Legal Insurrection by James Nault 10/27/2023
In response to inquiry from the Equal Protection Project, the Papitto Opportunity Connection states “going forward, we will support initiatives that are designed to foster diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging but that do not condition eligibility on race, do not make decisions based on race, and do not exclude individuals based on their race.”One organization that we have not discussed previously is a Rhode Island based charitable entity by the name of the Papitto Opportunity Connection, or POC. This group does a lot of charitable work in the Rhode Island area, and is unique in that it does not accept donations. Rather, all of its funding comes from its founders, Ralph and Barbara Papitto. Ralph was a successful Rhode Island businessman who passed away in 2019, and in 2020 Barbara started POC:
The Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) provides grants and scholarships to unique and narrative changing programs that are designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion through new, innovative, creative and thoughtful efforts. We operate differently than many foundations, and we do so purposefully.
First, we actively engage with and listen to the people who would benefit most from the investments made by POC. We regularly have conversations, small and large, across the Ocean State in the neighborhoods where our investments can make a difference. By listening and doing our homework, we are better able to work with non-profit community organizations, individuals and entrepreneurs who have game-changing ideas.
Second, we use a “Trust-based Philanthropy Approach” that is based on open, honest, and transparent communication. We collect data via our proprietary 501Database, and annually ask grantees to provide responses to reporting questions that focus on outcomes achieved as a result of funding.
Third, POC is a private family foundation that does not accept donations from any individual or organization under the Internal Revenue Service Code. That means we don’t raise funds to support our work. All of our funds come from our founder.
Students for Fair AdmissionsAs you know, in June the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, that universities could no longer use race-based preferences, or affirmative action, as a factor in university admissions: Supreme Court: Harvard and UNC Affirmative Action “invalidated under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment”:
The U.S. Supreme Court has dealt a blow to race-based affirmative action in college admissions and by implication elsewhere, putting to an end a narrow carve-out for higher education that had permitted colleges and universities to engage in otherwise unlawful conduct in the name of promoting diversity.
More:
https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/10/scotus-affirmative-action-fallout-ri-based-charity-halts-race-based-grant-making/
