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Funding practice

Philanthropy’s crossroads: Navigating dilemmas to champion systemic change

Heather Grady, Caroline Suozzi and Olga Tarasov 6 November 2023

As philanthropy grapples with weighty questions about its responsibility and role in addressing systemic issues, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the Shifting Systems Initiative are diving deeper into issues the initiative has explored since its inception …


Yes, people are changing the climate

Active Philanthropy 20 October 2023

A climate science workshop series by Active Philanthropy: Episode 1 Navigating the complexities of the climate crisis is tough. Yet in order to take targeted action on climate, a basic understanding of the science behind …


The impact of MacKenzie Scott’s resourcing of women’s funds

Leila Hessini 19 September 2023

MacKenzie Scott’s commitment to give away all her wealth is particularly important in a context where philanthropic institutions are eradicating programs – such as reproductive justice and gender-based violence – that are key to feminist …

How use of a ‘Ripple Effects Framework‘ can be used for property purchases

Ise Bosch 12 September 2023

Civic spaces for marginalised communities keep shrinking. From LGBTQIA* free zones in Poland to Uganda’s anti-LGBTQIA* laws and Florida’s “don’t say gay” legislation, the global landscape of anti-human rights and anti-gender developments become increasingly concerning. …

How to turn your grantmaking approach inside out

Tris Lumley 7 July 2023

What if philanthropy could be more open? Open to the latest ideas, open to listening to others, and open to sharing what we’ve learnt? How much more could we achieve? Open Philanthropy is about funding …

The case for funding social movements

Cathy Rogers 22 June 2023

When I started researching what makes social movements succeed, I thought the main questions would be about strategy and tactics, organisation, and planning. I hadn’t thought that an unexpectedly big barrier might be something much …

A self-assessment tool for foundations on participatory practices

Diana Samarasan and Katy Love 12 April 2023

With the fragile state of democracy, growing inequality, social movements calling for action, and demands to address systemic injustices, philanthropic institutions are increasingly exploring participatory grantmaking. It seems that the concept of participation – involving …

7 best practices in participatory grantmaking

2 Kelley Buhles 10 April 2023

Participatory grantmaking has been practiced in modern philanthropy for over 40 years, and beyond that, the act of communities determining how to distribute resources collectively has roots that go back farther than modern philanthropy. I …

Making sure we don’t just repattern what’s come before

1 Cassie Robinson 29 March 2023

Last week 12 different foundations from across Europe came together in Brussels for the Philanthropy in Transitions Practice Lab, hosted by Philea and co-led by myself and Jesper Christiansen from Bikubenfonden in Copenhagen. This was …

A case for upending grantee partner calls

Conniel Malek 5 March 2023

One day, I nodded absentmindedly at a comment my four-year old made. She looked at me and said: ‘Mama, you aren’t listening to me with your listening ears!’ I was simultaneously taken aback and humbled. …