Equality in philanthropy: From principles to practice
Have you lately stopped to ask yourself: What kind of listener am I? Or what kind of decision-maker am I? On what grounds do I spend money, or withhold it? Surprisingly thought-provoking, isn’t it?
Now, ask the same questions of your foundation. What kind of listener are we, as an organisation? On what values do we base our choices? Whose voices matter in our decision-making?
These questions go to the heart of legitimacy. In a world changing faster than ever, they determine whether foundations remain trusted actors, or risk becoming irrelevant. So, pause for a moment, look in the mirror, and ask: Who really finds our foundation relevant?
Equality is not an abstract principle. It is a daily practice: how we listen, how we decide, how we allocate resources and how we stay connected.
From DEIB to legitimacy
In Finland, grantmaking foundations recently engaged in our association’s training programme on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). The four letters turned out to be more than a buzzword. They were that mirror I previously described: a way to examine how foundations operate, communicate and decide.
The responses were clear. Foundations are eager to learn, to test their practices, and to translate values into everyday choices. As one participant put it: “We want to operate in a more open direction. We already made some progress on accessibility, but we need to learn how to embed these values in everything we do.”
Why does this matter? Because equality is not only a moral choice – it is a question of relevance. Foundations that ignore it risk losing touch with the societies and people they serve. Foundations that embrace it can help create a fairer, more inclusive future while also securing their own legitimacy.
Five ways to act
How can foundations put equality into practice? From our work, five lessons stand out:
1. Strategy and values
Almost every foundation lists values on its website, yet only a fraction explicitly mentions equity or diversity. Reviewing strategies through a DEIB lens is a powerful first step. Even a simple diversity statement in application guidelines can signal openness to underrepresented groups. As one participant observed: “The right wording costs nothing.”
2. Communication and transparency
Only a small share of Finnish foundations explicitly mentions DEIB in their external communications, even though many act on these principles. This is a missed opportunity. Transparency builds trust and shows accountability not only for outcomes but also for processes. Accessibility, language and clarity about how decisions are made all matter.
3. Learning and awareness
DEIB work is not a one-off project but an ongoing mindset shift. Training for trustees, evaluators and staff can expand perspectives and reduce blind spots. Sometimes the most transformative moment comes when a board asks itself: “How would we want our own families to be treated as applicants?”
4. Experience expertise
Lived experience makes abstract principles real. Foundations can invite grantees or external experts to co-design processes. They can reveal barriers that insiders might never see. Sometimes the best advisers are the very applicants a foundation seeks to support.
5. Positive action
Some foundations experiment with quotas, weighted criteria or targeted calls. These approaches require transparency, but they show that equality needs structures, not just intentions. Small pilots can generate evidence and confidence for wider change.
Why it feels hard
Many foundations worry that focusing on diversity may dilute their mission or compromise quality. The opposite is true. DEIB does not replace excellence – it enriches it.
As one participant admitted: “It can be difficult to see how DEIB connects to our work, but once you reflect, you realise it is about relevance. Without it, we risk becoming disconnected from society.”
This is the core: equality is not about lowering standards. It is about ensuring that foundations reflect the societies they claim to serve. Excellence without equality risks becoming elitism. Excellence with equality becomes resilience.
Equality as compass
Ultimately, equality in philanthropy is not a technical fix. It is a compass. It points us back to our core purpose: to strengthen the public good, not private interests.
Values-first thinking keeps foundations from drifting into purely technocratic or financial decision-making, as “amateur-bankers”. It reminds us that every choice – every grant, every investment, every message – is also a moral one.
And perhaps the most important question to end with is the same as the one we began with: Who finds our foundation relevant? If the answer includes those whose voices are rarely heard, then philanthropy is doing its job. If not, then equality is the missing piece. A comforting thought is that an essential part of this work is gentleness, gentleness toward others, but also toward ourselves, as one participant put it: “Sometimes it’s healthy for each of us to include in our workday something that nurtures tolerance – even of oneself.”
Good news!
Philanthropy has no legitimacy without equality. The good news is that foundations have the tools to make it real, by embedding equality in strategy, communication, learning, partnerships and practice. By listening where it matters, acknowledging that no investment is neutral and putting values first, we can ensure that diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are not acronyms to be filed away. They are the everyday practices that keep philanthropy trusted, future-oriented and truly transformative.
Because in the end, equality is not just a value. It is the way to ensure that philanthropy itself belongs to everyone.
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