Sign the Philanthropic Commitment for Trust-Based Action

By Shaady Salehi & Pia Infante

3/26/25

We made a big announcement today.

Together with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) and the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP), we released a call to action to address the gap of coordinated response from the philanthropic sector. The new public commitment invites funders to work together to move in solidarity with nonprofits, mobilize money in trust-based ways, and nurture possibility and innovation.

Read the full commitment here. 

The recommended actions emerged from conversations with and insights from dozens of nonprofit and foundation leaders about the most strategic and impactful ways that philanthropy can show up for the sector right now. The sector's challenges are particularly pronounced right now, with nearly 90% of nonprofits reporting that the current political climate is negatively affecting their organizations.

The details of the commitment were shared today on the first session of our monthly Meeting the Moment series, with nearly 400 funders in attendance. In addition to emphasizing signature trust-based practices such as multi-year unrestricted funding, simplified and streamlined processes, transparency and responsiveness, and support beyond the check, the commitment also encourages funders to think creatively about ways to collaborate, increase their grantmaking budgets, and to nurture nonprofit innovation and reimagination amid a highly uncertain future. We will continue to support learning and action around these recommendations through our ongoing programming and peer networking over the next several months.

If you're a funder or grantmaker, we invite you to review and sign the commitment so we can connect you with others who are interested in coordinated action. If you are not a funder, but want to help spread the word, share this commitment with funder colleagues, and use it as a tool to spark necessary discussion and action. 

As our sector and our communities face real threats, we firmly believe that our survival depends on coordinated action that supports values of equity, inclusion, and community accountability. Let’s raise the bar when we can, and resist lowering it each time a crisis comes to pass.

Shaady Salehi is Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Trust Based Philanthropy Project.

Pia Infante is Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Trust Based Philanthropy Project.