Philanthropy (Other)

Power imbalance is pervasive in our sector, as ubiquitous as hummus, though not nearly as delicious. There is always asymmetry in power when one party holds resources that another party…

For grantmakers looking to ground themselves in their community, starting the relationship with too much emphasis on evaluation and measurement can result in a missed opportunity to really learn what…

The art of storytelling is a powerful relationship-building tool. For a funder, it’s a means to communicate the success of its programs and cultivate a reputation for what it stands…

Even at current employment levels, today’s labor market development system leaves millions of aspiring workers ill-prepared for jobs that pay a living wage. While right and left argue about what…

The Covid-19 pandemic upended many of the ways we live and work—but some of these changes have been positive. For example, 2020 saw communities banding together to help neighbors in…

Those of us who practice, fund, commission, and teach the nascent discipline of social design agree without hesitation on a couple of things: People who experience this type of design…

This op-ed by Suzanne Nossel was previously published on April 20, 2022 in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Reprinted with permission. __________ An alarming trend is gaining strength in dozens of states across…

Overlooked by South Mountain in southern Phoenix, bountiful rows of kale, okra, radishes and citrus trees bloom on a 19-acre community farm. Known as Spaces of Opportunity, the plush urban farmstead…

Solomé Lemma, the Ethiopia-born executive director of Thousand Currents, which funds social movements, said donors concerned about indigenous groups being unable to manage complicated grants may be looking in the wrong…

“Traditionally, advocacy has been a few people speaking on behalf of others. But…it is also about movement building and power building, grassroots engagement, and community organizing. It is about people…