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EBCF is committed to using philanthropy to advance racial equity, social justice and to bring about the health and well-being of a Just East Bay. From time-to-time, we update our policies to ensure our grantmaking is aligned with this mission. In these challenging times, members of the philanthropic community across the nation are evaluating how best to safeguard its grantmaking from groups that promote hatred. This year, EBCF has updated two policies to: (1) address the due diligence of our grant-making, and (2) ensure that inactive funds do not sit idly, but are actively distributed into the community.

In March 2019, EBCF signed on to the Amalgamated Foundation’s Hate is Not Charitable Campaign – an initiative adopted by more than 25 donor networks, foundations, and Donor Advised Fund (DAF) providers – as a reflection of our collective stance against funding groups known to promote hatred. In addition to signing onto this campaign, EBCF has aligned our own grantmaking by creating a shareable Grant Due Diligence Policy that ensures no funding flows to organizations identified as hate groups.

We have also discussed timeline requirements for dispersing funding from DAFs. Unlike private foundations, DAFs are not required to make grants annually. To ensure funds do not sit idly but make their way into the community, we have developed an Inactive Fund Policy outlining the criteria for when inactive funds will be closed and how monies will be distributed to support community needs.

EBCF is committed to creating the conditions that enable the kind of equitable future to which we aspire. These new policies represent a new way of working for the foundation, but they allow us to continue to support the interests of our donor partners and the immediate needs of the community. As we embark on this journey, we give thanks to the leadership of the EBCF Board for their ongoing support.

For more information about the Inactive Fund Policy and/or the Grant Due Diligence Policy, please contact our Donor Services and Administrative Support team at dsas@eastbaycf.org.

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