As a funder and a learning community centered around Environmental Justice, the Grassroots Fund understands that dominant structures and practices in the philanthropic sector consistently underfund community-led and community-driven work as well as organizers and organizations from communities of color.

Part of that work includes better understanding the impacts of the Grassroots Fund grant rounds through the collection of demographic information of groups that are receiving funding and the community members who are helping to decide on funding. This information helps us and our partners to make the necessary changes to better meet the needs of the communities we work with. With a commitment to transparency and accountability, we are sharing some insights gleaned from this past Fall 2023 Grow Grant round. We also use this data to reflect internally how the Grassroots Fund is living out the Guiding Practices in our own work, espcially around Shifting Power in Decision Making. 

Below are some highlights and links to more analysis are included below. Please reach out if you have any questions, thoughts, or concerns to info@grassrootsfund.org. 

To view the complete data analysis summary related to our community grant readers, see here. 

To view the complete data analysis summary related to our Grantmaking committee, see here.

To view the complete data analysis summary related to our Fall 2023 Grow grantees, see here.

DATA HIGHLIGHTS

• 87% of applications receivied at least partial funding 

• 39% of grants went to groups without formal 501c3 designation

• Of grantees that shared demographics of their decision makers with us, 45% identified as Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color

• 35% of participating community grant readers self-identified as Black, Indigenous and/or a Person of Color

• 75% of the Grantmaking Committee self-identified as Black, Indigenous and/or a Person of Color