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What is the girls for Grantmakers of Color?

By: Author Color With Leo


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Introduction

The Girls for Grantmakers of Color is an initiative by Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC) to empower and support girls of color through leadership development, organizing and advocacy. G4GC aims to shift culture and policies to value all girls, especially girls of color.

What is Grantmakers for Girls of Color?

Grantmakers for Girls of Color (G4GC) is a funder collaborative that was launched in May 2015 by over 20 foundations to address the disparities that girls of color face in the United States. G4GC aims to bring together grantmakers and advocates to catalyze policy and culture change for girls of color across four pillars:

  • Leadership Development
  • Health, Safety and Wellness
  • Education Justice
  • Economic Access and Opportunity

Some key facts about G4GC:

  • Over 50 foundations and individuals have joined G4GC since its launch
  • G4GC members have collectively awarded over $100 million to organizations and initiatives supporting girls of color
  • G4GC focuses on African American, Latinx, Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islander girls ages 12-24
  • G4GC is hosted by the New Venture Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity

Why a Focus on Girls of Color?

Girls of color face distinct challenges and barriers that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Here are some key facts about girls of color in the US:

  • Girls of color have higher rates of incarceration and school discipline than their white peers
  • Black, Latina and Native girls have higher teen pregnancy rates than white girls
  • Girls of color experience ongoing discrimination, stereotyping and marginalization
  • Black, Latina and Native girls have higher high school dropout rates than white girls

Despite these challenges, girls of color have tremendous assets, strengths and leadership potential. However, they have been historically overlooked by mainstream philanthropy. G4GC aims to address this imbalance.

Goals and Strategies

G4GC has four key goals:

  1. Shift culture: Change narratives, norms and policies that negatively impact girls of color
  2. Build evidence: Support research on the assets, needs and conditions of girls of color
  3. Grow resources: Increase investment in initiatives that empower girls of color
  4. Strengthen mechanisms: Develop infrastructure that connects and sustains leaders in the girls of color field

To achieve these goals, G4GC has adopted the following strategies:

  • Making grants to organizations focused on girls of color
  • Convening stakeholders through meetings and events
  • Supporting strategic communications and media campaigns
  • Publishing research reports and policy briefs
  • Cultivating leadership of girls and women of color

Key Initiatives and Partnerships

G4GC supports several key national initiatives, including:

  • National Girls of Color Council – A leadership body of over 30 girls and young women who advise G4GC
  • Love Our Girls Campaign – A digital media campaign affirming the value of girls of color
  • Day of the Girl – An annual convening centered on girls’ leadership and power
  • Girls for Gender Equity – A member-driven intergenerational advocacy organization

G4GC also partners with several other organizations at the national level:

  • African American Policy Forum
  • Alliance for Girls
  • Coalition of Communities of Color
  • National Council on Black American Affairs
  • National Congress of American Indians

These partnerships allow G4GC to connect and collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders working to advance girls of color.

Impact and Results

Since 2015, G4GC has made tremendous progress in growing attention, investment and infrastructure around girls of color. Some key results include:

  • Over $35 million awarded by G4GC members to girl-serving programs and organizations
  • 130+ members mobilized into the G4GC collaborative
  • 400+ attendees convened at Day of the Girl national summits
  • Millions reached through #LoveOurGirls social media campaign
  • Dozens of strategic partnerships created across sectors
  • New research reports and policy briefs published and disseminated

G4GC has also helped shift narrative and culture change around girls of color. For example, the Obama White House launched the My Brother’s Keeper initiative focused on boys of color in 2014. After advocacy by G4GC members, the White House launched a complementary initiative for girls of color in 2015. This demonstrated the increased national visibility of issues facing girls of color.

Looking Ahead

Despite this progress, girls of color still face enormous disparities and systems of inequality. Moving forward, G4GC aims to continue growing investment in girls of color, particularly those from indigenous and immigrant communities who face high levels of marginalization. G4GC also wants to work more at the state and local level to drive concrete policy change.

Other goals include:

  • Expanding advocacy and storytelling around girls of color
  • Diversifying and growing foundation partnerships
  • Increasing support for grassroots girl-led organizing
  • Scaling up initiatives that create pipelines to leadership

G4GC also aims to support emerging issues facing girls of color such as climate justice, LGBTQ rights, and gender-based violence.

The girls of color field has built powerful momentum over the past few years. But there is still an enormous amount of work to be done. G4GC provides a critical structure and community for funders, advocates and policymakers to work collectively to transform the landscape for girls of color nationwide.

Conclusion

In summary, the Girls for Grantmakers of Color initiative aims to uplift and empower girls of color through leadership development, organizing and advocacy. G4GC brings together over 50 foundations and funders dedicated to improving life outcomes for girls of color across four pillars – leadership, health, education and economic opportunity. Since its launch in 2015, G4GC has helped grow attention, investment and infrastructure supporting girls of color. Key initiatives include the National Girls of Color Council, Love Our Girls campaign, and Day of the Girl convenings. While progress has been made, girls of color still face enormous disparities and marginalization. G4GC provides a hub for coordinated action to catalyze culture and policy change to value all girls of color and their tremendous potential. The girls of color field has built momentum, but there is still important work ahead to ensure all girls have the opportunities to thrive.