This teaching is at the heart of participatory grantmaking, an inclusive philanthropic approach that encourages funders to learn from – and in some cases share decision-making power with — the individuals and communities that the funding is designed to benefit.

Because we believe more Jewish funders should know about and consider this approach, my organization, Jewish Funders Network, recently published Participatory Grantmaking in the Jewish Community and Beyond, the latest in our series of Guides for Intelligent Giving (formerly called Greenbooks). We are grateful to Crown Family Philanthropies, which shared our desire to highlight the value of PGM, the Jewish community’s historical experience with it, and to provide a path forward for those who want to explore it, and Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies, which we hired to research and write this guide.

We’re not highlighting PGM because we think it is always the “wise” approach. The practice has its shortcomings, as well as benefits, and not all funders will feel comfortable with it or feel it is worth the effort. However, as an increasingly popular practice that addresses contemporary concerns about inequity and ensures that often overlooked perspectives are heard, it should be one of many strategies considered. It will be especially appealing for those who believe that the people on the ground – in the communities that directly benefit from funding – are the ones best equipped to decide how that money should be spent.

When new trends emerge in secular philanthropy we at JFN don’t just follow them as “the new fad,” but instead we try to analyze if they are applicable and useful in a Jewish context. How can this serve Jewish funders and the Jewish community? How does it relate to the Jewish historical perspective and the traditional forms of giving? What is it gained and what lost by adopting this (or other) philanthropic innovation? That is the approach we’ve taken in looking at PGM.

Read the full article about participatory grantmaking by Tamar Frydman at eJewish Philanthropy.