Shared equity leadership: Working collaboratively to achieve DEI fundraising priorities

In 2023, the article ‘Shifting the donor landscape paradigm: Strategies for increasing philanthropy among donors of color’ described the steps Brown University took to work collaboratively, nurture engagement and philanthropy among donors of colour and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to the broader donor community during the dual national crises of the pandemic and anti-Black violence.1 At that time, more Brown constituents became aware of the University's DEI initiatives, and the Division of Advancement discovered that donors from all backgrounds were interested in learning more and supporting diversity priorities. This led to a shift in the donor landscape paradigm and enabled the division to collectively raise over US$30m for DEI priorities in one fiscal year. This paper will focus on the Shared Equity Leadership (SEL) study by the American Council on Education in collaboration with the Pullias Center for Higher Education at the University of Southern California.2 The study describes how broadly inclusive and collaborative approaches to leadership are necessary to achieve equitable outcomes in which equity becomes everyone's responsibility. Through this paper, readers will learn how Brown's Advancement Division, in hindsight, practised SEL to achieve its DEI goals.