In 2023, we returned to our regular budget practices after the 2020-2022 budget years in which we significantly ramped up our responsive grantmaking related to the pandemic. At the same time, we began a two-year project of increasing grant amounts across our portfolio as many partners faced declining public and private sources of funding while rising costs from inflation challenged organizations and households alike. The average grant amount across our portfolio rose even as the number of grants returned to pre-pandemic levels. To that end, we also made a concerted effort to ensure that multi-year grants once again represent the vast majority of grants.
Finally, we made significant progress on elevating and expanding upon our commitment to racial equity through an intentional examination of our practices and programs. In one example of this commitment, we partnered with 15 new organizations and advanced two new initiatives, Community Voice and Mental Health. These initiatives center families experiencing poverty — predominantly from communities of color — who seek inclusion in decision making and leadership opportunities in their communities, and culturally responsive and affirming care in clinical and nonclinical settings.
