The Rhode Island Foundation’s new five-year action plan couldn’t be better timed for those worried about a national rollback in support for diversity, equity, inclusion and access initiatives.
As this week’s exclusive cover story reports, the foundation has identified six community priorities, with DEIA initiatives serving as common threads.
“This will be part of all the work we do,” said foundation CEO and President David N. Cicilline.
The foundation has increasingly taken on a leadership role in supporting such efforts in recent years. The new plan seeks to expand those efforts, both within the foundation and in its grantmaking.
The foundation also seeks to grow support for civic and cultural life, climate action and sustainability, education and student success, healthy communities and affordable housing.
It’s embarking on a fundraising campaign for these evolving initiatives but doesn’t have a financial target, beyond acknowledging it will take years and cost millions of dollars.
But DEIA will be intertwined in all of it.
“We can’t achieve all the outcomes we want for Rhode Island if we don’t confront and overcome the terrible inequities that exist,” Mr. Cicilline told PBN.
As a former Democratic U.S. representative, state lawmaker and Providence mayor – the first openly gay, elected mayor of a major U.S. capital city – Mr. Cicilline has long been engaged in the fight.
Now he’ll apply that experience at the state’s largest funder of nonprofits. Far from any rollback, it will be full speed ahead for Mr. Cicilline and the foundation.