There Is No Trust-Based Philanthropy Without Equity

Since launching the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, the most referenced resource on our website, by far, has been our 2-page overview. It’s the go-to document dropped into Zoom chat windows, the discussion-ripe intro program staff share at meetings, the case-making first step executive directors give to board chairs. People thank us for this concise, handy reference for what trust-based philanthropy is. So, why did we ditch it?

Our understanding of trust-based philanthropy has always included the need to address not just power dynamics between funders and nonprofits generally, but also to ensure that those efforts are rooted in and working toward racial justice and other forms of equity. If there were any doubts, philanthropy in 2020 showed us that not everyone is on the same page about what our collective call to action as a sector is (nor the pace at which we must move to support social change). In a moment when so much is at stake for our communities, this translates into a need to be crystal clear about what trust-based philanthropy is, and isn’t. When it comes to the role of funders, we believe that trust-based philanthropy cannot be operationalized without addressing built-in biases, systemic racism, and other inequalities. 

This work is complex, and people come to it from different starting points, lived experiences, and challenges. We realize our updated Overview is longer, and that we might actually lose some foundations in making this shift. But this is a document that reflects our true approach. 

We invite funders who are serious about making a trust-based approach the new norm for our sector to join us, including facing the ways we, personally and organizationally, have contributed to or perpetuated inequities.

We hope you’ll explore the updated Overview, and let us know what you think and how you’re using it.