• Description

"Nothing about us without us" was a slogan coined by disability rights activists to communicate the idea that no policy should be decided by any representative without the full and direct participation of members of the group(s) affected. Many working in philanthropy would be sympathetic to this principle. Being in touch with the people you aim to serve is not just a sound moral imperative but also likely to make an effective philanthropic strategy. A lack of diversity on boards and at staff level "probably limits their intelligence about what is happening on the ground" notes European Foundation Centre Chief Executive, Gerry Salole, who suggests that foundations would be well advised to "reflect the streets."

Alliance issue: Philanthropy's Diversity Challenge; September 2017, Volume 22, Number 3.