Giving Compass' Take:

• The Rosenberg Foundation and the Hellman Foundation share four ways philanthropy can support innovative leadership. 

• What does successful leadership in social change work look like? How is philanthropy helping push innovation forward?

• Read more on how to promote social change effectively. 

In this moment, we need more leaders who are not satisfied with anything less than obliterating the systems of oppression that harm communities of color and working people, and who are deeply embedded in the communities they serve. But to make headway against these challenges, these leaders need those of us in philanthropy to step up and completely rethink our approach to investing in social change.

What does it take for philanthropy to effectively support emerging leaders and their risky ideas? Our experience with the Leading Edge Fund—a three-year fellowship launched by the Rosenberg Foundation and the Hellman Foundation in 2016 to support cutting-edge, social change ideas—has underlined the importance of four funding practices. While these practices aren’t particularly new, we believe our experiences over the past three years can offer some fresh examples of and new perspectives on how to apply them.

  • Give Leaders Space and Opportunity to Think—and Act—Big 
  • Give Leaders Time to Try and Fail 
  • Support the Leader, Not Just the Organization
  • Remember That Movements Thrive on Connections 

The best role philanthropy can play in advancing social justice is to flip the power equation and work in service to those who are making a difference on the frontlines.

Read the full article about how philanthropy can support innovative leadership by Lateefah Simon and Timothy Silard at Stanford Social Innovation Review.