Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropic organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), has decided to end its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, just weeks after assuring staff that these efforts would continue. According to a report by The Guardian, the move comes as a major shift in the organization’s approach.
CZI, co-founded by Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, will now focus solely on issuing grants for areas such as biology and artificial intelligence (AI), marking a clear departure from its previous support for racial equity and immigration reforms. In an internal email to staff, COO Marc Malandro announced that the organization would no longer fund social advocacy initiatives, including the cancellation of its Science Diversity Leadership Awards, which had provided $1.5 million in funding for researchers. The Diverse Slate Practice, which required diverse candidates to be interviewed for all job openings, has also been discontinued.
Malandro explained that due to changes in the regulatory and legal landscape, CZI would no longer maintain a DEI team. This shift represents a stark reversal from a recent statement made to staff in February, when Mark Gundacker, CZI’s HR leader, reassured employees that the organization would remain committed to its DEI values despite Meta’s decision to scale back similar initiatives.
CZI’s new direction will be focused on its core mission as a science philanthropy, with efforts geared toward advancing research and technological innovation.
