In the wake of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the collapse of the Afghan government, and the Taliban’s takeover, many Afghans are fleeing for their lives. While up-to-date figures are unavailable due to the intense conflict, more than 1 million Afghans remain displaced from their homes due to ongoing violence and frequent natural disasters. We are grateful for our colleagues at Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) who have compiled a list of actions to support philanthropic response. Maryland Philanthropy Network will continue to post ways in which philanthropy may respond to all that is happening in the world and we urge foundations and individual philanthropists to look into the future of how all of this will change Maryland and what your role may be to relieve suffering and build for our future.

In recent years a growing number of foundations have fastidiously articulated new program goals to support people of color, people who are LBGTQ, people with low incomes, and others facing barriers to progress. But Jara Dean-Coffey says something huge is missing from all of those equity efforts — a rethinking of the way foundations measure success.