If you are a community foundation looking for some support on engaging your community members around issues of equity and belonging, there’s an app — okay, network — for that: look no further than groups such as Community Foundation Opportunity Network (CFON) and CFLeads. These two philanthropy-serving organizations have evolved over time to support their community foundation members as communities change, new trends in philanthropy emerge, and philanthropic leaders adapt to the evolving needs of their communities.
CFON recently launched its NEON (Nexus for Equity + Opportunity Nationwide) project to help community foundations avoid (philanthropic) retrenchment on efforts to combat structural racism and racial inequities. Through its Aligned Action Network of nine community foundations, it has developed a framework that lifts up the uniqueness of each participating community while acting in concert across foundations to focus on equitable outcomes for income, wealth, power and leadership . The work is in its infant phase, but it shows a lot of promise.
Similarly, CFLeads has emerged as a go-to resource for how courageous leadership in communities yields great results for bridging differences and engaging community residents, nonprofits, and partners for the common good. Core to its mission is the belief that community leadership is integral to creating environments where everyone has a chance to prosper and thrive. CFLeads has helped its community foundation members “go all in” on racial equity, community voice, and systems change through peer learning opportunities, field leadership, and a web portal that is packed with resources. Check out CFLeads here.
These may not be apps, but they are definitely great resources!