Our Purpose
Nonprofits are often at the forefront of social change, supporting ideas and solutions that reflect the dreams and needs of communities. Yet, for far too long, philanthropy has relied on approaches to funding that block rather than bolster the critical work of nonprofits and movements. The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project exists to reverse that trend, reimagining the role of philanthropy in order to advance a more just and equitable society.
We build tools, conduct experiments, forge alliances, and deploy narrative strategies to realize a future where trust-based philanthropy is the standard of practice for all philanthropies committed to a just and equitable society. We envision a world where relationships are built on vulnerability, transparency, and humility; where community and nonprofit leaders are valued, supported, and trusted; and where funders bring an awareness of power and equity to their grantmaking. In this future, funders work alongside communities and nonprofits to understand what is needed and how they can creatively and expansively leverage their assets to advance positive change.
Our History
The roots of trust-based philanthropy trace back to The Whitman Institute (TWI), a San Francisco-based foundation that sunsetted in 2022. The foundation’s co-executive directors, John Esterle and Pia Infante, saw their role as supporters and amplifiers of leaders deeply experienced in the issues they were working on. They focused their energies on building deep relationships with their partners, listening to their needs, and serving as thought partners and co-conspirators in realizing their missions. Multi-year, unrestricted support became a pillar of their approach, as did restorative retreats, dialogic learning exchanges in place of written reports, and holistic support for nonprofit leaders.
Responding to feedback from their grantee partners, John and Pia focused a significant portion of The Whitman Institute’s final ten years inviting funders to interrogate power imbalances in their philanthropy. Knowing they would benefit from a name and frame to ground their peer organizing, they coined the approach “trust-based philanthropy” – inspired directly from grantee input about the importance of a mutually trusting funder-grantee relationship.
This early organizing planted the seeds for what would eventually become the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, a dedicated community of practice launched in 2020 to support the adoption of trust-based philanthropy sector-wide. Since then, a growing number of funders have embraced the approach, recognizing that the path to social impact is more effective when funders operate with a sense of collective accountability to nonprofits and communities. As the field of philanthropy undergoes unprecedented shifts to advance more equitable and power-conscious approaches, the Project has evolved to meet the growing needs and priorities of the sector.
Acknowledgments
This work has been made possible through the tireless efforts of many foundation and nonprofit leaders who have helped us build out this movement, notably our co-founders: John Esterle, Pia Infante, Shaady Salehi, Brenda Solorzano, Phil Li, and Lisa Cowan. We are also grateful to our steering committee members who contributed guidance and thought leadership during the early stages of our work: Phil Li of Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, Brenda Solorzano formerly of Headwaters Foundation, Carrie Avery formerly of Durfee Foundation, Solome Lemma of Thousand Currents, Sarah Walczyk of Satterberg Foundation, Dimple Abichandani formerly of General Service Foundation, John Brothers of T. Rowe Price Foundation, Pamela Ross formerly of Indianapolis Foundation, and Gabriela Alcalde of Elmina B. Sewall Foundation. We also want to acknowledge key staff who have helped us fortify and strengthen our efforts throughout our evolution: Maya Trabin, Ayushi Vig, Caitlan Cole, Eddie Whitfield, Eleni Refu, Rashanda Freeman, Chantias Ford, and Danielle LaJoie.
