PHOTO CREDIT: Disabled And Here
Borealis Philanthropy
Disability Inclusion Fund Project
The Challenge
Borealis Philanthropy's Disability Inclusion Fund, launched in 2020 with support from the Presidents' Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy, supports U.S.-based organizations led by and for people with disabilities driving transformational change. Rooted in the disability justice movement, the Fund aims to eliminate ableism and other discriminatory barriers. The Disability Inclusion Fund wanted to explore and understand its position and influence within the broader grassroots disability justice movement and the philanthropic sector. The Fund also needed insight into how its role as a philanthropic intermediary has impacted grantmaking and how it could further strengthen its participatory grantmaking strategies. This strategy and evaluation work sought to assess the Fund’s influence and offer actionable recommendations for enhancing the Fund’s practices.
The Approach
In 2023, Social Insights partnered with the Disability Inclusion Fund to understand its impact on the disability justice and inclusion movement ecosystem utilizing a mixed-methods, cross-sectional evaluation design.
Guided by liberatory research praxis, this evaluation sought to evaluate Borealis Philantropy’s Disability Inclusion Fund and amplify the perspectives of disability justice leaders, grantees, funders, and other stakeholders, most of whom identified as disabled. Through a combination of surveys and in-depth interviews with Disability Inclusion Fund stakeholders (which included grantees, partners, and funders), valuable insights emerged, elucidating bright spots and growth opportunities for the fund. The data collected clarified the impact of the fund on disability justice organizations and networks, examined the role of philanthropy in the disability justice and inclusion movement, and uncovered how philanthropic organizations can better support disability justice and inclusion movement ecosystem.
"Our experience with the Social Insights team was incredible...We appreciated the learning posture that the team took regarding disability inclusive language, ways of interviewing, and engaging with members of the disability community. This was a truly collaborative relationship and provided useful survey and research tools for the Disability Inclusion Fund to continue using in future evaluation efforts."
Sandy Ho | Executive Director, Disability & Philanthropy Forum
Highlights
1.
The Disability Inclusion Fund stands as a transformative force and a change agent in disability justice philanthropy, advocating for systemic change. Through strategic and responsive grantmaking, the Disability Inclusion Fund has bolstered the capacity and sustainability of disabled-led organizations, particularly from marginalized communities while encouraging joyful practices and fostering a sense of community and belonging.
2.
The evaluation provided recommendations for the Fund and provocations for the philanthropic field. The provocations offered actionable insights from those most impacted on how philanthropic organizations should posture themselves as allies and co-conspirators of the disability justice and inclusion movement ecosystem and urged foundations to maintain and deepen their commitment to disability justice despite broader societal or political shifts.
3.
In this evaluation, the Fund's Joy Grants stood out as a promising and unique practice in grantmaking. These grants were designed to support organizations by funding activities focused on rest, reflection, and rejuvenation. By prioritizing collective care and community over traditional productivity metrics, the Joy Grants emphasized the importance of well-being and sustainability within disability-led organizations. This approach highlighted a shift in grantmaking that values the holistic needs of movements and leaders, offering a model for more human-centered funding strategies.