The seed that became Grantmakers for Southern Progress (GSP) was planted in 2009 when a group of funders identified the need for deeper, more consistent funding for directly impacted communities in the Southern United States. For more than ten years, GSP has supported innovative justice work and influenced funders across the nation to think critically about the role the South plays in structural change efforts, while uplifting movements centered around and led by Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.

For decades, the South has been at the forefront of the most inventive and impactful strategies driving social change in the country. We know that philanthropy has the resources to transform the South into a region that is just and livable for all of us. The South is shaping the future, and our past helps show us the way. The work of Grantmakers for Southern Progress continues to create greater opportunity for justice in the South and beyond.

Timeline

2020
GSP and Highlander Education Center

In the beginning of the year, GSP becomes fiscally sponsored by the Highlander Center for Research and Education after previously being housed under Neighborhood Funders Group and the Southern Education Fund. GSP also secures its first independent office space in East Point, GA in historic Buggyworks. 

2019
GSP’s Convenes in Montgomery, Alabama

GSP holds its Convening and Learning Tour in Montgomery, Alabama in September. During the Membership Meeting portion, GSP formally launches its new paid membership model. 

Race and Gender Equity Cohort

Development of GSP’s Race and Gender Equity cohort begins. The goal is to create leadership development program that allows folks in philanthropy to build trusting relationships, build skills around equitable funding practices, and create a pipeline of leaders dedicated to the South.

Tamieka Mosley Becomes GSP’s Director

Tamieka Mosley becomes GSP’s first full-time director and staff begins to grow.

2018
Developing Our Membership Model

GSP identifies its infrastructure goals and begins developing our membership model. At this point, about 30 organizations see themselves as formal members of GSP.

2017
GSP’s Convening is Established

We host our first-ever biennial Convening in Charleston, South Carolina. The Convening is deemed a success as it is attended by funders from across the country, Southern communities are highlighted, and conversations are grounded in place-based context which helps funders to understand the importance of the South.  Tamieka Mosley begins consulting for the organization after years of serving on GSP’s Steering Committee.

2014
Our First Director is Hired

Our second Program Coordinator comes onboard takes on the Director role for the organization. Her leadership over subsequent years grounds GSP’s areas of focus and identifies a need for a full-time staff.

2012
Leadership Shifts

The GSP Steering Committee undergoes a strategic planning and visioning process, leading to a conscious decision to rotate leadership in the working group.

2011
As the South Grows Is Created

The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) collaborates with GSP on research around investments in the South. The As the South Grows report series is created and features the voices of funders and practitioners across the South.

2010
The Research Grounding Our Work

Early research begins around the myth that the South lacks resources and know-how around structural change. We identify that funders have a tendency to come into the region and dump money without considering the long-term impact. Members of The Southern Working Group build relationships with funders and Southern movement leaders.