Trust-Based Blog

Reimagining philanthropy begins with learning out loud.

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By sharing ideas, with curiosity and humility, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project blog features trust-based grantmakers who talk about their own lessons, questions, and aha-moments along their power-sharing journeys.

 
Invitation Only: Closing the Door to Equity?
Do the Homework Claire Peeps Do the Homework Claire Peeps

Invitation Only: Closing the Door to Equity?

After more than 20 years of grantmaking in Los Angeles County, you’d think the Durfee Foundation would know all of the eligible nonprofits in the region. But as Claire Peeps, Executive Director of Durfee, reflects - that’s not the case. Claire writes, “Even with our lean staffing, we think it’s increasingly important to keep the door open, so let me share with you why and how we do it.”

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6 Components of a Trust-Based Relationship
Pia Infante Pia Infante

6 Components of a Trust-Based Relationship

There are as many ways to enter into trust-based philanthropy as there are reasons funders are embracing this approach. Pia Infante, co-executive director of The Whitman Institute, reflects on the stages of this approach, and the one element that stands at the center of all the trust-based principles: developing and nurturing relationships of mutual trust and partnership, including accounting for and actively reimagining power dynamics.

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A Pop Princess Helped My Foundation Articulate Our Values
Hanh Le Hanh Le

A Pop Princess Helped My Foundation Articulate Our Values

Weissberg Foundation’s executive director Hanh Le was tasked with helping the board reflect on and define the organization’s core values. Naturally, she brought in Katy Perry. Le reflects on using a “third object” to spark reflective thinking about big, shared goals. “Why did this work so well? I think the introduction of a song disrupted our usual patterns of communication.”

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True Philanthropy is More Than Money Delivered Fast
Multi-Year Unrestricted Brenda Solorzano Multi-Year Unrestricted Brenda Solorzano

True Philanthropy is More Than Money Delivered Fast

In this post, Brenda Solorzano, CEO of the Headwaters Foundation, gives context and analysis to Jeff Bezos’ fast-moving, red-tape cutting philanthropy. One thing that’s missing: a commitment to power sharing and collaboration. Without those, Bezos runs the risk of being as challenging as the traditional philanthropic models he’s attempting to combat.

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Exploring the Principles: Give Multiyear, Unrestricted Funding
Multi-Year Unrestricted Lisa Cowan Multi-Year Unrestricted Lisa Cowan

Exploring the Principles: Give Multiyear, Unrestricted Funding

Lisa Cowan, Vice President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, has a reminder for funders (including herself): “As funders, we must recognize that we are not experts at running the organizations we fund… When i give a grant, I gratefully part with the foundations’ dollars, to make sure that those funds go to someone who knows more than I do.”

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Exploring the Principles: Be Transparent & Responsive
Be Transparent Philip Li Be Transparent Philip Li

Exploring the Principles: Be Transparent & Responsive

Phil Li reflects on his own surprise at his role as President and CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, a feeling Lisa Cowan, Vice President, shares. “In some ways, we are naïve about the inherent power dynamic that lies between funders and grantees. Both Lisa and I used to be heads of nonprofits, and we sometimes forget that we are ‘The Funder’ and not just Lisa and Phil.”

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Exploring the Principles: Offer Support Beyond the Check
Support Beyond the Check Lisa Cowan Support Beyond the Check Lisa Cowan

Exploring the Principles: Offer Support Beyond the Check

Lisa Cowan, Vice President at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, reflects on a two-day funder-grantee retreat aimed at getting to know each other, building trust, and learning about each other’s work. In this blog post, she shares what can come out of such “beyond the check” experiences, and considers what else could be done differently.

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Exploring the Principles: Do the Homework
Do the Homework Philip Li Do the Homework Philip Li

Exploring the Principles: Do the Homework

As one of the six pillars of Trust-Based Philanthropy, “Do the homework” is a reminder that the onus is on foundations to understand nonprofit organizations, and seek to understand how they might fit the foundation’s interests. Phil Li, President and CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, reflects on that responsibility, and opportunity.

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It's a Matter of Trust
Philip Li Philip Li

It's a Matter of Trust

Trust-Based Philanthropy is not a new concept, but naming it has power. Phil Li, President & CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation reflects on how naming the practice helped the foundation and like-minded funders recognize shared approaches to grantmaking, and to identify some principles around those approaches.

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