Report // Grantmaking That Advances Equity
The Kresge Foundation’s Environment program took a very deliberate approach when designing their Climate Resilience and Urban Opportunity (CRUO) Initiative. The team wanted to embed equity as a defining feature of the grantmaking process and the relationships they developed with grantee partners.
Grantmaking that Advances Equity: A Teaching Case captures the history, key questions and decision points, and lessons learned from the CRUO initiative. It is intended to help grantmakers deepen their understanding of the complexity of equity-focused grantmaking efforts through the use of a real-life example applicable in their own work.
This case is intended to provide enough information to provoke reflection and discussion. It is not a comprehensive account of all relevant perspectives and events. We deeply appreciate the Kresge Foundation’s leadership and willingness to share this story for the benefit of the larger field.
The case is organized into sequential modules that can be used independently or together, depending on the time available and the needs of the participants. It can be used in graduate programs as well as professional development sessions. Further guidance for use of the case is provided at the end of the document.