Giving Compass' Take:
- New Profit discusses proximity as vital to achieving systems change, describing proximity as the idea that those closest to an issue are those with the best insight into solutions.
- What does it mean to be proximate in your giving or funding? How does unrestricted funding help nonprofits achieve their full potential for transformative social impact?
- Search for a nonprofit focused on advancing locally-led systems change.
- Access more nonprofit data, advanced filters, and comparison tools when you upgrade to Giving Compass Pro.
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Spend an hour with the New Profit team and you’re guaranteed to hear one word: proximity. We believe this concept is central to achieving transformational social change in our lifetimes. So what do we mean by it?
What’s Proximity in the Context of Philanthropy?
“You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close.”
In his 2014 memoir Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson recalls the moment he received this life-changing advice. Stevenson, an attorney, discovered that the closer he got to the faces and stories of mass incarceration, the more his work and life were transformed. As the founder of Equal Justice Initiative, he now urges those who want to change society to “get proximate,” or get closer to a problem in order to solve it.
When it comes to systems change, proximity means that those closest to a challenge or need are those with the greatest insight on how to solve these problems. But too often, these are exactly the leaders and organizations who are overlooked by funders.
How Does Proximity Drive New Profit’s Mission?
We invest in leaders and organizations who hold and prioritize reciprocal relationships, lived experience, and demonstrated respect for the communities and constituents they aim to serve – then we provide unrestricted funding and tailored support to help organizations and the people who run them increase their impact, adaptive leadership, and durability.
That looks like:
- Unrestricted grants for organizations at varying stages of their growth via our Catalyze, Build, and Transform models.
- One-to-one strategic advising with a member of our Portfolio team, many of whom founded or led social impact organizations. These close coaching relationships can span years and include deep support for leadership and organizational development.
- Learning cohorts that bring together social entrepreneurs tackling similar issues for shared problem-solving, peer support and mentorship, and rejuvenation.
Read the full article about proximity in philanthropy at New Profit.