Paying Nonprofits Fairly—Q&A with Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum

It’s no secret that nonprofits are often underpaid in their government contracts for providing critical services to the community’s most vulnerable members. And for nonprofits based in, staffed by and serving communities of color, these unsustainable contracting and reimbursement practices present a huge barrier in accessing public resources to fund their work or pay their staff a livable wage.

At the Weingart Foundation, we are committed to supporting efforts to ensure that nonprofits are fully reimbursed for their costs—both direct and indirect—for services that public agencies contract them to provide. Vera de Vera, Program Director, leads our work in this area and recently spoke with Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, President & C.E.O. of St. Joseph Center—a countywide provider of housing, mental health and wellness services, education and workforce training to help individuals and families live healthier, happier lives. In this Q&A, Dr. Adams Kellum shares her perspective on improving the contracting and reimbursement systems between local governments and nonprofits. To read the Q&A, click here.

Black Equity Initiative of the Inland Empire—Nonprofit Spotlight

The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others ignited a national reckoning with systemic racism and the ways it has fueled police violence and exacerbated health disparities amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This reckoning is especially important in the Inland Empire, home to the third largest Black population in California, 15 jails and prisons, and a visible white nationalist presence that violently opposes Black lives.

In our new Nonprofit Spotlight, we are proud to highlight the critically-important work of the Black Equity Initiative of the Inland Empire (B.E.I.-I.E.), which strives to improve social conditions in the region through empowerment, education, and policy change. Click here to read the B.E.I.-I.E. Spotlight.

Investing in Latinx and Diverse Tech Entrepreneurs

The Weingart Foundation is pleased to join with Bank of America, the Ford Foundation and others in partnering with VamosVentures Fund, one of the first Latinx-owned funds to focus on early-stage investments in technology-enabled companies led by Latinx and diverse founders. The $50 million fund will focus on several high growth industries that are disproportionately influenced by diverse consumers. Among the fund’s priorities are health and wellness, future of work, consumer packaged goods, and financial technology, with initial check sizes ranging from $250,000 to more than $1 million. Click here for more information on the VamosVentures Fund.