Weekly Reads
“When family foundations reflect on their efforts and share honest assessments about what they’ve learned, it’s often driven by a commitment to transparency, a desire to share lessons, and a healthy dose of humility. At Surdna, these values have motivated us to engage in reflection and learning, and we’re continually pushing ourselves to be clear about why we should invest time and money into these efforts.” [more]
Don Chen, Surdna Foundation, for National Center for Family Philanthropy
“It seems risk has been normalized as a good thing when it involves accumulating wealth, but it turns bad when it involves giving money away to accelerate social change. Instead, what if donors allow their giving to be guided by an asset-based approach that focuses on an organization’s strengths and potential. When it comes to advancing equity and justice, the only risk that matters is the risk of not giving.” [more]
Cora Daniels, Bridgespan Group, for The Chronicle of Philanthropy
“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s rulings in June 2023 against university admissions policies that take race directly into account, many feared that grantmakers would back away from funding efforts focused on racial equity. A new study from the Center for Effective Philanthropy reveals that most foundations responding to a survey in the fall of 2023 reported that, so far, they had not made changes to their grantmaking in response to the court’s rulings.” [more]
“In 2022, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, as part of our efforts to incorporate community voice, to build and bridge power, and to center the dismantling of structural racism in our work, commissioned Cynthia Gibson and Maria Mottola to explore and make recommendations as to how to better partner with intermediaries, and current and potential grantees. This approach aims to harness the collective power, wisdom, and resilience of partners and communities to eliminate structural barriers to health and wellbeing. The latter reflects the Foundation’s belief that the people closest to the problems have the knowledge and lived experience needed to be the most effective co-creators in changing systems and making structural reforms.” [more]
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