donors of color network

What donors of color network does

Donors of Color Network (DOCN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019 that operates the largest cross-racial donor organizing network for BIPOC philanthropists in the United States. The organization serves individual donors with the capacity to give $50,000 or more annually, providing a structured membership infrastructure through which members connect, learn, and deploy capital collectively. As of December 2023, the network had 78 members, up from fewer than 20 in 2020, with a stated growth target of 200 members. DOCN is headquartered at a Beaverton, Oregon mailing address and operates with a remote national team of approximately 9 staff.

The organization's core products include a Member Portal, a national membership network, the Connect + Reflect annual retreat, the Create the Blueprint peer-learning series, the Catalytic Giving pooled fund, the Solidarity is Power Fund, the Climate Funders Justice Pledge (31 signatories), and the Philanthropy Portrait Report. The technology stack is light and conventional: Slack for internal member communication, EveryAction/Bonterra for CRM and fundraising operations, and a proprietary member portal. The organization has channeled approximately $20M to values-aligned community organizations and helped mobilize roughly $120M for BIPOC climate justice, while operating three active grantmaking funds supporting 15 grantees.

DOCN's revenue model combines membership dues from its high-capacity donor members with foundation grants supporting institutional operations. Member dues are not publicly disclosed but, given the $50K+ personal giving threshold, are likely a modest per-member contribution; foundation grants are the primary operating revenue driver. The go-to-market motion is relational and movement-driven, with leadership anchored by co-founders Hali Lee and Ashindi Maxton, Executive Director Isabelle Leighton, and Board Chair Kathleen Tait, alongside a wide ecosystem of movement partners such as Working Families Power.

Name

donors of color network

Legal name

Donors of Color Network, Inc.

Website

https://donorsofcolor.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Donors of Color Network is a 501(c)(3) cross-racial donor organizing network serving BIPOC philanthropists with $50K+ annual giving capacity, providing membership, pooled funds, and a climate justice pledge coalition that has mobilized hundreds of millions for values-aligned organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy and donor organizing services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Donor organizing network
• Cross-racial philanthropy
• BIPOC donor community
• Racial justice funding
• Member-based nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: DOCN receives funding from membership dues paid by wealthy donors of color who join the network. Members are expected to be actively philanthropic based on their individual capacity.
2. Foundation Grants: DOCN receives funding from foundations as part of its organizational funding model, in addition to membership dues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Donors of Color Network operates a cross-racial donor organizing network that connects wealthy BIPOC philanthropists through membership, education programming, an annual retreat, strategy sessions, and pooled Catalytic Giving opportunities. Members access a member portal, Slack channels, biweekly Member Connection meetings, monthly Movement Webinars, working groups, learning journeys, and the annual Connect + Reflect retreat. The network also operates the Solidarity is Power Fund and the Climate Funders Justice Pledge campaign to channel collective resources toward racial and climate justice.

Product overview

Donors of Color Network (DOCN) is a nonprofit membership organization operating as a cross-racial donor network focused on advancing racial equity and justice. The organization offers a bundled suite of products and programs: the core DOCN Membership Network connecting wealthy donors of color through member portal access, education, and Catalytic Giving; the annual Connect + Reflect Retreat and Create the Blueprint strategy sessions for in-person gatherings; the Climate Funders Justice Pledge campaign for climate philanthropy accountability; and the Solidarity is Power Fund for racial justice powerbuilding. The DOCN Member Portal serves as the central digital hub providing resources, membership directory, event listings, Slack communication, and EveryAction/Bonterra account integration. Research publications like the Philanthropy Portrait Report support the network's educational mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DOCN Membership Network The cross-racial donor organizing network connecting wealthy donors of color who want to leverage their giving and actions for racial justice. Members gain access to biweekly connection meetings, monthly Movement Webinars, working groups, learning journeys, and annual retreats.
• DOCN Member Portal A comprehensive online platform for DOCN members providing access to exclusive resources, a membership directory, upcoming events, Slack communication channels, and EveryAction/Bonterra account management for profile updates and donation tracking.
• Connect + Reflect Annual Retreat DOCN's annual invite-only retreat for donors of color providing space to connect with peers, learn from movement leaders, celebrate community, and strategize on racial justice giving.
• Create the Blueprint DOCN's annual members-only strategy-to-action session where donors align knowledge, networks, and resources to advance specific leadership tracks and collaborative initiatives for racial justice.
• Catalytic Giving Program Opportunities for members to channel collective influence toward emerging organizations focused on racial justice through pooled funding initiatives.
• Solidarity is Power Fund A powerbuilding fund for racial justice that channels resources to grassroots movements protecting democracy, with a focus on the interconnectedness of racial justice and democratic participation.
• Climate Funders Justice Pledge (CFJP) A climate justice campaign encouraging top climate funders to allocate at least 30% of their funding to BIPOC-led power building groups and commit to greater transparency in reporting.
• Member Education and Resources Programming including content, resources, events, monthly movement webinars, and learning journeys that build knowledge and power among members on racial equity and justice issues.
• Philanthropy Portrait Report A qualitative analysis of interviews with 113 high-net-worth BIPOC donors providing insights into giving strategies and the transformational impact of donors of color on racial and social issues.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Working Families PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIPOC-led movement organization focused on power building. Listed as a movement partner on DOCN's website, indicating collaborative relationship in advancing racial justice and democracy work.
• We Vote We WincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovement organization listed as a DOCN movement partner, working at the intersection of voting rights and racial justice.
• United Frontline TablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIPOC movement organization listed as a DOCN movement partner focused on frontline communities and racial justice.
• The New Florida MajoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida-based BIPOC-led organization listed as a DOCN movement partner working on democracy and racial justice.
• Texas Organizing ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas-based BIPOC organizing organization listed as a DOCN movement partner focused on building power in communities of color.
• Poder LatinxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatinx-focused organization listed as a DOCN movement partner working on civic engagement and racial justice.
• The New Georgia Project Action FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia-based BIPOC voter engagement and power-building organization listed as a DOCN movement partner.
• Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArizona-based Latinx organizing organization listed as a DOCN movement partner focused on building power and advancing justice.
• Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia-based Latinx human rights organization listed as a DOCN movement partner.
• Black Voters MattercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Black voter engagement organization listed as a DOCN movement partner, working on democracy and racial justice.
• Asian American Advocacy FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian American civic engagement organization listed as a DOCN movement partner.
• Advance CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth Carolina-based organization listed as a DOCN movement partner focused on advancing racial justice and democracy.
• Grassroots Asians Rising (GAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational alliance of grassroots organizations rooted in working-class pan-Asian immigrant and refugee communities. DOCN partnered with GAR for a virtual brunch event on 'Counter the Myth: AAPIs Confronting Anti-Blackness for Solidarity' to advance cross-racial solidarity.
• East Bay Meditation Center (EBMC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOCN partnered with EBMC to sponsor the event 'Love, Power and Liberation with Angela Davis and Lama Rod Owens,' an intergenerational conversation on radical vision and collective liberation.
• CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBase-building organization in California's Central Coast focused on social, economic, and environmental justice. DOCN members engaged with CAUSE at the Create the Blueprint strategy session to learn about grassroots organizing and funding opportunities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tides Foundation: A major public charity and fiscal sponsor with a broad social-justice portfolio including racial equity. Listed as a DOCN member; broader in scope but comparable in mobilizing donor resources to progressive movements.

Direct peers

• Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPI): A national membership network of AAPI philanthropists advancing racial equity. Direct peer because it serves the same function as DOCN - organizing affluent donors of color into a coordinated donor community for collective giving and movement partnership.
• ABFE (Association of Black Foundation Executives): A membership association for Black philanthropic leaders that mobilizes resources and advocates for racial equity in philanthropy. Direct peer to DOCN because both organize Black-aligned donors and foundations around shared racial-justice agendas.
• Borealis Philanthropy: A philanthropic intermediary that pools resources from foundations to fund racial justice movements, including LGBTQ, AAPI, immigrant rights, and Black-led organizing. Direct peer because of its pooled-giving, racial-justice funder-collaborative model.
• Solidaire: A donor network mobilizing resources to movements for racial, gender, and climate justice - literally cited as a DOCN network member. Most direct peer alongside AAPI in Philanthropy.
• Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (PRE): A project of the Neighborhood Funders Group dedicated to advancing racial equity within philanthropy through research, convening, and funder education. Comparable to DOCN's accountability and education role toward mainstream funders.
• D5 Coalition: A 12-year collaboration focused on advancing racial equity in philanthropy through movement-building with funders. Comparable to DOCN's grantmaking-pledge model and BIPOC-philanthropy thought-leadership positioning.
• Resource Generation: A multiracial membership organization of young people (18-35) with wealth who organize for wealth redistribution and racial justice. Strong comparable because it similarly organizes young wealthy donors across race for collective giving, even if age-segmented.

Emerging players

• Hill-Snowdon Foundation: A family foundation supporting Black-led social justice organizing and racial-equity movement building. Comparable as a BIPOC-focused grantmaker, though operating from a single-family-foundation model rather than a network.
• Funders for Reproductive Equity (or formerly Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice funder networks): Specialized donor networks organized around single-cause funder mobilization (e.g., reproductive rights). Comparable to DOCN's Climate Funders Justice Pledge playbook applied to other progressive causes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donorsofcolor

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about donors of color network