Trust-Based Blog
Reimagining philanthropy begins with learning out loud.
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.
Dear MacKenzie Scott, Thank You For Your Trust-Based Philanthropy
In this letter to MacKenzie Scott, The Whitman Institute’s co-executive director Pia Infante reflects on Ms. Scott’s 2020 giving. “Ms. Scott, you have changed the philanthropic landscape – for good – and shown that a non-traditional, more equitable way of giving is possible.”
How One Foundation Became The First (Trust-Based) Follower
As president of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Philip Li has taken the foundation in a decisively trust-based direction. In this interview, he shares what’s at the core of this decision, how he became a follower (in the best way), and what advice he has for those considering a trust-based approach.
Grantee Perspective: The Deep Architecture of Trust
After receiving a Stanton Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation in 2012, Paula Daniels realized the profound power of a culture built on trust. Paula reflects on this experience, and the transformative path it opened. “I’ve come to realize,” Paula shares, “that trust has a deep architecture, and is built one respectful brick at a time.”
Foundation Leaders, It’s Time to Shrink the Gap Between Words & Deeds
As a trust-based philanthropy advocate and co-executive director of The Whitman Institute, John Esterle has long considered multiyear general operating support a best practice for effective grantmaking. In this Center for Effective Philanthropy blog post, Esterle unpacks why so many foundation leaders support this approach in theory, but stop short of actually providing it.
The Secret to Making Decisions in Times of Crisis
What does it really take for a foundation’s staff and board to make productive decisions together in times of crisis? Durfee Foundation President Carrie Avery explains that for Durfee, it is all about trust – both with grantee partners, and also the trust they’ve built internally as a staff and board.
Introducing The Ethos of Being Trust-Based
The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Philanthropy California, and GEO are excited to launch a new five-part webinar series: Ethos of Being Trust-Based. The series will run from December 2020-April 2021, and is open to all participants.
How Hill-Snowdon Foundation Became More Creative, Responsive, and Trust-Based
Nat Chioke Williams is the Executive Director of the Hill-Snowdon Foundation. We sat down with him to hear more about the foundation’s work to further equity and justice, and the processes they’ve put in place to make that possible.
The Compton Foundation’s Trust-Based Approach to Spending Down
Ellen Friedman has been executive director of the Compton Foundation for 10 years. We sat down with Ellen to hear about her trust-based journey, and the Foundation’s decision to spend out rather than exist in perpetuity.
Adapting and Accountability in Philanthropy
In the face of uncertainty and change, what is philanthropy’s purpose both right now and in helping to deliver a just and sustainable recovery? Solomé Lemma, Executive Director of Thousand Currents, reflects on the future of philanthropy and why it must be trust-based.
Trust-Based Philanthropy Begins With Confronting Systemic Power Imbalances
Leaders in philanthropy have stepped up and spoken out about the many ways philanthropy has upheld and reinforced systemic racism and white supremacist culture. For many in the sector, this is a tough pill to swallow, but it is necessary medicine if we truly want to achieve a vision of a more equitable, sustainable, and democratic society.
No Agenda, and Other Lessons from Global Fund for Children
Because the Global Fund for Children’s work is child- and youth-centered, it’s inherently about power. In recent years, the Fund has examined what true collaboration looks like not only in their grantmaking, but in the myriad of ways that funders can provide additional support. We sat down with Vice President of Programs Corey Oser to hear more.
A Tale of Two Funders
Amber Twitchell has worked in the nonprofit sector for almost 20 years. The current crisis has presented challenges she has never seen before. In this blog post, she reflects on the range of experiences she’s had with funders in response to covid-19. Amber highlights two foundations from the same community, yet still worlds apart.
For Weissberg Foundation, Trust-Based Philanthropy Starts With Internal Culture-Building
The Weissberg Foundation in Arlington, VA is a justice-oriented family foundation that has always leaned on its values to drive its grantmaking. In 2016, Hanh Le took the helm as the organization’s executive director, which set the organization on a learning journey to be more intentionally power-aware and trust-based.
The Urgency of Trust-Based Philanthropy
As sectors and organizations are reassessing the status quo, philanthropy has a unique, and urgent, opportunity. The Whitman Institute’s co-executive director John Esterle reflects on how foundations must meet the moment we are in with responsiveness, adaptability, and creativity. “To do so means rethinking basic assumptions about impact and attribution, power and control, learning and relationships, role and job, endowments and organization lifespans.”
Trust-Based Philanthropy is Trending. What Will It Take To Sustain It?
As more and more funders recognize the importance of ceding and sharing power with an eye toward bringing some relief to our nonprofit partners and the communities they serve, we have reached an important inflection point. Will everything go back to the status quo after all this is over, or will our sector finally realize the long-term benefits of a trust-based approach?
In the Face of a Pandemic, Foundations Adopt Trust-Based Principles
Last week, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, several of the nation’s top foundations pledged to ease or eliminate restrictions on grants, reduce asks of grantees, and support and uplift the voices of grantee partners. The Whitman Institute’s Pia Infante reflects on what happens after the pledge, how our words translate to embodied action, and how we can use this moment to assert values of power-sharing and equity.
Philanthropy Needs To Trust Nonprofits Now More Than Ever
COVID-19 is undoubtedly the largest global crisis we will face, and we don’t yet know what the full ripple effects of this pandemic will be. In times of crisis, trust and collaboration are essential. This reflection urges the philanthropic community to consider how trust-based philanthropy can be a particularly effective way to support nonprofit partners in meaningful ways.
How Giving “Beyond the Check” Is Central to Weingart's Strategy
More and more grantmaking organizations recognize that additional forms of non-monetary support can make a big difference for nonprofits. Offering support “beyond the check” can help nonprofits do critical work that doesn’t strictly fall into grantmaking. The Weingart Foundation has been using this strategy to support grantees’ work. Vera de Vera, Weingart Foundation’s Director, Leadership for Movements, shares her insights.
How Claneil Foundation Puts Relationships into Practice
Claneil Foundation has valued the importance of relationship since its inception. Over the last four years the foundation has deliberately reexamined its practices with this lens – and it’s been transformational. We sat down with Executive Director Mailee Walker to shed more light on the foundation’s approach, and where they’re headed next.
Confessions of a Former Nonprofit ED
Trust-Based Philanthropy Project Director Shaady Salehi reflects on her experience as a first-time executive director, the challenges and power dynamics she faced, and what motivates her to be a part of the growing advocacy movement to make trust-based practices the norm.