From Mismatched to Derailed: Where Does Philanthropy Stand?
Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE)’s 2021 report, Mismatched, documented the gap between the rhetoric of 2020 and the insufficient resources that followed. Derailed draws on Candid’s data for 2019–2023 to assess how institutional philanthropy has responded since.
The landscape has shifted dramatically. The Supreme Court’s rollback of affirmative action, the lawsuit targeting the Fearless Fund, and sweeping efforts by the Trump administration to eliminate race-explicit strategies across universities, federal contractors, nonprofits, and foundations have deepened fear and confusion in the philanthropic sector. These developments have contributed to a chilling effect and accelerated a retreat from racial justice commitments.
Behind the numbers lies a deeper story: one of funders overhyping their commitment to racial justice in 2020 and then retreating all too quickly and quietly in the face of unprecedented attacks on equity, democracy, and philanthropic freedom.
