Dear JustFund Community,

Philanthropy and its systems and structures have a racial bias that results in the chronic underfunding of multiple communities, including groups that are BIPOC-led.

One way our racial bias manifests in grantmaking is through access: who gets to apply for funding? Usually, the answer depends on who you know. Do you have the ‘right’ networks? Have you been able to build a strong presence so funders can find you? Are you able to attend events or make connections to meet prospective funders? This current system unfairly disadvantages certain individuals and groups who simply don’t have the time, relationships, knowledge, or opportunities to build networks that give them access to funding. 

Our community of JustFunders is changing the game: we are shifting how we distribute resources and transforming one critical component of working toward racial equity in grantmaking: access. Through our common portal and common proposal, organizations coming to JustFund to apply to one fund can apply to all funds for which they are eligible. And, with the common proposal model, applying doesn’t take 15-25 hours; it can take less than 20 minutes. That means we ensure groups know of new funding opportunities and we preserve their time for mission-advancing work, all in one simple and accessible solution: JustFund.

Did you know that 58% of grants on JustFund come from secondary grantmaking? By that, I mean: a group comes in to apply to Fund A but gets funded by Fund B or by an individual donor looking for critical work to resource. That’s $88M flowing to groups because they have access to find and apply to new and various funding opportunities and connect with new donors. We are catalyzing support for historically excluded organizations and breaking down the barriers to funding.

Our technology and our community are resetting philanthropy for good, and I couldn’t be prouder of the transformation we’re seeing in just five short years. There’s much more ahead, and I can’t wait to see what this powerful community will accomplish as we JustFund, together.

Warmly,

Iara Peng, Founder & CEO