In a perspective piece in the Fall 2021 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, co-authors Elizabeth Good Christopherson, Emily L. Howell, Dietram A. Scheufele, Kasisomayajula Viswanath, and Norris P. West call for science philanthropy to collectively work toward equitable partnership with communities of color. The article draws on much collaborative learning across fields, and the shared urgency of shaping responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate change emergency, the spread of dangerous disinformation campaigns, and much more rapid change, through equity-centered civic science approaches. The article points to a reflection framework to advance the engaged, inclusive aspirations of civic science. And, it also highlights three areas of urgency: increasing diversity in science and philanthropy, incorporating evidence-based learning and engagement, and creating structures for accountability.