For the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, 2023 was a year of immense growth. The Forum, which was launched in 2019 by foundation leaders who committed to elevating disability inclusion throughout the philanthropic sector, formalized its strategic plan and doubled its team in 2023. The increased capacity, which included a new learning services director, allowed the Forum to enhance its visibility in a variety of ways: a dozen additional speaking engagements, 14 conference sessions, six Fundamentals of disability training sessions, and four Celebrating Disability Across Philanthropy (CDAP) meetings bringing together 75 individuals who self-identify as disabled or champion disability within their organization. Also, a Disability Inclusion: Required podcast that launched in the spring has drawn more than 3,000 total listens.

Another major accomplishment for the Disability & Philanthropy Forum in 2023 was administering an accountability survey to signatories of the Disability Inclusion Pledge.

Of the more than 90 foundations and philanthropy-serving organizations (PSOs) that have signed on to the pledge since 2021, including Proteus Fund, 80% completed the accountability survey. By comparing the results of this survey to those from an initial survey that was part of the pledge-signing process, the Forum has been able to identify encouraging signs that committed foundations and PSOs are making progress across eight specific pledge categories. The Disability & Philanthropy Forum also published the first-ever report on disability grantmaking, which found that only 1 penny for every 10 foundation dollars goes to disability rights and social justice, a funding amount which the Forum has set a goal of seeing triple by 2028.

Hear what Executive Director Emily Harris and Gail Fuller, Senior Director of Programs and Communications had to say about the Forum’s work and partnership with Proteus Fund.