Protests calling for racial justice have taken place against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color. Foundations in the Southeast have made equity a centerpiece of their response to this crisis as they establish relief funds, forge powerful partnerships and adjust their operations and their definition of what is possible. In this episode of The Bridge, SECF President & CEO Janine Lee will discuss the role of racial equity in philanthropy’s pandemic response with two leaders on the front lines: Cory Anderson of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Robert Dortch of the Robins Foundation.

Community conversations can result in amazing breakthroughs but aren’t easy to come by. On the Table seeks to change that. This initiative, which has been adopted by several foundations in the South, leverages philanthropy’s convening power to bring people together for a day devoted to conversations at multiple sites – schools, churches, community centers, even people’s homes. Janine talks with Betsy Covington of the Community Foundation for the Chattahoochee Valley and Lisa Adkins of the Blue Grass Community Foundation about how they brought On the Table to their communities and the impact it has had.