We envision a region that is just and caring, where all people truly have the power to live healthy, prosperous and whole lives free of fear and marginalization. Grantmakers For Southern Progress believes as these transformative changes are achieved in the South, it will lay an indelible foundation for the achievement of lasting equity and justice in the country overall, for “As the South goes, so goes the Nation.”
Our Philosophy
Trust the experience of local leaders from affected communities and the information they convey, even when it is uncomfortable.
– Excerpt from the full As the South Goes report.
Support equity-focused structural change in the South.
As a membership organization, Grantmakers For Southern Progress’s primary audiences are Southern-based and National funders who are interested in or already committed to supporting equity-focused structural change in the South. These funders fall along a spectrum of interest, knowledge, experience and relationships within the South, and Grantmakers For Southern Progress works to meet our partners where they are and support their progression along the spectrum from interest to investment, grounded in our values around philanthropic giving and practice.
Our Core Values
Centering Community
We value the wisdom of Southern communities. We respect the people who are most affected by the decisions we make, and their voices and expertise guide our work.
Structural Change
We engage grassroots movement leaders and social justice funders to help achieve significant and sustained progress in the economic, social, and political outcomes of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and directly impacted communities in the South.
Education & Data
We share knowledge that builds community within GSP’s network, sharpens funders’ understanding of the Southern context and political landscape, and makes the case for investing deeply in the South.
Centering the South
We hold a deep conviction that “as goes the South, so goes the nation.”
The South is used as a testing ground for regressive policies that harm all of us. The wisdom, practice, innovation, and lived experience of marginalized Southerners has created the most brilliant solutions, under the harshest conditions, with the fewest resources. Investing in the South as the starting point, not as an afterthought, will achieve progressive change in the country.
Equity & Justice
We believe all people deserve dignity and access to the resources they need to thrive, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, immigration status, or national origin. We center race and gender equity, power building, diversity, and inclusion in our work to carve the pathway towards transformative change.
Relationships are Infrastructure
We believe sustained relationship-building is one of our most powerful tools for change. We are stronger when we work together and care for one another. We build trusting, reciprocal relationships that are not extractive, and we center people in all that we do.
Ignite Change With GSP
Join Our Network and Ignite Change! GSP is a membership-based network of philanthropic leaders, practitioners, and individuals dedicated to leveraging resources for structural change in the South.