Diversity in Tech Fund

Background

The Diversity in Tech Fund is managed by Bright Funds, a for-profit technology company based in Oakland, California, that offers companies and individuals services aimed at helping them manage their philanthropic activity, including donations to nonprofits, grant management, payroll integration, and employer donation-matching. To that end, Bright Funds manages several funds, similar to investment portfolios, which clients can design or opt into, through which they can make a single donation that supports the included organizations. ^{1 2}

On November 17, 2021, Bright Funds announced that it had undergone a merger with WizeHive, a similar company that specializes in managing grants. ³

According to the dedicated fund page for the Diversity in Tech Fund, the nine organizations in the fund were selected by the “Editors Community,” as opposed to any one individual or company. (For instance, the selection of funds in the similarly named Diversity in Tech Fund by Conscious.org & Bolt is attributed to Tom Berger.) As of June 26, 2023, Bright Funds notes that the Diversity in Tech Fund has 17 supporters, though it does not list those supporters’ identities. ^{4 5}

According to the “About” section of the Diversity in Tech Fund, the organizations in the fund promote critical race theory-aligned objectives, such as diversity and inclusion in the technology industry. ⁴

Organizations

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is a New York City-based nonprofit organization aimed at providing women with computer and technology skills to encourage growth in female-held science-related jobs, which was founded in 2012 by Democratic politician and one-time deputy to Bill de Blasio in the New York City Public Advocate’s Office Reshma Saujani. ^{6 7}

Project Include

Project Include is a left-of-center critical race theory-aligned Silicon Valley-based advocacy organization that promotes changing employment practices and company culture in the technology industry founded by activist Ellen Pao. ^{8 9}

Code 2040

Code 2040 (also known as Project TF) is a San Francisco-based networking organization that promotes critical race theory-aligned employment practices in the technology industry. ¹⁰

Dev Color

Dev Color (sometimes stylized as “/dev/color”) is a career network and accelerator for Black software engineers, technology specialists, entrepreneurs, and executives. All Dev Color members are required to identify as Black or from the African diaspora and be committed to critical race theory-aligned objectives. ^{11 12}

Society of Women Engineers

The Society of Women Engineers is a networking organization for women-engineers that offers aligned networking and educational opportunities to members. ¹³

Techbridge Girls

Techbridge Girls is a critical race theory-aligned educational and advocacy organization based in Oakland, California, that offers an alternative science curriculum intended to replace the predominating educational model, which it claims “centers the white male experience.” ¹⁴

Out in Tech

Out in Tech is a New York City-based LGBT-oriented networking and advocacy organization for professionals in the technology industry. ^{15 16}

Open Source Mental Illness

Open Source Mental Illness is an Indiana-based advocacy organization oriented around promoting and providing education concerned with mental health in the technology industry. ¹⁷

Black Girls Code

Black Girls Code is a critical race theory-aligned educational nonprofit focused on teaching computer coding skills to girls from racial and ethnic minority groups with offices in Oakland, California, and New York City. ^{18 19}