Race-based philanthropy has existed on a large scale since the end of the Antebellum Period of United States history, when an increasing awareness of racial inequality was emerging in American social thought. After the Civil War, especially in the early twentieth century, some wealthy philanthropists became concerned about the lack of African American education and economic opportunities. Some realized that access to equality under the law, equal and/or quality educational opportunities, cultural and artistic validity, and economic equality, was nearly nonexistent.
From the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement, equality was the primary focus of philanthropy along racial lines, but philanthropic efforts were mainly from wealthy White benefactors to impoverished African American communities. With the Civil Rights Movement came a movement from communities previously marginalized in philanthropy to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion. However, many philanthropists do not see their work through the prism of race, therefore, significantly inhibiting their ability to address the very issues they aim to fix.
These structural aspects of philanthropic inequality put communities of color at a significant disadvantage economically, socially, and politically. Recognition of philanthropic inequality has led to the rise of community foundations, which have seen recent success in philanthropy and policy advocacy, leading to community foundations becoming the mainstream method of philanthropy along racial lines.
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The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) movement and philanthropy began in the 1800s with secret societies working to defend gay people. The LGBTQ+ community became more widely recognized with the emergence of the civil rights, women’s liberation, and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s and 1970s. The LGBTQ+ community received national attention following the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and the emergence of philanthropic organizations supporting this community, such as the Gay Liberation Front.
Since 1990, LGBTQ+ communities have undergone substantial transformations. The emergence of new lesbian and gay families that differed from “traditional” families created a new field of family law and established foundational struggles for LGBTQ+ people’s rights. Most LGBTQ+ and philanthropic organizations are in the form of grassroots and advocacy groups. In addition, nonprofit organizations have had a tremendous effect throughout the history of LGBTQ+ charitable activities, making great strides in fighting for underrepresented groups in American culture. These groups have committed to maintaining their advocacy efforts for LGBTQ+ populations to get additional support.
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Place-based philanthropy has existed in the United States since the American Revolution, where philanthropy was viewed as noblesse oblige until the early 20th century, but has always had a political association. Each major city in the U.S. has significant differences in foundational philanthropy.
New York City has been the hub of philanthropy in the U.S., but the foundations located there often do not collaborate and thus struggle to make large-scale changes. Baltimore has, since the end of the Civil War, seen a large movement of nonsecular charities working together to solve the city’s social problems. Washington, D.C., despite having many foundations “located” there, is essentially a lobbying hub for larger foundations. In California, Silicon Valley has seen the rise of a new type of philanthropy called “Venture philanthropy,” which operates in a similar fashion to venture capitalism.
Grant-seeking institutions in the Southeast U.S. are divided along racial lines, and in the case of Texas, along the urban-rural divide. The Midwest, specifically northeast Ohio and Chicago, relies heavily on large foundations that encourage collaboration among smaller foundations, which has allowed Cleveland to transform its economy in conjunction with local government support.
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Since the 1800s, women's contributions to various fields of philanthropic work have had a clear impact. In the modern era, as more women joined the workforce and pursued higher education to elevate their social, economic, and intellectual standing, they became better able to work together to advance the influence and interests of women. The modern women's global philanthropy movement is distinguished by increasing access to the financial resources required to effect significant change.
Today, women have shaped careers as philanthropists and educators, using education to foster social change and playing an important role in establishing and maintaining a wide range of educational institutions. Oprah Winfrey, a dedicated philanthropist, has made various philanthropic contributions and MacKenzie Scott has left her mark on the philanthropic world in the United States.
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