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Resourcing the Field

The Support You Need.

Resourcing the Field: Unexpected Pathways

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—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—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—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—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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A Labor Movement That Matters: From May Day to Labor Day and Beyond

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Class Not Dismissed: Mamdani, Nonprofits, and the Fight for Economic Justice

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From Sunset to Sunrise: A Philanthropic Investment in Indigenous Sovereignty

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