How Grassroots Ideas are Reshaping Philanthropy

Community organizing depends on trustworthy relationships. Conversing with members and listening to their experiences and these mentors’ ideas, along with their step-by-step approach to guide their work can teach philanthropists, especially those outside of the community, more about the collaborative practices of care and compassion for these communities. It allows them to build empathy through their stories and understand how change can occur. It also informs whom these communities partner with as allies and how to win significant victories. 

Building emotional bonds with community organizers is indeed the foundation of better philanthropic mindsets and pursuits. The experience of sharing human loss and the collective power of a shared cause makes room for more integrity and accountability in the field. However, many people see that missing in today’s philanthropic endeavors. Even with new commitments surrounding equity and the promotion of trust-based philanthropy, very few people in this sector practice the behaviors that genuinely build trust.

Although grassroots strategies and funding intermediaries have been pushed to the forefront in the past year, movement leaders have become increasingly concerned that foundational values may become subverted by disingenuous organizations. Some community leaders have even asked public foundations asking funders to support their groups on a bigger scale and resist grant making practices that undermine or unnecessarily copy their work.

Relationships and accountability make top priority between community organizations and philanthropic institutions, but so does including diversity in membership and protecting their values. And we must be mindful of supporting the intermediaries that give direct help and funds to community organizations, not just those behold to wealthy, institutional donors. In the meantime, today’s larger-scale philanthropic organizations will be more effective being mindful of how grassroots trends are shaping the future of philanthropy:

Deeper Partnerships

Thinking about philanthropy in a more profound way often means collaboration more through new or deeper partnerships. Philanthropic conservation efforts, for instance, are already witnessing large-scale, multiorganizational initiatives with large volumes of funding attached. The trend is likely to continue in the future. Organizations that don’t effectively work to build strong, long-term partnerships with both international and local organizations/groups are likely to fall behind in their efforts.

Local Investment

The growing agency and support for local leadership, along with increased support for social justice and equity issues, will catalyze a greater focus on finding more innovative ways to support local organizations and their leaders. This will continue beyond traditional field projects or NGOs, into more effective organizational structures working with social movements and enterprises. We’ll more actively address important and often overlooked issues related to race, diversity and more which draws on similar and advanced efforts regarding these issues in the larger social context. International partnerships and expanded national programs based overseas will become more prominent. There will also be greater scrutiny on those in power, the voices and agency in preserving upgraded research and conservation efforts in various philanthropic sectors.

Global Initiatives 

While local grassroots initiatives are helping local philanthropic endeavors grow, they will also influence global philanthropic goals in a much broader sense. The scale and resources to solve philanthropic challenges ranging from climate change, and world hunger to gender and racial equality, is growing. Many smaller-scale projects will become increasingly outdated and this has an important impact for both implementing field-based organizations and conservation donors. Organizations will have to reframe their work in a more meaningful way and with a more significant impact, so they can address the future.

Ultimately, grassroots trends raise vital questions that can strengthen the conversation in philanthropy in crucial ways — with better resources, deeper partnerships, more diversity, and stronger local grassroots leadership.