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Non-profit

The Equity Lab

Website:

www.theequitylab.org/
Location:

Washington, DC
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Formation:

2014
Type:

Racial and Ethnic Activist Organization
Executive Director:

Michelle Molitor

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The Equity Lab (formerly the Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education) is a left-wing advisory firm that advises individuals and institutions to address the concepts of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) to create a critical race theory-inspired society filled with an “equitable, anti-racist citizenry.”

Founded in 2014 to facilitate discussions about the effects of the critical race theory-inspired concept of systemic racism in our schools,” 1 2 3 the Equity Lab also works to disrupt the institutions, structures, and systems that it believes perpetuate racism and oppression. 4 5 The group also works to create a “mindset shift” in the United States to reinvent society and advocates for “radical change” following the COVID-19 pandemic. 6

The Equity Lab has claimed that American culture is rooted in white supremacy, referred to integration in the United States as a flawed idea based on “forced assimilation,” and suggested that the Black Panther Party-inspired concept of rainbow coalitions would be preferable for American society. 7

In 2020, the Equity Lab received $1,345,000 of grants from the left-of-center Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the grantmaking brand of Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. 8

History and Leadership

The Equity Lab was founded in 2014 as the Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education (FREE) to facilitate discussions about the effects of the critical race theory-inspired concept of systemic racism in schools. 1 2 3

Michelle Molitor is the founder and executive director of the Equity Lab and the Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education. 9 4 Molitor supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, shared links to Black Lives Mater DC Legal Support Fund fundraisers on Twitter, 10 and was a participant in a summer workshop convened by the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Education and Society Program in July 2016. 11

Molitor has said the Equity Lab’s mission is to commit to a critical race theory-inspired vision of an “equitable, anti-racist society” 12 and said the “most dangerous conversation about race is the one we don’t have.” 12 Molitor received an award from the McNulty Foundation’s Catalyst Fund to lead “anti-racist actions” at the Equity Lab. 12

Activities and Funding

The Equity Lab is a left-wing advisory firm that supports individuals and institutions addressing the critical race theory-influenced concepts of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) to create society filled with an “equitable, anti-racist citizenry.” The Equity Lab works to disrupt the institutions, structures, and systems that it believes perpetuate racism and oppression 4 5 to create an “equitable, antiracist society.” 2 12 The Lab also works to create a “mindset shift” which would reinvent society and advocate for “radical change” following the COVID-19 pandemic. 6

The Equity Lab works with private institutions such as the left-of-center Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies to guide its employees’ three-phase “equity journey.” 13

The Equity Lab has said American culture is rooted in white supremacy, referred to integration in the United States as a flawed idea and “forced assimilation,” and suggested that the Black Panther Party-inspired concept of rainbow coalitions would be preferable American society. 7

Fellowships

The Equity Lab operates fellowship programs with an “equity lens” to influence a “structural transformation” in the United States. 14 The year-long Nexus Fellows program has a $25,000 program fee 15 and is designed in response to what the Lab says is the “overwhelming need for race, equity, diversity, and inclusion (REDI) in the learning profession.” 14 16 17

The Seeding Disruption Fellowship accepts youth-facing professionals in Washington, D.C., and attempts to solve problems with “equity-driven design thinking” to catalyze the “movement toward racial equity.” This fellowship “intentionally disrupts patterns of inequity” to dismantle existing systems, was co-created by Molitor, and is funded by the left-of-center Education Forward DC. 18 19

Funding

The Equity Lab receives funds from program service fees, grants, and individual donors. 20 In 2021, the group received a $25,000 grant from the Meyer Foundation in 2021. 21

In 2020, the Equity Lab reported revenue of $2,731,069 and expenses of $1,644,362. 4 This included  $1,345,000 of grants from the left-of-center Chan Zuckerberg Initiative 8 and $25,000 from the Meyer Foundation. 21

In 2019, the group reported revenue of $1,507,042 and expenses of $952,383. 4 That same year, the group received $140,000 from the left-of-center Education Forward DC 22 and $25,000 from the Meyer Foundation. 23 24

The Equity Lab received $205,000 from New Schools Venture Fund 25 and $65,000 from Education Forward DC in 2018 26 and $350,000 from the left-of-center Silicon Valley Community Foundation; 27 $10,000 from 4Point0 Schools; 28 $80,000 from Education Forward DC; 29 and a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to support the Nexus Fellowship program in 2017. 30

References

  1. “NewSchools Invests in Fellowship for Race & Equity in Education (FREE).” New Schools Venture Fund. October 25, 2014. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.newschools.org/blog/diversifyed-fellowship-for-race-and-equity-in-education/
  2. “The Equity Lab equips individuals and organizations to lead collective anti-racist action.” MuNulty Foundation. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://mcnultyfound.org/impact/stories/equity-lab.
  3. “Catalyst and Fund Awardee.” McNulty Foundation. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://mcnultyfound.org/impact/stories/equity-lab#:~:text=The%20Lab’s%20mission%20originally%20began,expanding%20it%20for%20other%20sectors.
  4. “Free Fellowship for Race and Equity in Education.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/471809869/202121319349302237/full.
  5. “About.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/about.
  6.  Michelle Molitor and Nicole Young. “Let’s not go back to the way things were.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/blog/lets-not-go-back.
  7. Michelle Molitor and Nicole Young. “Beyond Integration: Moving Toward Multi-Racial Coalition Building.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/blog/beyond-integration.
  8. “Grants.” Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://chanzuckerberg.com/grants-ventures/grants/.
  9. “Michelle Molitor.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-molitor-3a16638/.
  10. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 2, 2020. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://twitter.com/MichelleMolitor/status/1267769202024353792?cxt=HHwWgMC8_enXgpgjAAAA.
  11. “Leading for Equity: Opportunities for State Education Chiefs.” Aspen Institute and Council of Chief State School Officers. 2017. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LeadingForEquity.pdf.
  12. “Catalyst and Awardee.” McNulty Foundation. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://mcnultyfound.org/impact/stories/equity-lab.
  13. Sacks, Rachel. “Getting Started: The Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Journey.” Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies. February 12, 2021. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.schusterman.org/blogs/rachel-sacks/getting-started-the-racial-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-journey.
  14. “Nexus.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/nexus.
  15. “The nexus fellowship.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e90af1f141b51081e7194aa/t/5f32c833503e865ec4ec21f7/1597163572243/Nexus+Fellowship+one-pager+2020+070220.pdf.
  16. “Nexus.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/nexus-fellows.
  17. “Meet our fellows.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/nexus-fellows.
  18. “Seeding Disruption Fellowship.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/seeding-disruption.
  19. “Fighting to end systemic racism and for racial justice.” Education Forward D.C. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://edforwarddc.org/new-education-forward-dc-grants/.
  20.  “Support.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/support.
  21. “Grantmaking.” Meyer Foundation. December 13, 2021. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://meyerfoundation.org/our-grantmaking/.
  22. “Education Forward DC.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/811823628/202033239349300238/full.
  23. “Meyer Foundation Awards $3.6M in General Grantmaking and Capacity-Building Grants.” Meyer Foundation. August 19, 2019. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://meyerfoundation.org/news/meyer-foundation-awards-3-6m-in-general-grantmaking-and-capacity-building-grants/.
  24. “Support.” The Equity Lab. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/support.
  25. “New Schools Fund.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2018. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/943281780/201942629349300109/full.
  26. “Education Forward DC.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2018. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/811823628/201903509349301200/full.
  27.  “Silicon Valley Community Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/205205488/201843199349319564/IRS990ScheduleI
  28. “4Point0 Schools.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/273474661/201930399349300513/full.
  29. “Education Forward DC.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/811823628/201813179349302596/full.
  30. “Support.” The Equity Hub. Accessed March 30, 2022. https://www.theequitylab.org/support.
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The Equity Lab

4828 Illinois Avenue NW
Washington, DC