Boys and young men of color face significant barriers to success on their path to adulthood. This group lags far behind their peers on every social and economic indicator - at every stage of development. This gap in achievement and well-being greatly diminishes the ability of boys and young men of color to reach their full potential. Moreover, it creates problematic racial and ethnic societal divides that will only become more problematic as the nation continues to diversify. To address this pressing issue, the leadership from 26 foundations convened in August 2013 to discuss their ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for boys and young men of color. At the meeting’s conclusion, the foundation presidents agreed to form a philanthropic alliance to strengthen, leverage, and coordinate their investments to create greater opportunities and well-being for this group. They formed the Executives’ Alliance to Expand Opportunities for Boys and Men of Color, collectively pledging to explore promising strategies, and support research to inform effective action. On February 27th 2014, ten of these foundations announced a joint effort with the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to link and leverage their investments and commitments to support positive development among boys and young men of color. The foundations have pledged additional dollars to advance outcomes for this group, funding new initiatives and enhancing those already in existence. These foundation initiatives will complement the Administration’s efforts. This joint endeavor will create opportunities for the public and private sectors to collaborate and promote effective and promising programs and policies. The announcement started the clock for a ninety day planning period during which time both foundations and the federal government will create frameworks for moving ahead on their respective and intersecting goals. The Urban Institute and PolicyLink and other experts were engaged to assist the foundations during the planning period. Their experiences of working across various sectors—research/policy wonks, foundations, federal government, and other actors around this important issue—has provided useful insights for moving ahead on this important initiative