Rethinking Philanthropy

Buffalo has a shared future, where racial equity will create prosperity and opportunity for EVERYONE in our region, and local leaders are committed to creating a region that is more equitable for all.

Thirty civic leaders came together in 2015 to create and execute a community based plan to advance racial equity in the Greater Buffalo Region.  Roundtable members represent an unprecedented coalition of leaders from across the private, public, non-profit and faith based sectors (see list below). Collectively, the Roundtable represents 12.56 percent of the workforce in the Buffalo Niagara region. Watch our video.

The Roundtable’s emphasis is on equity which is not the same as equality.  Equality presumes a level playing field where goals can be achieved by the provision of the same resources to everyone.  However, because this focus does not account for differences in peoples’ situations and starting points, its result is to reinforce existing unequal circumstances. In contrast, Equity takes into account how different people have different starting points or situations and therefore need differentiated strategies for achieving the desired outcomes.  This is where the Roundtable’s focus lies.

The Roundtable’s initial work was informed by a process led by national experts, resident input (survey of 450 residents conducted by Open Buffalo) and benchmarking with other cities including business leaders from the Cleveland Commission on Economic Inclusion. Over the past 18 months, the Roundtable has developed a shared language around racial equity, commissioned and released an in-depth research report, “The Racial Equity Dividend: Buffalo’s Greatest Opportunity”, and explored specific areas of focus to close the racial equity gaps.

The next phase of the work involves outreach to community stakeholders in an effort to share this research and invite the community to act on the data.  Central to this effort is training on how to insert a racial equity lens in decision making through using the Racial Equity Impact Analysis. This tool can help organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors. In 2016, twenty-nine leadership teams representing major employers, public institutions, and private entities including government representatives from the City and County have already completed the training.

In addition, the Roundtable is advancing strategies to:
•    Advance economic inclusion
•    Promote use of a racial equity lens in existing collaborative systems change efforts such as Say Yes
•    Endorse and expand efforts to strengthen reentry of justice involved citizens
•    Endorse and expand restorative justice continuum to include pre and post-conviction for juveniles and adults
To guide this work, the Roundtable will use a data-driven focus on systems as well as candid and informed public discussions about racial equity.

“The work of The Roundtable and our commitment to racial equity creates a unique opportunity for collaboration across all facets of our community,” said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “We are looking forward to partnering with the community to help build broader awareness of our racial history and engage partners in co-creating solutions to accelerate our progress.”

Please go to www.racialequitybuffalo.org and join us!

Members of the Greater Buffalo Racial Equity Roundtable are:

• Dr. LaVonne Ansari, Community Health Center of Buffalo, Inc.
• Lana D. Benatovich, National Federation of Just Communities
• Willow Brost, Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor
• Hon. Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo
• Richard Cummings, Black Chamber of Commerce of WNY
• Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
• The Right Reverend R. William Franklin, Episcopal Diocese of WNY
• Dottie Gallagher-Cohen, Buffalo Niagara Partnership
• Dr. Danis J. Gehl, University at Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center
• Eunice Lewin, State University of New York Trustee
• Most Reverend Richard Malone, Diocese of Buffalo
• Jerry Mazurkiewicz, Dopkins & Company, LLP
• Brenda McDuffie, Buffalo Urban League
• Blythe Merrill, The John R. Oishei Foundation
• Rev. George F. Nicholas, Concerned Clergy Coalition of WNY; Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church
• Alphonso O’Neil-White, Racial Equity Roundtable Chair
• Christina Orsi, University at Buffalo Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development
• Hon. Crystal Peoples-Stokes, New York State 141st Assembly District
• Rev. Darius Pridgen, City of Buffalo Common Council
• Hon. Jack Quinn, Erie Community College
• Hon. Rose Sconiers, New York State Supreme Court, Retired, Racial Equity Roundtable Vice Chair
• Hon. Hugh Scott, U.S. Magistrate Judge

About the Author:

Felicia Beard works at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo as the Director of Racial Equity Initiatives. She has a Master’s of Science and a Bachelors of Art both from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Ms. Beard also received a small business development certificate from the State University of New York’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Her diverse community development work experience is inclusive of: housing; youth development; senior services; healthcare; community engagement and advocacy; philanthropy; and small business development.