Every day, it seems we see yet another sign of our democracy in decline. The ongoing erosion of democratic norms and institutions disproportionately harms BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and immigrant communities, who are underrepresented at the polls and in the halls of power. In the face of extremist violence and escalating threats, it can be difficult, if not overwhelming, to contemplate what we as funders can do to protect and sustain American democracy.

One answer is funder collaboratives. A research brief from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Bridgespan Group, and Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation identifies collaborative funds as key to strengthening our democracy and promoting a vibrant, just, and inclusive future. Here I’ll share insights into how a constituency-led collaborative fund helps strengthen grassroots movements, as well as considerations for funders in investing in frontline communities, civic engagement, and efforts to fight disinformation.

The power of funder collaboratives

As NEO Philanthropy’s vice president of the Four Freedoms Fund, I lead a national funder collaborative committed to building the power and capacity of the immigrant justice movement. What advantages do funder collaboratives offer, and how do they help strengthen democracy?

First, like many collaborative funds, our team brings to this work our lived experience, substantive expertise, and deep relationships and trust with the people on the ground. Each staff member is an immigrant and/or person of color, reflecting the communities we serve. A number of us spent decades organizing and advocating for immigrant rights prior to joining the philanthropic sector.

Second, as a constituency-led collaborative fund, we act as champions for our communities within philanthropy—driving resources directly and effectively to grassroots organizations on the frontlines of change. In other words, we’ve been practicing trust-based philanthropy long before the phrase was coined. Since the Four Freedoms Fund was launched in 2003, we’ve raised more than $280 million in support of immigrant-led organizations. The vast majority of our grantee organizations are led by immigrants (62%), BIPOC (79%), and cisgender women, transgender, or nonbinary individuals (75%).

Third, funder collaboratives act as bridge builders between funders and community-based groups—identifying organizations often not on the radar of national funders and individual donors, aggregating movement-wide trends on emerging threats and opportunities, and pooling resources for greater impact and lasting change.

Read the full article about funder collaboratives by Rini Chakraborty at Candid.