In this episode of Forefront Radio, Delia Coleman, Vice President of Strategy + Policy, (left) has a conversation with Ayesha Jaco, Co-Founder/Executive Director of M.U.R.A.L.

M.U.R.A.L, Magnifying Urban Realities & Affecting Lives was co-founded by Ayesha and her brother, Lupe Fiasco. They began by providing warm meals and coats to families in need and quickly expanded to include music education, curriculum and a host of other arts-based initiatives in Chicago inner-city communities. By 2009, Lupe and co-founder Ayesha Jaco realized the need to organize and expand this outreach, and the Lupe Fiasco Foundation was born with the mission of empowering inner-city youth as artists, activists, and global citizens.

Delia and Ayesha talk about grassroots philanthropy versus institutional philanthropy and how philanthropy can be more effective when it engages different perspectives and voices throughout operations and grantmaking cycle. 

"One of the ways we make sure we're relevant is to assess the gap– we cannot do that without youth and community voice. It's different in every community but essential to have an intentional strategy from beginning to end." 

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— Kathleen Murphy, Director, Communications