Brian Gold’s Post

Shifting power via foundation grants requires that those in the community gaining power have the requisite organizations, skills, and capacity to manage power to good effect. Lived experience is only part of it? And lettting go of power while shepherding the whole, also requires new skills, staying power, and accountability to…? Long highly abstract read, but worth interrogating. Wish it contained the unredacted voices of those in the health foundation and in the community who feel unfairly used, or who can state lessons learned in more visceral terms. Something about a foundation-stifled protest over a contaminated aquifer at an economically essential military base? Finding or centering the right voices to write up the “findings”…..

🚨 Read Today! Insights from “Responding to the Moment: Participatory Approaches in Philanthropy” 🚨 What if the people impacted by philanthropy had a real say in where the money goes? 🤔 In our June program, Responding to the Moment: Participatory Approaches in Philanthropy, we learned that participatory grantmaking is doing just that - shifting decision-making power from traditional power centers, like foundation boards and donors, to the people and communities directly affected by the funder’s work. In her recent Insights piece, Katy Love from Fund for Shared Insight shared key takeaways from the program, exploring how the Kolibri Foundation & Brooklyn Org are using this model to create more inclusive, effective, and community-driven grantmaking. 🙌 👀 Sneak peek of takeaways: 💡 Start with clear boundaries – decide which steps in the grantmaking process are suitable for community involvement 🌍 Diverse voices are key – community members bring perspectives funders miss 💵 Pay your participants – value their time and insights ⚖️ Prepare for challenges – balancing power isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it! Want the full story or are interested in watching the program recording? Click below! 👇 https://lnkd.in/enMsPgTR #PowerShift #Philanthropy #CommunityVoices #ParticipatoryGrantmaking #Funders

The Philanthropy Evaluation (Phil Eval) Network continues to focus on learning through evaluation to shift funder practice. Here's a short piece I wrote for Philanthropy Weekly on how listening, questioning and acting on what you have heard is a critical part of this work. #evaluation #MEL #funder #philanthropy #learning

Together, we can work to build and empower collective movements that address intersectional causes and meet the moment. . Read this article to learn more about the transformative steps social justice philanthropy can take to address pressing challenges. #NonprofitChat #Philanthropy #TogetherForJustice https://lnkd.in/exVKuqZC

"Our well-being cannot be purchased or healed by more professionals or programs. what we have and what we are is enough. Economically. Politically. Socially. Personally. This is the foundation of the common good narrative." - Peter Block, "Activating the Common Good: Reclaiming Control of Our Collective Well-being" No matter what we are working towards, the outcomes depend on how were bring people together, the connections made, and the relationship that citizens have with each other. Shifting mindsets, especially in the world of #philanthropy, is key to #activatingthecommongood. It starts with building #trust and community in a way that allows everyone to bring their gifts to the table. https://lnkd.in/eW5nhmYz

New research from Philanthropy Together reveals over the past seven years, participation in giving circles has skyrocketed, with 4,000 groups contributing $3.1 billion to social causes—more than doubling their impact since 2016. With 370,000 giving circle members engaged across the United States, the research, “In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S.” found that as a result of group participation in collective giving, 77% of respondents reported an increased belief that their voices matter when it comes to social issues, and 53% reported a positive impact on their ability to engage in discussions with dissenting voices. #CollectiveGiving #Philanthropy #CommunityImpact #givingcircles https://lnkd.in/g97WJ8sn

I really love this blog, and how it brings focus to the power of curious questioning. Thank you Emma Beeston When I first started out in the business development and relationship management world, I had the privilege of being mentored by Mark Croad, who taught me very early on in my career that questioning with curiosity had more value than just a demonstration of the technical solutions available. It had the power of helping get to the heart of the need, whether that be the client's need, or business need, which was essential to moving towards the right solutions (if the client was ready for that). If you approach things with genuine curiosity and interest, even if it’s a hard question, it will most likely be received and answered in the spirit it was asked.

My latest blog considers the value of curiosity in philanthropy advising and how it can open up more meaningful conversations, deepen understanding and enable people to explore possible solutions together. Probably very important in other spheres too. https://lnkd.in/eQVtZ-PU #philanthropy #advisory #curiosity #conversationsthatmatter

Happy to help circulate this new practical guide!

What happens when a foundation commits to spending down its assets in a way that democratizes decision-making? A philanthropy abolitionist reflects on the bold choices and lessons learned in our latest article on Inside Philanthropy. Discover how this approach has challenged traditional philanthropy and what it means for the future of giving. #MikeScutari reports: Insights into the process and impact of a democratized spend-down Reflections on how this approach challenges traditional philanthropic models The legacy and future implications for foundations considering similar paths Tagging Chorus Foundation Quark Highlander Research and Education Center #SpendDown #SocialImpact #DemocratizedGiving #FoundationLeadership #AbolitionistPhilanthropy #FutureOfGiving #DemocratizedGrantmaking #CommunityLedPhilanthropy #EquityInPhilanthropy #PowerShift #Grantmaking #CommunityEmpowerment #InsidePhilanthropy #Philanthropy