Participatory Grantmaking and Trust-Based Philanthropy

While neither identical nor mutually exclusive, trust-based philanthropy and participatory grantmaking both attend to the power dynamics inherent in funding relationships. Because both approaches attend to power, they also share values of advancing equity, building relationships, centering community expertise, and continually self-reflecting. With so much overlap, it’s no surprise that many trust-based funders and participatory grantmakers look to each other’s practices—like unrestricted funding and community grant committees—to better embody their values.

In this webinar, hosted in partnership with the Participatory Grantmakers Community and Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, we share an overview of the two approaches and three panelists from across the participatory and trust-based spectrums offer advice, examples, and frameworks for how this unique overlap manifests in their work—including the continual unlearning of the scarcity and mistrust borne out of institutional oppression and systemic racism. They delve into what it takes to build and extend trust within a participatory framework, and how to bolster the strengths of the intersecting approaches while also attending to their tensions and challenges.

Speakers

• Hanh Le, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, if, A Foundation for Radical Possibility

• Lisa Small, Deputy Director of Youth Justice, Liberty Hill Foundation

• Pamela Ross, Vice President of Community Leadership & Equitable Initiatives, Central Indiana Community Foundation

• Jen Bokoff, Director of Development, Disability Rights Fund, moderator

• Shaady Salehi, Director, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, moderator