It’s Black History Month. For many organizations in both the public and private sector, it’s a time to send out a celebratory message touting the achievements and history of Black Americans. For our Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation team members working together to build more equitable communities, it’s also deeply personal. And it isn’t simply because we’re dedicated to elevating underserved communities. Of the 42 team members and leaders driving our philanthropic efforts across both organizations, more than half are people of color, with 18 identifying as Black. We have representation across every program area, and nearly every partnership within our $500M commitment to building opportunity and equity in Detroit is managed or led by Black team members.

This, unfortunately, is not the norm. As with so many sectors, philanthropy continues to see a deep gap in representation. Even in our hometown of Detroit – the largest majority Black city in America – this gap persists.

“Nonprofits in this country are failing on their diversity and inclusion efforts, even as their missions address social justice and fairness issues,” highlighted a 2020 report from Race to Lead, which examined more than 5,000 workers in the philanthropy space. The report found that board members and senior leaders, and staff leadership of the nonprofits surveyed were more than 70% white.

That’s what makes both the Rocket Community Fund and Gilbert Family Foundation different. Our hiring practices reflect the dedication to serving the community in the most authentic way possible – which is why so many native Detroiters are leading our most important strategic investments.