OUR VISION: We imagine a world where our democracy and economy truly represent the contributions, dreams, and desires of communities that have been historically excluded from sharing in the resources and benefits of society. People should be more than just represented in our democracy and economy—their representation must include their ability to shape them.
In 2021 and beyond, MCF is doubling down on general operating (unrestricted) support for locally-based community organizing efforts, especially in areas across the country where social justice leaders cannot depend on a robust funding ecosystem to support their vision and leadership. Multiple approaches to increasing community power and transforming society are necessary, but locally-based community organizing is a particularly under-utilized and under-supported strategy. It will not be possible to achieve lasting social change without a much greater investment in community organizing from philanthropy. Moreover, the forces working against social justice leaders and undermining progress at the local level are only becoming more powerful and dangerous every day.
In addition to the financial support needed to realize their strategies, we believe that leaders with the potential to shift the balance of power in their communities also need funders to fiercely support and defend their creativity, experimentation, risk-taking and bold action. That is why MCF focuses on raising additional funds for grant recipients on top of the funds we provide through our own grants. It is also why we are increasing our focus on providing grant recipients access to a wider set of relationships, communications channels, research and technical support, and other means of increasing the momentum behind their leadership.
Marguerite Casey Foundation invests in three areas of leadership:
We provide general operating grants to leaders of organizations and initiatives with the potential to shift the balance of power in their communities. We primarily support locally-based community organizing efforts focused on communities of people who are consistently excluded from influencing the decisions that shape their lives and futures, and who are excluded from sharing in the rewards and freedoms of society.
Learn MoreThe MCF endowment is a vehicle for achieving the MCF mission. Our Program-Related Investments (PRIs) and Mission-Related Investments (MRIs) put our endowment to work — ensuring we invest in opportunities to increase wealth for communities that have long been denied the means of wealth-building and to provide capital to entrepreneurs that have long been denied the investments that other entrepreneurs freely access.
Learn MoreIdeas matter. We provide unrestricted support to emerging leaders in academia whose research can provide critical insight to social justice leaders and whose ideas encourage all of us to imagine how we can radically improve our democracy, economy and society.
Learn MoreAn initiative launched by Marguerite Casey Foundation on the one-year anniversary of the 2020 racial justice uprisings, aimed at increasing funding and momentum for ending police violence.
