Resourcing the Field
The Support You Need.
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** Resourcing the Field: Unexpected Pathways
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August 20, 2025
In today’s newsletter, we take a broad look at how to resource the field. And we discover that while the shortest path from point A to point B may be a straight line, the most effective way forward could well prove to be more circuitous. The stories featured in this week’s newsletter offer unexpected takes on how to resource our movements, our nonprofits, and our communities.
This issue has:
* A Warning ([link removed]) —Can philanthropic resources undermine social justice? Sometimes they can. If we want nonprofits and movements to be well resourced, it is important to consider how to avoid these all-too-common philanthropic traps.
* A Movement Voice ([link removed]) —Get ready for Labor Day. An article from a leader in the Chicago teachers’ union discusses how this year’s Labor Day will be less about barbeques and more about worker mobilizing against billionaires.
* A Political Analysis ([link removed]) —Class politics has long been written off in the United States. But a new type of social justice class politics is rising—and nonprofits are playing a leading role in using politics to help resource communities.
* A Reflection ([link removed]) —What if a foundation really moved its money and power to community groups? A trustee and executive director of one midsized family foundation share their own sunset story, which is also a sunrise for community.
As you read these accounts, hopefully you will get a few new ideas regarding how to resource your own work. These days creativity is more important than ever.
Steve Dubb
Senior Editor
Economic Justice
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** Must-Read Articles
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The Philanthropic Trap: How Charity Can Legitimize Systemic Problems
by James Lomastro
In a few decades, foundation assets have increased more than tenfold, yet social problems mount too. What is happening? We need to escape the philanthropic trap.
Read Article ([link removed])
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A Labor Movement That Matters: From May Day to Labor Day and Beyond
by Jackson Potter
For too long, labor has operated in silos. Solidarity is required. May Day 2025 offered a glimpse of what can occur if labor and community together fight the billionaire agenda.
Read Article ([link removed])
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Class Not Dismissed: Mamdani, Nonprofits, and the Fight for Economic Justice
by Alissa Quart
If there is any bright spot in the Trump administration’s dog days, it’s that nonprofits are reigniting their struggle for economic justice.
Read Article ([link removed])
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From Sunset to Sunrise: A Philanthropic Investment in Indigenous Sovereignty
by Sonja Swift and Suzanne Benally
What does decolonizing philanthropy require? Ultimately, it is about transferring assets to communities. Here’s a story of one “spend-down” effort that is doing precisely that.
Read Article ([link removed])
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