We can no longer remain silent on the murder of Black people—including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and centuries’ worth of others whose names we do and do not know—and America’s structural racism that has created hundreds of years of oppression and inequities that show up in all facets of society. We recognize silence makes us complicit in these systems built and centered on white supremacy’s values and culture.
So, let us be clear. At Geneva Global:
- We condemn racism in all forms.
- We stand in full solidarity with Black people.
- We commit to going deeper—listening, learning, and actively committing to the fight for justice and equity.
- We promise to speak up—now and in the future.
Racism is an ongoing issue in the philanthropy space that we resolve to help eliminate. It’s perpetuated in patterns of grantmaking that largely fail to invest in communities of color. It continues when grant makers establish strict reporting protocols instead of building trust-based relationships and when they rely too often on referral-based approaches to partner selection and vetting, further perpetuating patterns of elite white bias. We see it in the significant under-representation of black and brown leaders heading non-profits and serving on their boards. Racism undercuts the entire system in which we operate—the very wealth redistributed through philanthropy was often built on the exploitation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). It is our job to name it, address it, and collaborate to end it.
While our focus right now is on the U.S., we know there is work to be done in our field of international development as well—too much of which remains anchored in colonial-era constructs of exploitation, “otherness,” and the white-savior complex.
Our role is to use our privilege and power to collaborate with and amplify leaders in the space who promote equity and the dismantling of white supremacy. Geneva Global is grateful to be a member of the B-Corp business community that is working to build an anti-racist organization and a racial justice movement with business leaders across America. We’re proud to work with collaboratives, such as the Girls First Fund, that center the most marginalized communities in decision-making that addresses the interlocking oppressions, inequalities, and social norms that control and subjugate others. While this is a start, we have plenty of work to do.
Geneva Global is committed to continuing to examine our own business policies and practices to ensure we are contributing to the creation of more equitable systems and structures in the philanthropic arena and across society. While always part of our mission, we want to push harder and accelerate our timelines to remove systemic barriers and help build an inclusive culture for all. As initial steps, our full company will be reading How to Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and hosting open forums to learn about and discuss racism in America. We’re also committing to reevaluating our recruiting and hiring practices to ensure that our team and leadership better reflect the diverse communities and partners with whom we work.
We encourage our staff, community, clients, and partners to act with us and support organizations who are on the frontlines of social justice. We strongly support the work of Campaign Zero to adopt #8CantWait, a series of eight policies that could reduce police violence by 72% if implemented, while also focusing on investing in our communities. We can create change by intentionally contributing to organizations led by people of color serving communities of color. We intend to do the same with any Corporate Social Responsibility contributions we make this year.
We are committed to doing the hard and long work together to help dismantle structural racism and build a more equitable future. We hope that now more than ever we can work together to make this possible, because Black Lives Matter.
