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Advancing equity together 

Partners & Initiatives

We believe in the power of community-centered organizations. And we know that too often community-centered organizations, particularly those led by people of color, are on the frontlines pushing for change – with or without sufficient funding and resources. Community-centered organizations hold themselves accountable to communities by incorporating their feedback into services and involving them in the organization’s governance. Community-centered nonprofit leaders understand the community’s aspirations and challenges and have the clearest insights about how to respond. 

Getting behind the priorities of communities of color and following the lead of those closest to the work is where we see NFF’s greatest value and potential for creating positive change. A nonprofit ourselves, we are a lender, consultant, and advocate for the nonprofit sector. Through all of our work, our goal is to advance racial equity in how funding flows in the nonprofit sector. 

To do this, we work with community-centered organizations, networks, organizers, funders, and financing partners that support community-led solutions. With NFF's full suite of financing, consulting, and advocacy capabilities, we are able to pair our resources with those of our partners to collectively advance more equitable outcomes. 

Recently, I had a number of intense dialogues about how to replicate BRC's success in both Los Angeles and San Francisco with government, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders looking to share new strategies to address what is indeed a growing national crisis of homelessness. NFF was the driving force behind the scenes, tapping into already well-networked relationships to open doors and enable these conversations. There is a need and opportunity to take these ideas and best practices and scale them nationally. And NFF is perfectly situated to pull this off.

Muzzy Rosenblatt
CEO & President of Bowery Residents’ Committee

We are proud to work with Nonprofit Finance Fund and support organizations who are helping those most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. We have to come together to help those who need it most right now, and supporting nonprofits that provide critical safety net services in underserved neighborhoods is a crucial priority.

Joan Steinberg
Global Head of Philanthropy at Morgan Stanley

NFF helped us define what it looks like for our small nonprofit to be financially secure and stable. In the few years we’ve worked together thanks to the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, we’ve dramatically improved our financial well-being by understanding and advocating for full-cost funding and nurturing the funding relationships that make the most sense for our vision and mission. NFF has helped us clarify and pursue a smart financial strategy to support our artistic ambitions.

Lauren Shadford
Executive Director, Voices in Contemporary Art

The spirit of co-creation and learning between NFF and our Oregon nonprofit partners has resulted in capacity-building work customized to our nonprofits' needs and delivered in a way that is truly relevant and accessible to a range of organizations.

Candy Solovjovs
Director of Programs, Meyer Memorial Trust
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Pushing for an end to racist funding practices

  • Nonprofits, especially those led by people of color, are hampered by a dysfunctional and inequitable funding system.
  • Nonprofits can be lead advocates to help inform the critical role funders will play in addressing the legacy of disinvestment in and systemic racism and hostility to communities of color.
  • All communities must have access to and be able to control their own resources and determine their own path forward.
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Building relationships based on trust and responsiveness

  • We are listening and responding to nonprofits’ needs and looking to meet those needs in a way and timeline that the community-centered nonprofit decides.
  • Our priority is advancing grassroots, community-led solutions – wherever and however we can best support leaders’ visions with lending, consulting, or advocacy.
  • We’re working with local and national partners and as an equitable intermediary to offer our services to organizations that have been systemically barred from accessing funding opportunities.
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Committing to racial equity in who we are and how we work

  • We have created a Social Innovation and Equity Council to help the organization fully embed equity into our own internal and external practices and have engaged our entire staff in an ongoing social justice curriculum and employee resource groups.
  • We are diverse professionals with backgrounds in nonprofits, philanthropy, finance, community organizing, social work and beyond, who center empathy and bring passion, creativity, and strong national and local perspectives to our work.
  • We are holding ourselves accountable to our commitment to racial equity with measurable goals, including that half or more of our lending and deep consulting services will directly support organizations led by and serving people of color.

Stories

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Nonprofit Sector Blog

When Funders Don't Know Finance

Nonprofit Sector Commentary

Nonprofit Finances Now

A look at nonprofit finances in the United States — how they’ve changed, where they stand now, and what the field needs to consider in the coming years.

2022 Survey: What Funders Can Do

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What we've learned

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Where We Go From Here Video Series

We're asking leaders of nonprofits and philanthropy what keeps them up at night, what brings them hope, and how they are responding to the biggest crises we face today.

California Pay for Success: Final Reflections

This report makes seven recommendations about how to advance racial equity by better centering communities of color in outcomes-based funding projects.

L.A. Early Care and Education Provider Financial Analysis

NFF partnered with the California Community Foundation and First 5 LA to study the challenges faced by 26 early care and education providers in Los Angeles.

Partner with NFF

NFF brings the latest social-sector thinking plus decades of experience financing, advising and collaborating with thousands of nonprofits, funders, philanthropists, and investors. We can support organizations and collectives to tell their financial stories with data, make the case for funding, support innovative financing programs, and advocate for better funding. We support organizations to build financial resilience so they can deliver and sustain the more equitable futures they are working to create. Let us know how we can be helpful in achieving your vision and aspirations.

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