Insights From Our 2022 Grantmaker Survey
Earlier this year, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project put out our 2022 Community Survey to explore three questions that can help us better support and inform the work of funders on the trust-based philanthropy journey. Specifically, we wanted to explore:
What aspects of trust-based philanthropy grantmakers are most engaged with,
Which tools and resources are most effective, and
What challenges and misperceptions are getting in the way.
In total, we heard from 141 respondents. While the vast majority of participants are well on their way to implementing trust-based philanthropy, how they experience, implement, and see trust-based philanthropy was not a monolith. For example:
In terms of how grantmakers perceive trust-based philanthropy, most resonated with the emphasis that this approach places on building authentic and long-term relationships with grantees
Grantmakers see trust-based philanthropy as a strategy to carry out their racial equity goals
While there was some consistency among the major challenges funders named to implementing a trust-based approach (the main one being board/trustee resistance), they identified a range of other, varied obstacles depending on the size and structure of the grantmaking organization
Some respondents named the need for more clarity, specifically around trust-based philanthropy being equated with unconditional trust
Similarly, some trust-based funders continue to come across the misperception that this approach lacks methodology or rigor.