Celebrating Eight Years of Positive Impact

The initiative was started in 2016 by the Institute for Strategic and Equitable Development, in partnership with Keecha Harris and Associates, Inc. Since its launch, InDEEP also inspired the creation of The Presidents’ Forum on Racial Equity in Philanthropy in 2018. It launched its third phase with Close the Gap and Race to the Board in 2019.

One investor said, “InDEEP is unique because it created a niche just for environmental philanthropy.” Another offered that InDEEP did “an excellent job at carving out a space for funders to come together, be peers, and learn together.” Another investor said when asked about the vision for the initiative, “InDEEP has helped facilitate a national strategy for philanthropic smart investment, and there have been some ‘wins’ to affirm our power and progress of inclusiveness.” Another offered that InDEEP has pushed “a dramatic shift in funding for people of color and social justice organizations working with climate and energy funders.”

InDEEP is a professional development series that engages a network of foundation staff, including senior leaders, committed to integrating racial equity and social justice throughout their environmental philanthropy. The initiative supports environmental grantmakers to:

• Cultivate opportunities to increase funding for organizations led by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC),
• Embed a justice and equity lens to their grantmaking
• Strengthen the capacities of grantee organizations and leaders across the field to create a more diverse and inclusive environmental movement.

In eight years, the InDEEP initiative has reached over 750 leaders and staff at 167 foundations, representing total annual assets of more than $163 billion.

Phase 3 Programming
The third phase of InDEEP programming began in fall 2019 with a four-part virtual learning series that offered perspective on the impact environmental and conservation funders have had — intentionally or not — on racial equity and justice practices in the communities they serve. This body of work also seeks to amplify the voices of BIPOC leaders in conservation and the broader environmental movement in service of igniting connections, increasing understanding, and surfacing new approaches. This phase of InDEEP programming included two new programs: Closing the Gap and Race to the Board.

The Racial Equity Truthtellers Series
This Racial Equity Truthtellers Series is designed to lift up first-person accounts of racial equity journeys that lead to internal change. Our Racial Equity Truthtellers subjects include a variety of individuals: those who have been part of the InDEEP Initiative and others who are external to the Initiative but who have been enlightened on racial equity with a compelling story we wanted to lift up.

Signature research from those two programs is available, “Closing the Gap Insights from the Field to Close the $2.7 Billion Funding Gap Between White-Led and BIPOC-Led Environmental and Conservation Organizations” and “RACE TO THE BOARD: Strategies for Readiness, Recruitment, and Retention of Black Trustees on Green Nonprofit Boards.” A third report was also completed in 2021, “Conservation, Environment and Race: Implications for Funders.” (See Client Reports)

Many groups have entered this space since InDEEP started. For example, the Donors of Color network started its important work in 2019. The Environmental Grantmakers Association last year announced its organizational Racial Equity Point of View, passed by the EGA Board in March 2021.

Even with the momentum generated by the senseless, racially based tragedies in 2020, progress is still glacially slow in the environmental sector. While more groups are joining the conversation that InDEEP started six years ago, so much remains to be done by InDEEP and others.

How can I get involved?
Please email [email protected] for more information on upcoming activities and to learn about investor opportunities. We look forward to having you join us on this journey.