Mannifera’s Post

If there's one article you read this week, make it this one: https://lnkd.in/gF_TgBFS Thanks to Trish Adobea Tchume for sending it my way- I'm hoping this article can help bridge the gap between the wisdom of grassroots activists and the traditional nonprofit sector, as there are folks who've known for a long time just how broken the Nonprofit Industrial Complex is, and others just now arriving at the concept. This article helps bridge that gap, and hopefully can contribute to us all organizing in a better direction together: "If we really want to create an equitable and sustainable society, we must leverage the power of a multiracial democracy. Strategic philanthropy has long professed to seek the “root causes” behind each societal challenge, but what if the primary root cause behind every social and environmental issue facing the United States is the failure of our political process to ensure the well-being of our entire population?"

Alliance magazine's June edition is free to download! And this edition's theme is Philanthropy and the Common Good... More info: "The atomisation of society, an economy based on competition and growing distrust of politics and of institutions in general: these are some of the factors that have led to a diminished commitment to the common good. What role does philanthropy have in revivifying the notion and helping to secure its various elements, especially where philanthropy itself is one of the institutions facing scepticism? Could philanthropy’s commitment to this issue help to restore its own legitimacy and make it a trusted voice in the future shape of societies?" Read it here: https://lnkd.in/erpnKkCH

It's good to see more and more funders leaning toward #trustbasedphilanthropy in the last couple years as we think about how to change power dynamic and accountability by centering the needs of marginalized communities. "This trust-based future requires shifts in philanthropic mindsets and cultures, as well as the structures that scaffold them. It requires funders to relinquish their individual power to achieve a more equitable and democratic future." #socialimpact https://lnkd.in/eZMneZxQ

Meet Robert. This nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, author, speaker and activist is a passionate proponent of social good. In fact, he's the founder of D.C. Central Kitchen, the Campus Kitchen Project and the L.A. Kitchen, which have collectively produced over 40 million meals and helped over 2,000 individuals attain jobs. He's talking about the economics of nonprofit (Spoiler: we're REALLY good for business) and sharing why activism matters to the sector. Bottom line: you don’t have to choose between making good and making a living.

At least five of us from Impact Austin were on this live webinar of 400 participants to hear the latest research about the growth of the #collectivegiving movement. We're also honored to have participated with surveys that contributed to the research report that will drop soon - "In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S.," a new national research report from the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy, Colmena Consulting, and Philanthropy Together.

The emerging approach more and more foundations are adopting moves beyond trust-based philanthropy to empowerment philanthropy. The core reasons for this, consistent with the fundamental premises that 1) communities have the collective wisdom to solve their problems if given the resources, autonomy, and support; 2) foundations have a woeful lack of knowledge and understanding of the lived experiences of the most vulnerable and marginalized in communities (and how to listen in ways that inform strategies; and 3) foundations don’t have the patience, expertise, and right models to change the trajectories of lives. This SSIR article is powerful!

"For our organizations, accountability and consideration of power are guiding principles of how we operate. Most importantly, we must operate with transparency by cultivating active communication with the movement groups we serve." Our team has been discussing this piece in the Stanford Social Innovation Review on intermediaries, how they're defined, their function, and how they interact with social movements. #Philanthropy #Funding #HumanRights #Power

"Philanthropy is crucial to sustaining and strengthening democracy, now more than ever. Trust-based philanthropy, like democracy, happens through practice. Both require commitment, rigor, and adaptivity...if funders understand our collective goal to be strengthening and sustaining democracy, trust-based philanthropy has a major role to play." -Pia Infante, Senior Fellow, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. Read the full article below to learn how philanthropic leaders and institutions are exercising democratic, trust-based practices that could contribute to a more multiracial democracy in our time💡. #democracy #trustbasedphilanthropy #TheFutureofPhilanthropyIsTrustBased

Ed B. is a Program Officer on our Strategic Investments team. He recently published an article in Blue Avocado that sheds an important light on the nonprofit sector's relationship with racial justice. He shares learnings from the work he helps move forward and offers helpful guidance for others hoping to advance racial equity. "...these legacies [systemic racism] have serious implications for the long-term financial sustainability of BIPOC-led organizations. The challenges that many BIPOC-led organizations face when trying to raise unrestricted revenue, build up operating reserves, or maintain an organizational surplus are directly linked to the larger disparities in wealth and equitable access to financial capital for BIPOC households more broadly. These systems are interconnected and cannot be separated from each other. As such, they necessitate a critical rethinking around how the philanthropic sector should invest in and support those same communities in ways that actively undo those legacies of injustice." ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gjw5BPYv

Although this article is largely US-centric, there are quite a few discussion points particularly around transparency and the "human" perspective that are equally, or strongly, relevant to a lot of our local discourse. We can also learn from these insights. Thank you so much for sharing, Allison Fine and The Chronicle of Philanthropy! https://lnkd.in/g8TSr8Dh