FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2021
Media Contact: Jess Montejano, jess@riffcitystrategies.com or 415-592-4441
Donors of Color Network Honored with ‘March On’ Award for Climate Funders Justice Pledge
Donors of Color Network will receive the award for their groundbreaking climate justice campaign, the Climate Funders Justice Pledge, which shifts the center of climate philanthropy towards racial and economic justice.
Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, September 30, Donors of Color Network – the first-of-its-kind cross-racial donors and movement leaders committed to building the collective power of people of color to achieve racial equity – will receive the March On Award at the March On Washington Film Festival for the groundbreaking Climate Funders Justice Pledge. The March On Award is given to leaders and organizations whose commitment to the advancement of civil rights and social justice is unparalleled. Past recipients include Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Dr. Joyce Ladner, and more.
This year’s theme “Environmental Justice: Rebuilding Our World” amplifies the importance of the Donors of Color Network’s Climate Funders Justice Pledge which challenges the nation’s largest climate funders to commit publicly to greater transparency by sharing their U.S.-based climate funding data publicly and to give at least 30% of their climate funding to BIPOC-led justice-focused and environmental groups. A recent New School Study, in collaboration with Building Equity and Alignment, found that of the $1.34 billion awarded to 12 national environmental funders, only 1.3% goes to BIPOC-led, justice-focused groups. Since its launch, the pledge has successfully committed 21 foundations – including 7 of the top 40 climate funders – to fulfill at least the transparency portion of the pledge.
Ashindi Maxton, Executive Director of the Donors of Color Network, issued the following statement:
“Black, Indigenous, and people of color are hit first and worst by the impacts of climate and despite being drastically under-resourced, they continue to have an outsized impact in the fight to protect our planet and people.”
“The Climate Funders Justice Pledge aims to address glaring inequities – and build a winning climate movement – by demanding top climate foundations hold a mirror up to their own funding practices and actively work to resource a higher percentage of BIPOC-led justice groups. Our goal is long-term, substantive change and we’re grateful for the March On Award in helping shine a light on this work. The CFJP will push for additional funders to answer our call to action and change the way climate philanthropy serves communities across the country.”
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ABOUT DONORS OF COLOR NETWORK: The Donors of Color Network is the first-ever cross-racial community of donors of color and movement leaders committed to building the collective power of people of color to achieve racial equity. The Donors of Color Network officially launched with their Inaugural Convening in March of 2019, building on three years of in-depth research, writing, and interviews. To learn more about Donors of Color Network, please visit: https://www.donorsofcolor.org/.