More U.S. Philanthropies Pledge to Champion and Empower the Poor, Minorities and Other Underserved Groups

At one year anniversary, Philanthropy's Promise continues to gain momentum with 61 new foundations signing on to prioritize marginalized communities

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some 125 leading U.S. foundations that represent a total of more than $3.37 billion in annual giving pledged to prioritize the needs and promote the democratic participation of underserved communities such as the poor, the elderly and LGBTQ citizens through Philanthropy's Promise, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy announced today.

The NoVo Foundation, Cleveland Foundation and United Way of New York City were among the grantmakers that recently joined the Promise.

When NCRP launched Philanthropy's Promise a year ago, 64 grantmakers had made commitments to allocate at least 50 percent of their grant dollars to benefitting marginalized groups and 25 percent towards supporting advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement to address the root causes of social problems. Since then, 61 more funders have signed on – bringing the total to 125 – each providing a public statement describing the values and strategies that animate their own approach to this type of grantmaking.

"Research shows that not all types of grants are equal. Some have more impact and are more effective than others at making a real difference in the lives of people and communities, especially those in most need," said Aaron Dorfman, executive director of NCRP. "The public statements submitted by those that have signed on show the variety of ways that foundations are meeting their goals, and we hope it has an inspirational effect on others."

Grants from foundations, such as the groups that have signed on to the Promise, are key sources of funding for the country's nonprofits working on a broad range of issues such as access to education and health care, supporting the arts and fighting poverty, inequality and environmental degradation. Many of these groups have been struggling to make ends meet since the onset of the recession, with increased demands for services while seeing a decline in donations and grants.

"Empowerment of underserved populations lies at the heart of NoVo Foundation's grantmaking and for that reason we enthusiastically sign on to the Philanthropy's Promise initiative," says NoVo Foundation in its public statement. The foundation, co-founded by Peter and Jennifer Buffett, is the largest private foundation dedicated to ending violence against women and girls in the country and the world. "We avoid top-down models for the improvement of societies, but instead commit ourselves to an earnest search for fresh ideas that show unusual promise for significant impact. We are willing to venture where others are reluctant to go; we remain patient in developing sustainable solutions; and we wish to convene diverse stakeholders to address common challenges."

"As the world's first community foundation, we are proud to support Philanthropy's Promise and embrace the guidelines established by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy," said Robert E. Eckardt, executive vice president of The Cleveland Foundation, in the statement submitted in support of the initiative. "We recognized early on that making a lasting impact and improvement goes beyond dollars; it often involves systemic change. ... Improving economic and racial inclusion in our community is always at the core of our work."

"United Way of New York City is committed to fighting poverty across the five boroughs," said Gordon J. Campbell, president and CEO of one of the largest local United Ways in the country, in his organization's public statement. "We rigorously evaluate our programs and use lessons learned to inform and advance public policies, systems and practices that prevent and alleviate poverty citywide."

Grantmakers that are participating in Philanthropy's Promise include large and small foundations from across the country. These consist of private foundations, family foundations, corporate foundations, community foundations and other grantmaking public charities.

This month, NCRP marks the first anniversary of Philanthropy's Promise. A complete list of grantmakers that are a part of this initiative, along with their public statements explaining why they joined, and a Philanthropy's Promise video is available at www.philanthropyspromise.org.

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy in Washington, D.C., is a national watchdog, research and advocacy organization that promotes philanthropy that serves the public good, is responsive to people and communities with the least wealth and opportunity, and is held accountable to the highest standards of integrity and openness. Visit www.ncrp.org.

Complete List of Grantmakers Signed on to Philanthropy's Promise:

* Grantmakers that joined after Philanthropy's Promise launched in June 2011.

SOURCE National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy