Voices from the Field

Voices from the Field

The Homestead Foundation Moves Boldly and Urgently

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Shannon Cofrin Gaggero

We are living through a moment of grand scale reckoning. COVID-19 has disproportionately and negatively impacted the health of Black and brown communities; financial and educational disparities are exposed along clear racial lines; state violence and violence by white vigilantes against Black people have inspired sustained uprisings all over the country. Certainly, our country stands before a crossroads and so… Read More
Voices from the Field

#TrustCreatesImpact—Now More Than Ever  

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Julia Oestreich

trust
In the US, groups like the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project and The Whitman Institute have worked to shift the culture of philanthropy to focus on sharing power, working collaboratively, and building trust-based, equitable relationships. As the sector and the world have grappled with COVID-19 in recent months, it’s clear that the work these groups have elevated is becoming both increasingly critical… Read More
Voices from the Field

Philanthropy’s Privilege and Rethinking Risk

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Leaha Wynn

This article was originally published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy and is re-posted here with permission. Foundations have been described over the years as providers of necessary risk capital, society’s passing gear, or necessary fuel for social innovators. But what does that look like in 2020? Are funders truly behaving in this way, or are they, as Vu Le fears, complicit in a… Read More
Voices from the Field

Collaboration in a Time of Crisis

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Mary O’Reilly

stack of hands, teamwork
COVID-19 represents a war on two fronts—a public health crisis that has already killed over 400,000 people, and an economic one that has threatened the livelihoods of millions. Because the challenge is so massive, and the needs so great, collaborative philanthropy has been key to coordinating effective responses and allocating funds to reach the greatest number of people in need… Read More
Voices from the Field

How Family Funders Can Keep Equity Front and Center During and Following National Crises

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Danielle M. Allen

Photo credit: Clay Banks on Unsplash In late March, one of the family foundations I advise reached out to their grantees to check in and see how the organizations and their leaders were navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. They learned that some of their grantees were looking to support the urgent food, housing, and mental health needs of the families they… Read More
Voices from the Field

Make This Moment a Tipping Point, Not a Tragedy

Posted on June 9, 2020 by Diana Scearce

Scale, justice
Centuries old racial inequity has been laid bare. 111,000 Americans are dead from COVID-19. 21 million people are out of work. Communities brace themselves for wildfires in the west, hurricanes in the east, and turbulence around the 2020 Presidential election. Turbulence with this level of global reach, systemic impact, and sustained uncertainty is unprecedented. The results could be transformational—or tragic… Read More
Voices from the Field

Let’s Live it Well: Family Funders Investing in Capacity When It’s Most Needed

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Juliette Cho

fabric heart on rope
Even in times of good health, nonprofits operate under tight financial and human capital constraints. As the devastating effects of COVID-19 have unfolded over the past few months, we have seen far too many nonprofits who do some of our most important work—providing essential services to children, the elderly, the homeless, victims of violence—and those who bring us joy and… Read More
Voices from the Field

Learning as We Go: A Regional Family Foundation Responds to the COVID Pandemic

Posted on May 25, 2020 by David Farren

South Carolina marshland
No doubt, the COVID-19 crisis elicits a strong sense of purpose in every grantmaker, interspersed with moments of feeling overwhelmed. How do we meet all of the pressing needs in a society with a relatively weak social safety net and glaring inequalities, relative to our collective resources? How much should we deviate from our existing programs and grantees? What is… Read More
Voices from the Field

Four Questions to Get Maximum Impact During This Crisis

Posted on May 20, 2020 by Kris Putnam-Walkerly

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Putnam Consulting Group and is re-posted here with permission. You’re just the philanthropic leader we need. If you are like most funders or philanthropy-serving organizations, in the past couple of months you’ve done one of two things: You jumped into action, heroically extending or eliminating grant deadlines, providing additional funding without applications,… Read More

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