Why Are So Many Black Grantmakers Leaving Philanthropy?

Despite recent efforts by the philanthropic community to increase diversity within the sector, little progress has been made, according to a recent study conducted by the Association of Black Foundation Executives.

Only 3 percent of philanthropic institutions are led by black chief executives, according to the study. And the percent of black individuals holding trustee positions remains stagnant at 7 percent, reports ABFE.

What’s more, the percentage of African-American professional staff and program officers declined slightly from 10 percent and 17 percent in 2010 to 9 percent and 16 percent in 2012, the study found.

"The field is not retaining black professionals at the program officer and vice president levels at rates that will create pipelines to produce significant opportunities for leadership in the future,” wrote Susan Taylor Batten, president and CEO of ABFE, in a statement.

But how could this be? Hasn’t philanthropy already addressed the paltry numbers of racial and ethnic minorities, particularly in leadership roles? (Minorities accounted for only 8 percent of CEOs among all foundations in 2013, according to a new survey by the Council on Foundations.)

Why are so many black grantmakers leaving philanthropy?

ABFE wanted answers. So in the fall of 2013, they partnered with members of the Black Philanthropic Network to develop the Exit Interview Study, a way to record the candid personal experiences of Black professionals who have left the field of grantmaking.

Though by necessity anecdotal, the results of the survey are striking. To name just three:

• Black philanthropic professionals do not believe they have real opportunities for meaningful leadership roles in the field…

• The current culture of philanthropy is perceived as nudging Black professionals to go elsewhere to find more satisfying careers, and some actually feel pushed out…

• Many Black philanthropic professionals in grantmaking institutions are concerned that rather than expanding the number of diverse professionals on staff, foundations may simply be reallocating or opening up their ‘designated minority’ positions to other groups.

So what’s to be made of these alarming sentiments from former black philanthropy professionals?

“After years of debate around diversity in philanthropy, the notion that black professional staff feel nudged out must be seen as terribly troubling,” writes Rick Cohen, long-time philanthropy watchdog. “It is also an indictment, sad to say, about the support networks for black staff themselves. Something is going wrong in the culture of philanthropy, untreated and unresolved.”

Can anything be done to stem the exodus? ABFE suggests that leadership plays an important role. Board members and the executive team need to understand the challenges black grantmakers face. Collecting data and understanding why black professionals leave the field is essential, they say. And organizations need to pay special attention to growth and development opportunities for aspiring black grantmakers.

Cohen, writing in the Nonprofit Quarterly, says there's more to be done. “Despite these trenchant observations, the report’s recommendations feel thin,” he writes. “The report misses the necessary lever of change to change the demographics of any sector. It is the need to hold foundations’ metaphorical feet to the fire.”

One area of progress can be found in some of the largest foundations. Minorities now represent 21 percent of foundation CEOs overseeing more than $1-billion in assets, according to the Council on Foundations report.

On this count Cohen and Batten can agree. Though Batten sees this as a promising trend, she says philanthropy still has a ways to go.

“While there have been gains in the field, there is still work to do to ensure true equity and inclusion regarding leadership and decision-making, policies and practices that ensure diversity in all areas of foundation administration and grant making, and responsive philanthropy that is making a difference in all communities,” Batten said.

Cohen concurs. “Obama in the White House doesn’t make the nation post-racial, and Darren Walker in the C-suite at Ford’s 43rd Street headquarters or La June Montgomery Tabron heading Kellogg in Battle Creek doesn’t alleviate philanthropy of its obligations to changing the demographic of leadership in foundations.”

The ABFE recommendations are an absolutely essential part of an ongoing effort to increase the representation of black grantmakers in foundations. But what else can the sector do, as Batten said, to retain black professionals in leadership roles at rates high enough to "create pipelines" for future opportunities and growth for black professionals in philanthropy?