.S. Academic Centers for the Study of Hate and Extremism

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Organizational Resources on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Organizational Resources on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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Reports on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Reports on Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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Resources on the Rise of Hate Funding — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Resources on the Rise of Hate Funding — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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Resources on Neutrality Paradox, Free Speech, and Related Issues — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

Resources on Neutrality Paradox, Free Speech, and Related Issues — Values-Aligned Philanthropy

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