What Critics Are Getting Wrong About Trust-Based Philanthropy

By Shaady Salehi

2/13/2024

In recent weeks, we’ve seen a flurry of articles stoking doubt and confusion about trust-based philanthropy. The perspectives have ranged from skeptical curiosity to outright dismissal. On the positive side, these reactions affirm that our movement has become powerful enough to inspire debate and conversation. On a more troubling note, they are perpetuating misinformation.

One of the most oversimplified misperceptions of trust-based philanthropy is that it is about giving money with no strings attached. This opens the door for critics to make unfounded claims about trust-based philanthropy as loose, unstrategic, and lacking in accountability and outcomes. Many of us know this is untrue, but the following points bear emphasis:

• Accountability is at the heart of trust-based philanthropy. By focusing on relationship-building and trust, it creates the conditions for dialogue, transparency, and mutual accountability between funders and nonprofits. And that partnership is rooted in a shared sense of accountability to communities.

• Trust-based philanthropy is geared toward achieving results. It is built on the common-sense premise that advancing tangible social impact requires funders to listen to those who are closest to the issues. It also acknowledges that funder-imposed barriers are often the greatest inhibitors of impact.

• Trust-based philanthropy and rigorous evaluation are not mutually exclusive. TBP encourages funders to acknowledge the complex web of social change variables, and look beyond narrow project-specific metrics. TBP incorporates real-time learning with grantees, funder self-evaluation, and long-term data assessments to understand the complexities of social change.

• Grantmakers play an important role. Trust-based philanthropy invites grantmakers to take a different role than in conventional philanthropy. Rather than focusing on monitoring and compliance, trust-based grantmakers use their time and talents to bring a birds-eye view to their work, actively listen for trends and insights, connect dots, and organize with other funders to accelerate collective impact.

We recently published an op-ed in the Chronicle of Philanthropy reinforcing some of these points, alongside complementary perspectives from other foundation leaders. There have also been thoughtful articles published by other advocates across the sector who are stepping up and speaking out on behalf of this work. Clearly, our efforts have grown into a veritable sector-wide movement.