Philanthropy's Promise Marks its 2nd Year Anniversary with 165 Foundations Dedicated to Strengthening Communities

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Foundations representing nearly $3.76 billion in annual giving are signed on to Philanthropy's Promise, a national effort to prioritize the needs of and empower low-income people, communities of color, the elderly and other underserved populations, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy announced today.

Some 40 foundations joined during the past year, including Marin Community Foundation, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and The Skillman Foundation.

"Many of our neighbors continue to struggle with poverty, injustice and lack of opportunities, and philanthropy needs to be a part of solving these tough issues," said Aaron Dorfman, executive director of NCRP. "Foundations that have signed on to Philanthropy's Promise understand that philanthropy should not only be focused on treating the symptoms of injustice, but also empowering underserved populations so that they are part of addressing the root causes of social problems."

Higher Impact, Stronger Communities.

Many nonprofits rely on foundation grants to help fund a broad range of programs that address pressing community needs.

In his public statement in support of Philanthropy's Promise, Thomas Peter, president and CEO of Marin Community Foundation, which gave $59 million in grants in 2012, said, "The high cost of housing leaves many families in Marin with less to spend on good, child care and health care, and less to invest in savings. Fewer than one in five of Marin's African American or Latino high school graduates complete coursework required to be ready for college or other post-secondary education options. One in five people go to bed hungry every night." Peter continued, "We believe in the change agents. The people who don't simply shrug their shoulders and accept things as they are, but the ones who take action."

"We have fully embraced a role of catalyst for leveraging the collective impact of leaders in the voluntary, public, corporate and civic communities to achieve better outcomes in neighborhoods facing the most significant challenges," said Milton Little Jr., president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, in his organization's statement. "The United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta recognizes that creating pathways that empower families, individuals and youth to achieve financial stability, health and education are critical to creating a better quality of life for everyone in our service area." The organization gave $83 million in grants in 2011.

"Most of our funding goes to work happening in six Detroit neighborhoods with high numbers of children. These underserved communities of color faced decades of disinvestment and a range of related challenges, yet community leaders continue to work hard to improve the lives of children," said Tonya Allen, CEO of The Skillman Foundation, which granted more than $17 million in 2011, in her foundation's statement in support of the initiative. "We are proud to invest in these areas and to work closely, as an embedded funder, with these inspiring resident and local organizations. … We make grants to groups promoting good, equitable policy, including local neighborhood associations, citywide education and youth organizing efforts and state-level advocacy organizations."

About Philanthropy's Promise

NCRP launched Philanthropy's Promise in 2011 with 64 grantmakers that had made commitments to allocate at least 50 percent of their grant dollars to explicitly benefit underserved populations and 25 percent towards supporting advocacy, community organizing and civic engagement to come up with long-term solutions to tough social problems. This month, NCRP is celebrating the initiative's second anniversary.

Grantmakers that have signed on to 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 with a broad range of issues they care about, such as solving poverty and homelessness, promoting LGBTQ equality and women's rights, and fighting environmental injustice.

A complete list of grantmakers signed on to Philanthropy's Promise, along with their public statements explaining why they joined and a video about the initiative, is available at www.philanthropyspromise.org. You can also follow the initiative on Twitter using the hashtag #PhilanthropysPromise.

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

Video with caption: "Philanthropy's Promise celebrates many of the country's most innovative and influential grantmaking institutions that seek to maximize the effectiveness of their grants and generate the greatest impact in their communities. Visit at www.philanthropyspromise.org". Video available at: http://youtu.be/PtwEAhwUSUM

SOURCE National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy