What if philanthropy stopped funding individual stories and instead invested in relationships, creative infrastructure, and cultural archives capable of shifting public imagination for generations? That is the question Deaconess Foundation began asking nearly two years ago.

The question emerged from what a pattern we were seeing across St. Louis and the Midwest, communities were dealing with repetitive crises: catastrophic tornados, historic flooding, environmental pollution and more broadly,  the impact of racial injustices. In that communities have self-organized to care for one another and heal and producing extraordinary art, films, organizing, research, oral histories, and public storytelling in response to defining moments of civic and racial reckoning. Stemming from those efforts generated new leaders, strengthened relationships, and expanded the region’s capacity for collaboration.  Yet too often, the olive branches stopped there as the knowledge, trust, and creative energy forged through those moments remained fragmented, under-resourced, and disconnected once the immediate crisis passed. We saw communities going back into their siloes when interconnectedness needs to remain activated and galvanized.

At the same time, philanthropy has often approached narrative as a communications product to be commissioned: a campaign, documentary, messaging strategy, or social media initiative, rather than as long-term civic infrastructure requiring sustained investment. We realized that investment was just as important in cultivating the relationships, shared learning, and creative ecosystem that make narrative power possible over time.

Creating the Space to Build Trust

This strategic inquiry led Deaconess Foundation to partner with narrative strategist Shantell Hinton to translate the foundation’s vision into what has become the Liberation Lab. Working alongside the leadership of Bethany Johnson-Javois and Constance Harper, the collaboration designed a nine-month experience that brings together artists, organizers, filmmakers, writers, and cultural strategists to build narrative power as community infrastructure. Rather than commissioning isolated creative projects, the Lab creates space to build trust across disciplines, strengthen narrative and media practice, and co-create work that contributes to a living ecosystem of Black cultural memory and public imagination.

Read the full article about Deaconess Foundation by Shantell Hinton and Constance Harper at Nonprofit Quarterly.