Publications and Resources

Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis once said "Sunshine is the best disinfectant," and that's more true than ever today. Greenlining’s research is focused on putting sunlight on key issues facing diverse communities today.  Our research is closely aligned with our “think and do” strategy – rather than just sitting on a shelf, our research often “runs” in the direction of justice, equity, and opportunities.   For more information on Greenlining’s research please contact Christian Gonzalez-Rivera at christiang@greenlining.org.

Most Recent Publications

2009 Greenlining Institute Annual Report

“This isn’t about helping communities of color for the sake of helping communities of color. This is about helping communities of color succeed for the sake of the United States.” - Orson Aguilar, Executive Director

2010 Supplier Diversity Report

The California Public Utilities Commissionʹs (CPUC) Supplier Diversity Program has developed into one of the most critical institutions for economic development and job creation in diverse communities across California. [1] The CPUCʹs leadership has transformed the way the stateʹs largest utility and telecom companies contract with businesses owned by women, people of color, and disabled veterans.    In turn, these diverse business enterprises (DBEs) are building wealth and employing people in their communities.

Issue Brief: Debit Card Overdraft Fees

Bank overdraft fees take an enormous toll on American consumers, especially those with low balances or those new to banking. Over 50 million Americans overdrew their checking account at least once over a 12 month period, paying a total of $23.7 billion in overdraft fees in 2009. Over half of those consumers incurred five or more overdraft or non-sufficient funds NSF) fees in the course of a year.

Greening Our Neighborhood - Putting Americans to Work

Energy-Efficiency or 'Cash for Caulkers' says President Obama, is the most effective way to help Americans, and our report concurs -Block by Block - Community by Community - saving $$$ while boosting our local economies.

The State of Solar - California's New Landscape of Opportunity

With billions of dollars heading to California for solar manufacturing and installations through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act, Greenlining looks at equity and opportunity.  Will Solar Shine for all Californians?

Annual Report on Diversity on Bank Boards of Directors

Annual report examines diversity on the boards of the largest financial institutions in the United States. Findings indicate that the top banks vary widely in their commitment to diversity at the top leadership level. Citibank and Wells Fargo have the most diverse boards, while JP Morgan and State Street have the least diverse boards.

Diversity on Foundation Boards of Directors

Among the largest 46 foundations in the nation, 1 out of 4 are people of color, yet most have no people of color on their boards at all.  Specifically, 8.0% of board members in the top foundations in the nation are Latino, 12.5% are African American, and 4.5% are Asian American.  However, 28.3% of the top 46 foundations have no people of color on their boards at all; 56.5% have no Latinos, 37.8% have no African Americans, and 69.6% have no Asian Americans.

People of Color Hardest Hit by the Foreclosure Crisis

This issue brief presents data from government and nonprofit sources that demonstrates that Blacks and Latinos were unfairly steered to the subprime loan market, and are more likely to have higher foreclosure and loan delinquency rates.

Race Still Matters: Making the Case for a Racial Lens in Measuring Poverty

Whites outnumber people of color among the poor in the United States, yet poverty disproportionally affects people of color. This brief presents data and arguments explaining why public policy should continue to focus on race—and not just income—when taking on poverty.

Digital Inequality

“The same places that are characterized by economic poverty also tend to suffer from information poverty; a pattern has developed in which inequalities in physical and electronic spaces mutually reinforce one another.” – Lisa Servon, Dean of the New School for Management and Urban Policy and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Work Life Policy