Grantmakers for Southern Progress

05/28/2026

We're asking people across the South to record a 30-second video answering one question: "My Southern vote matters because..."

Congressional maps are being redrawn. Primary elections are being paused and restarted. The rules are changing in real time — and Southerners are feeling the impact. Your voice belongs in this record.

Anyone with a connection to the South can submit. All ages, all backgrounds, every corner of the region.

Submit by June 5 at the link below:
https://g4sp.org/my-southern-vote-matters/

05/19/2026

"We don't do equity work in election cycles. We do it in generations."
Meshie Knight of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation said that during a conversation we had with her last year, and right now, it hits different.

When voting rights are being dismantled across the South, the funders who stay committed to the long view are the ones this region needs most. We sat down with Meshie to talk about what that commitment looks like in practice.

Read the full conversation: https://g4sp.org/trusting-southerners/

05/15/2026

The South is not behind. It's where the work is happening.

"The South Got Something to Say" is our quarterly newsletter covering honest conversations with GSP members, stories from our programs and convenings, and updates from across the region.

If you fund in the South, partner in the South, or care about what happens here, you want this newsletter in your inbox.

Subscribe today: g4sp.org/ -4

05/05/2026

This is a moment of activation.
The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais is their version of dropping a bomb on the power of the Black vote — and the timing, right before midterm elections, is no mistake. It is meant to further disenfranchise Black and Brown voters, and to mislead and discourage those who are already reluctant, making them believe their votes don't count.
GSP has said for a long time that some of the most egregious laws are created and tested in the South first. This moment proves that truth in real time. According to research published in the American Law Journal, 8 of the 15 hardest states to vote in are in the South.
This decision will not stay contained to Louisiana. It is rippling across Southern states — Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, right now — emboldening legislatures to draw maps that dilute Black voting power and weaken representation.
Please understand: 60% of all Black people live in the South. When Black voting strength is weakened, it directly impacts decisions around healthcare, education, economic investment, and the future of our communities.
This is not the time for funders to panic. It's time to follow the lead of Southern Movements. Justice organizations across the South have been preparing for this moment. They have the analysis, research, and data to guide what comes next. Do not spend time developing your own.
Listen to them. Stand in lockstep with them. Allow them to lead.
Our role is not to reinvent the strategy — it is to follow, resource, and move in alignment with the leadership that has been doing this work all along.
Read the full statement at the link below. https://g4sp.org/voting-in-the-south-a-moment-of-activation/

04/08/2026

Sankofa teaches us: go back to move forward.

In March, our Fellows for Southern Progress traveled to the sea islands of South Carolina. Penn Center. Mitchelville. Bluffton. Grounding their philanthropic practice in the history of Southern resistance and resilience.

The South has always been building. It's time philanthropy caught up.

Swipe to see the journey. ➡️

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02/11/2026

The Seeds of Sovereignty: By the Numbers

189 people. 14 states represented. One shared purpose.

Swipe through to see who gathered and what these numbers tell us about alignment, commitment, and the future of Southern movements.

Read the full recap:
https://g4sp.org/convening2025recap/

02/05/2026

The Seeds of Sovereignty 🌱

This is what it looks like when we center relationships, respect community wisdom, and show up for the long haul.

In October, funders, organizers, and movement partners gathered in Little Rock for three days of learning, strategy, and connection all rooted in honoring rural Southern leadership.

Swipe through for the moments that made it possible.

Full recap at the link in bio.

11/10/2025

The STAY Project is inviting funders, donors, and supporters to join them for a Funder Briefing where they will report about the State of Youth Organizing in Appalachia and share about STAY's current work. STAY is organizing this space to reconnect with their past, current, and future supporters.

Register for the call at bit.ly/STAYFunded and learn more about STAY's critical Appalachian youth organizing and leadership development work!

10/28/2025

We're looking back at these memories from our 2025 Fellows for Southern Progress cohort and admiring the relationships our Fellows built, their personal growth, and their commitment to building a better South.

We can’t wait to do again next year. 😊 🌸 🌱

10/28/2025

We've extended our application deadline to October 31st!

If you want to join a leadership development program and community of practice that resources you and supports your learning around justice in the South, then Fellows for Southern Progress might be for you!

Apply here: https://lnkd.in/ewJE6TDt

We believe in a South rooted in justice, healing, and liberation.

If you're ready to move money in ways that build power — not extract it — Fellows for Southern Progress is for you. Learn more at g4sp.org/fellows

🔗 Apply today: https://lnkd.in/eUYuzUCY