• Description

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.