The Fearless Fund Settlement: Legal Implications for Charitable Activities that Advance Racial Justice

Streaming Media

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

5-2025

Conference / Event Title

Law and Society Association Chicago Conference 2025: Politics of the Body at the Crossroads

Conference / Event Location

Chicago, IL.

Hosting Organization

Law and Society Association

Abstract

This roundtable will explore the legal, ethical, and societal dimensions of the Fearless Fund settlement, which centers around a dispute over race-based grantmaking by a nonprofit to facilitate access to venture capital for black women entrepreneurs. Roundtable participants will discuss the tension between the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal’s ruling and nonprofit statutory and case law, which have long recognized the role of nonprofits in advancing racial justice and remedying racial discrimination against people of color, even when their activities are race-based. We will also place this issue within the broader context of race-based affirmative action, corporate social responsibility and ESG, and the evolving legal landscape governing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by businesses and charitable organizations.

Conference URL

https://www.lawandsociety.org/chicago-2025-homepage/

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