Participatory Grantmaking

Special Collection

Participatory grantmaking encompasses a range of models, methods, challenges, and insights. At its core, this approach to funding cedes decision-making power about grants to the very communities impacted by funding decisions. This special collection gathers the experience and insights of funders who have shifted power and builds on the wisdom explored in the GrantCraft guide "Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources through Participatory Grantmaking".

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INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S FLOW FUND: 2020 - 2021 Storytelling

May 1, 2021

The Indigenous Women's Flow Fund (IWFF) is an Indigenous-led grantmaking program that nourishes community-sourced initiatives and offers solutions and alternatives to systems in crisis. Grounded in trust-based philanthropic approaches, IWFF brings together five Indigenous women from across the United States, for a three-year period, to be decision-makers over grantmaking dollars and shape the program according to their vision.

Social Justice Funders SPOTLIGHT: The Headwaters Foundation

October 1, 2019

Social Justice Funders Spotlights present stories of innovative, effective social justice philanthropy in action. Each spotlight focuses upon a grantmaker and a grantee.Headwaters FoundationThis spotlight is part of Sillerman's Participatory Grantmaking project.

Social Justice Funders SPOTLIGHT: The Hyams Foundation

October 1, 2019

Social Justice Funders Spotlights present stories of innovative, effective social justice philanthropy in action. Each spotlight focuses upon a grantmaker and a grantee.Hyams FoundationThis spotlight is part of Sillerman's Participatory Grantmaking project.

Change, Not Charity: The Story of the Funding Exchange - A Pioneer in Social Justice Philanthropy

January 25, 2017

This publication tells the story of the Funding Exchange, a pioneering national network of social justice foundations that was created in 1979 and operated for nearly 35 years before deciding to disband. Its purpose is to provide an honest exploration of the Funding Exchange's experience – the network's significant influence as well as the problems and internal strains that led to its eventual dissolution.The story offers lessons that have practical relevance for today's social justice activists and funders, philanthropy scholars, and foundation professionals.

Collaborating With The Crowd: Insights From The 2014 My LA2050 Grants Challenge

July 13, 2015

In 2013, LA2050 asked the Los Angeles community to dream up the most imaginative ideas on how to improve the future of Los Angeles. What we found was so much more than ten fabulous winning proposals -- we found that Los Angeles is bursting with creative ideas to improve communities. We released the report Unleashing the Potential of Los Angeles to interpret the trends, tools, and ideas that emerged in 2013. We ran the My LA2050 Grants Challenge again in 2014, and Los Angeles did not disappoint. This paper, Collaborating with the Crowd, shares data, emerging trends, and evaluative metrics which surfaced in the 2014 My LA2050 Grants Challenge.

Philanthropyandthe New Economy: Models for Collaborative and Democratic Innovation

May 1, 2014

The New Economy Coalition sponsored this paper by the Tellus Institute to begin a conversation about federated funding and other models of philanthropy that might be particularly useful to movement building. Most of the organizations in the New Economy Coalition would not exist without the exceptional generosity and commitment of individuals and foundations. The boldness and leadership of these donors has allowed many new ideas to germinate and grow. At the same time, some models of philanthropy can sometimes have a dampening effect on collaboration by forcing too many organizations to compete, rather than to cooperate. This background paper offers information about the history and design of different types of giving, as a way of asking whether additional innovation within philanthropy might be a way to enhance the impact of the emergent New Economy movement. We hope that this will stimulate important conversations and experiments. We look forward to hearing everyone's views.

Emerging Opportunities: Giving and Participation by Silicon Valley Asian American Communities

March 29, 2012

Based on interviews, examines experiences, motivations, priorities, and values with regard to philanthropy among Asian Americans in the Valley, including how the entrepreneurial culture shapes approaches to philanthropy, social change, and networking.