Racial Equity Imperative
Our Imperative
The Maddox Fund is committed to helping create a more just and equitable community. We fulfill this commitment with our partners by recognizing and addressing the systemic injustices that have marginalized communities and continue to leave many people behind. We engage in and reimagine partnerships to advance education, young people, and wildlife conservation.
Undergirding this commitment is the conviction that all human beings are interconnected, not just with one another, but with all of nature – a belief that makes our desire to foster connection and a sense of belonging even more urgent.
Defining DEIJL
diversity
embracing differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, age, faith tradition, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability or disability in order to diminish historic barriers and disadvantages and to reduce bias
equity
providing the resources and support needed to help marginalized individuals and organizations thrive, thereby ensuring we can no longer predict advantages or disadvantages based on our differences
inclusion
elevating the values, voices, styles, experiences and identities of people who have continually been marginalized, thereby increasing shared understanding, dignity and the opportunities to belong and succeed
justice
dismantling historic systems that have marginalized our neighbors and creating new liberating systems to take their place
liberation
a world in which people and planet flourish together in regenerative systems free from oppression and threat
Glossary of Terms
Inclusive but not limited to those who identify as Black, African American or being of African descent; Latino, Latina, Latinx; Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander; Indigenous, Native American or Indian; Middle Eastern or Arab.
Maddox will prioritize organizations led by Black, Indigenous and People of Color in our grantmaking. For us, a BIPOC-led organization meets the following criteria:
- CEO or Executive Director is BIPOC
- At least 33% of the Board is BIPOC
- Organization primarily serves BIPOC communities
Depending on organizational history, Maddox may consider an organization with a white ED and a BIPOC-majority Board as BIPOC-led.
Inclusive but not limited to those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, gender non-conforming, gender expansive, and a plurality of other gender identity/expression(s) that identify as queer.
Learning from Nature
how to live and work together.
Our Equity Journey
Our work towards justice and liberation is an ongoing process that began in 2017. Below are a few statements and resources we put together along the way.
