Surdna Foundation: the inclusive economy and ownership model

The Strategy

The Surdna Foundation funds three program areas: (1) sustainable environments, (2) thriving cultures, and (3) inclusive economies. For workforce and economic development, the Inclusive Economies program is the entry point. Surdna funds work that builds wealth and ownership in communities of color, not just work that creates jobs. The ownership framing: Surdna's inclusive economies funding prioritizes business ownership, cooperative models, and wealth-building for communities of color. If your proposal is 'we will train workers for jobs,' that is workforce development, and Surdna may decline it. If it is 'we will help workers of color build cooperative businesses and build wealth,' that is ownership-centered, and Surdna may fund it. The racial equity lens: Surdna's inclusive economies work centers racial equity. Show how your project builds wealth and ownership specifically for Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and Pacific…