Equitable Grant-making 

Members of our member-volunteer review teams are trained in the following areas and are asked to apply this knowledge to the review process.

We encourage members to read the following and apply these concepts while voting for the Impact Award winners. 

In addition to our guiding principles, ninety-nine girlfriends applies the following to our decision-making criteria:

Trust-Based Philanthropy

As grantmakers, we have a responsibility to confront how our sector has contributed to systemic inequities, both in how wealth is accumulated and how its dissemination is controlled. Trust-based philanthropy is about systemically, organizationally, and interpersonally redistributing power to serve a healthier and more equitable nonprofit sector. 

Rather than focusing on project proposals with implied outcomes, we provide unrestricted funding, giving grantees the flexibility to assess and determine where grant dollars are most needed. This allows for innovation and responsiveness.

We know that our nonprofit applicants are experts in their work, and we trust that they know best how to spend the funds we are granting.

[Source: Trust Based Philanthropy - https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org/]

Racial Equity

Ninety-nine girlfriends values organizations that advance equity by including the voices of the community they serve in their planning and leadership. Organizations led by people of color have been historically underfunded, and ninety-nine girlfriends is committed to equitable grant-making. 

[Source: Nonprofit AF - https://nonprofitaf.com/2021/03/funders-heres-a-tool-to-make-your-grantmaking-more-equitable/]

Implicit Bias 

Implicit Biases are “stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner” (Kirwan Institute for Race & Ethnicity). We all have them. We need to recognize them in ourselves so we don’t subconsciously apply them to our nonprofit applicants.  

To access your implicit bias, ask yourself these questions: 

  • Which nonprofits have you voted for in previous years?

  • Which groups automatically resonated with you? What were their missions? Who comprised their leadership?

  • What books, movies, podcasts, etc., did you consume this year? Who is represented across race, disability, and LGBTQ identities?

[Source: Marina Moro, Diamond Law Training]