Equality

Recent global events have amplified awareness of systemic inequalities and historical injustices. These incidents have sparked a societal reckoning with racial, social and economic justice, placing philanthropic organisations themselves under scrutiny for their role in perpetuating or challenging existing power imbalances. A clear line has since been drawn connecting widening inequality and power imbalances to rising polarisation and challenges to democracy.

Philea aims to deepen the philanthropic sector’s understanding and engagement with equality through intentional programming and strategic reflection.

We also pay attention to how equality interacts with Philea’s other 2 cross-cutting focus areas: climate and democracy. 

Our commitment

Philea members, in all their diversity, consider the advancement of equality as one of the most important priorities for the sector in the decade ahead. Across our network, many philanthropic organisations are already engaging with issues of equality, power, justice and inclusion in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Emphasising the importance of funding grass-roots organisations and community foundations, flexible, long-term support built on trust and willingness to embrace risk is increasingly being considered as a core element in advancing the equity agenda.

Our work as a membership-driven organisation aims to ignite transformative conversations, provide inspiration, and offer the tools, insights and connections that support our members in making intentional changes in the areas they care about. These changes, both internally within their own spheres and externally in the broader society, will contribute to addressing systemic inequalities and building a more equitable world.

Philea commits to enabling, encouraging and empowering the philanthropic community to co-shape and support more equitable and just societies. We recognise that inequality is deeply connected to power structures and entangled with philanthropy’s own history, funding models, operating practices and legitimacy. We are committed to addressing these challenges with courage and intention, so that truly serves equity and justice.

The Equality Framework

Philea’s Equality Framework provides a broad and flexible lens on the relationship between philanthropy and equality. It invites philanthropic organisations at different stages of this journey to explore four key areas of practice: internal practices, relational approaches, redistribution of capital, and systems thinking.

Philea’s Equality Sounding Board

To guide its work in 2025, Philea established a temporary sounding board, composed of diverse representatives from its thematic networks, philanthropic infrastructure organisations, and experts in equality. This group acted as an advisory body to the Philea executive team throughout 2025, providing expertise, feedback, and strategic advice to shape Philea’s equality initiatives. They also served as ambassadors within the membership, fostering broader engagement and championing philanthropy for equality throughout the sector.

Get inspired

Check out these perspectives from across the philanthropy sector:

• It Is Not the Time to Freeze – Françoise Moudouthe
• Rethinking Power, Progress, and Pragmatism – Larry Kramer
• Justice Is Not Cheap – Marija Jakovljević
• What Real Leadership Looks Like – Matthias Scheffelmeier

Get involved

Explore and engage with Philea’s related networks:

• Children and Youth Network
• Disability Thematic Network
• Diversity, Migration and Integration Thematic Network
• Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network
• PEXprojects: Gender Equity and Justice & Racial Equity

Share your experience:

We are looking for real-world examples of how foundations are putting the Philanthropy and Equality Framework into action. Share a concrete initiative, project, or change aligned with one of the four categories listed in the aforementioned framework: equality-centred internal foundation practices; redistribution of capital; relational approaches; and applying systems lenses.