Your words resonate. My mantra right now is: be clear on how your foundation supports civil society and how your foundation is part of civil society. Legitimacy proxies such as DQ, endowment spending, and claims of non-partisanship have allowed the sector to ignore the heavier lift of getting clear and then letting the policymakers and public know how the foundation as a "tool" supports civil society.
Thank you for reading and sharing this reminder! If foundations want to claim legitimacy, they need to actively demonstrate how they serve civil society not just in theory, but in relationship, in practice, and in proximity to the people doing the work, and the communities they say they’re here for.
100% agree! And the baseline for what is considered philanthropy needs to shift. Funders need to be accountable to where the endowment is invested (i.e. make sure it's not harming community and working against the mission of the org). And, rather than divest, we need to use our ownership shares to move companies to take care of people and planet. We can't sit idly by waiting for financial returns so it can be trickled out in grants.
Yes exactly! Centering accountability at the investment level is essential. And I love what you said about using ownership as leverage. Philanthropy can’t stay disconnected from how its wealth is built or invested. Using ownership to push for corporate accountability is absolutely necessary, in addition to questioning why so much wealth is hoarded in the first place. Redistribution isn’t enough if the broader system remains unchanged.
1000%
👏🏾👏🏾
Your words resonate. My mantra right now is: be clear on how your foundation supports civil society and how your foundation is part of civil society. Legitimacy proxies such as DQ, endowment spending, and claims of non-partisanship have allowed the sector to ignore the heavier lift of getting clear and then letting the policymakers and public know how the foundation as a "tool" supports civil society.
Thank you for reading and sharing this reminder! If foundations want to claim legitimacy, they need to actively demonstrate how they serve civil society not just in theory, but in relationship, in practice, and in proximity to the people doing the work, and the communities they say they’re here for.
100% agree! And the baseline for what is considered philanthropy needs to shift. Funders need to be accountable to where the endowment is invested (i.e. make sure it's not harming community and working against the mission of the org). And, rather than divest, we need to use our ownership shares to move companies to take care of people and planet. We can't sit idly by waiting for financial returns so it can be trickled out in grants.
Yes exactly! Centering accountability at the investment level is essential. And I love what you said about using ownership as leverage. Philanthropy can’t stay disconnected from how its wealth is built or invested. Using ownership to push for corporate accountability is absolutely necessary, in addition to questioning why so much wealth is hoarded in the first place. Redistribution isn’t enough if the broader system remains unchanged.