The police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many other Black Americans in the last few months—indeed, over hundreds of years—have spurred long-overdue calls for systemic change in the United States and around the world. These conversations extend beyond the police, and have spurred organizations of all types to start or re-commit to a process of introspection focused on identifying ways to eliminate racial oppression.

Since our CEO Alix Guerrier shared his letter, “Dismantling Structural Racism Requires Participation From All,” GlobalGiving has taken time to deliberately consider our place in the movement for racial justice. In a series of facilitated staff discussions, a strong theme emerged: GlobalGiving’s commitment to racial justice must start within.

We have a lot to learn and a lot of work to do, and are committed to listening to our community—in particular Black leaders among our partner organizations—to guide our actions. Today, we’re sharing a start—the next steps we are beginning to work on immediately to make GlobalGiving a stronger ally in the movement for racial justice.

We will:

1. Conduct an implicit bias audit of our programming including, but not limited to: our nonprofit recruiting, application, and onboarding process; training and learning opportunities; customer service; and the distribution of GlobalGiving funding and opportunities. It is our responsibility to root out racism wherever it lives in our day-to-day organizational practices.

2. Prioritize the visibility of our partners engaged in racial justice work in the United States and internationally. Our CEO started by recommending a few excellent organizations to support in his June 1 letter. We’re now exploring ways to bring attention to all of the organizations in our community engaged in this urgent work on an ongoing basis.

3. Identify, name, and address the ways in which philanthropy broadly (including ourselves) play a role in structural racism. From the lack of diversity in philanthropic leadership roles to the gross funding disparities for organizations led by people of color, the need to radically reimagine philanthropy is clear. To end harmful practices in the sector, we commit to exposing them and elevating alternatives. Just as our partner Deanna James in St. Croix has bravely done in her powerful letter; we look forward to sharing more points of view in our Learn Library.

Our commitments are not enough to undo systems created and reinforced over hundreds of years to oppress Black people in the United States. It will take all of us, working hard every day, to create a future free from racial injustice. We are committed to listening to feedback, learning, and trying to do better—and sharing our journey with you.

As we make progress on these first steps and identify other ways to right injustices, we will be held accountable by our mission and our community. Thank you for being a part of it.