Giving Compass' Take:

• Skoll Foundation Fellow, Nguhi Mwaura, interviews Edgar Villanueva, about how to achieve systemic change in philanthropy and the progress he has seen so far.

• Does your philanthropic giving strategy align with systems change work? 

• Read more about decolonizing wealth in philanthropy. 

While philanthropy is no stranger to criticism, it has weathered some sharp critiques in the past year, helping to catalyze an opportunity for introspection, reassessment, and redesign. Edgar Villanueva, author of Decolonizing Wealth, is a leading voice in this growing conversation.

At the 2019 Skoll World Forum, he shared his vision of a future of philanthropy built on trust, humility, and healing that works to dismantle the oppressive systems of inequity and injustice that created the need for philanthropy in the first place. Skoll Foundation Fellow, Nguhi Mwaura, recently chatted with Edgar to get his thoughts on authentic proximity, shifting power dynamics, and his outlook for systemic change in the field.

Nguhi: I know you’ve been on the speaking circuit and people in philanthropy are inviting you into these spaces—like the Skoll World Forum. How do you keep your message from being another tick box and push people to act?

Edgar: In philanthropy we intellectualize these conversations, and I don’t think these conversations are all that uncomfortable for some white folks. It’s like going to Disney World and riding Space Mountain. It’s a scary ride, but then everyone goes home from the conference and back to their regular lives, while those of us impacted by racial inequality are stuck on the rollercoaster.

I’m excited to report though that foundations are responding in very real ways. I’m asking for white brothers and sisters to stand with me. The burden of this conversation rests disproportionately on people of color. I think my book is calling people in and helping them see that they are also suffering because of white supremacy.

Read the full article about decolonizing philanthropy at Skoll Foundation.