In episode 04 of underXposed, co-host Vivian Phillips dives into why traditional philanthropy has often been hard to access for many cultural organizations that serve BIPOC communities. Seattle Foundation's Creative Equity Fund was established in 2018 to try to address the problem. Senior Program Officer Jonathan Cunningham explains to Vivian how the Foundation harnessed community voices to set up the Fund, and how it's evolving into the future.
"It's really important to be able to build things with community. That's where the magic happens!"--Jonathan Cunningham
Jonathan Cunningham, courtesy Seattle Foundation
ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST
Jonathan Cunningham is a Senior Program Officer at Seattle Foundation. His work drives investment in historically under-resourced communities through funder collaboratives and innovative grantmaking initiatives that aim to increase racial and economic equity in the region. His personal philanthropic interests and passions include arts and culture, economic opportunity, racial justice, and supporting Black-led organizations. He’s also the principal architect of REPAIR (Racially Equitable Philanthropy Aimed at Initiating Reparations), a 5-year, $25 million commitment to Black-led organizations in the Greater Seattle region.
Jonathan brings a wealth of professional experience in developing, implementing, and managing community initiatives for the last 15 years. He is a former Seattle Arts Commissioner with deep knowledge of navigating public, private and municipal partnerships. He currently serves as board president for The Residency, a youth-focused hip-hop and social justice organization he co-founded in 2015. He’s a graduate of the University of Michigan, he was a member of The Funders Network’s PLACES Fellowships in 2019 and Philanthropy NW’s Trust-Based Philanthropy 2021 cohort. Jonathan has been working at Seattle Foundation since 2017.
For more on Seattle Foundation's Creative Equity Fund visit: www.seattlefoundation.org
Contribute to Seattle Foundation's Black-Led Joy and Wellness Fund here!