This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of trust-based philanthropy as it applies specifically to giving circles. Included in the guide, you can find a list of frequently asked questions, outlines of concrete steps you can take, and a list of additional resources| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This guide highlights the challenges faced by community-based organizations and their priorities for change in philanthropy and global development. It examines how funders can strengthen trust, flexibility, and partnership in funding to nourish community-led change.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Phil Li reflects on his own surprise at his role as President and CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, a feeling Lisa Cowan, Vice President, shares. “In some ways, we are naïve about the inherent power dynamic that lies between funders and grantees. Both Lisa and I used to be heads of nonpro| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Last week, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, several of the nation’s top foundations pledged to ease or eliminate restrictions on grants, reduce asks of grantees, and support and uplift the voices of grantee partners. The Whitman Institute’s Pia Infante reflects on what happens after the| Trust-Based Philanthropy
These examples demonstrate structured ways that funders can provide support beyond the check.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This one-pager outlines concrete steps funders can take today in their organization’s culture, structure, and leadership to support their grant partners beyond the check| Trust-Based Philanthropy
How does trust-based philanthropy apply to film and arts funding? In this webinar, featuring the latest research on the state of film funding, three funders share how they are implementing trust-based practices and what they're learning along the way.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
More and more grantmaking organizations recognize that additional forms of non-monetary support can make a big difference for nonprofits. Offering support “beyond the check” can help nonprofits do critical work that doesn’t strictly fall into grantmaking. The Weingart Foundation has been using this| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Lisa Cowan, Vice President at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, reflects on a two-day funder-grantee retreat aimed at getting to know each other, building trust, and learning about each other’s work. In this blog post, she shares what can come out of such “beyond the check” experiences, and cons| Trust-Based Philanthropy
The Durfee Foundation’s approach is almost hard-wired to be trust-based. President Carrie Avery reflects that “the trust-based part comes into play because we trust (nonprofit) leaders to forge their own path and do what they need to get at the root of their questions.” Learn more about how Durfee s| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This resource from the Equitable Evaluation Framework™ (EEF) provides guidance on how to align your purpose, practices, processes, and policies with your foundation’s stated values and intentions.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
In this six-part webinar series, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project and featured speakers address common questions, clarify misconceptions, and explore ways to overcome obstacles in implementing trust-based philanthropy.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This resource from the S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation provides guidance and practical steps for how to navigate the ending of a grantmaking relationship in a way that maintains your grantee partner’s needs in mind.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Many nonprofit leaders are focus-grouped and surveyed and interviewed into oblivion, and never hear what comes of their ideas. Lisa Cowan, Vice President at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, shares an experience she had with grantees that drove home for just how important it is to both solicit a| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Amber Twitchell has worked in the nonprofit sector for almost 20 years. The current crisis has presented challenges she has never seen before. In this blog post, she reflects on the range of experiences she’s had with funders in response to covid-19. Amber highlights two foundations from the same co| Trust-Based Philanthropy
As sectors and organizations are reassessing the status quo, philanthropy has a unique, and urgent, opportunity. The Whitman Institute’s co-executive director John Esterle reflects on how foundations must meet the moment we are in with responsiveness, adaptability, and creativity. “To do so means re| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This guide provides specific suggestions for a key element of trust-based structures: The grants management system. It is designed to provide a set of concrete features, integrations, and accessibility standards that you can use to advance your trust-based operations.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This collection of welcome letters from Thousand Currents and the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) demonstrate how funders can lead with trust and center relationships when embarking on new grantee partner relationships.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Check out these trust-based decision-making tools designed to support the grantmaking decision process| Trust-Based Philanthropy
What happens when foundations accept proposals written for other funders? They get everything they need, it turns out. Lisa Cowan reflects on the practice at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, where she serves as Vice President.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Since 2016, Phil Li of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation has taken dramatic steps toward embodying trust-based philanthropy, including getting rid of lengthy reporting requirements and shifting toward multi-year unrestricted support.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Brenda Solorzano has led the Headwaters Foundation in Missoula, Montana with a commitment to trust-based philanthropy since its inception in 2018. This commitment has led to a number of innovations – including GO! Grants that are designed to put grant funds in the hands of grantees in less than a| Trust-Based Philanthropy
As a guest on the Do Your Good podcast, Shaady Salehi breaks down trust-based philanthropy’s grounding in relational approaches to grantmaking, including orientations to learning and evaluation that mitigate power dynamics and account for complex ecosystems of change.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Chantias Ford, Director of Programs and Strategic Learning at the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, joins Monique Curry-Mims & Valerie Johnson on the Beyond Philanthropy Podcast to discuss the framework of Trust-Based Philanthropy, its critics, trust washing, and the future of trust in phila| Trust-Based Philanthropy
These sample unrestricted grant agreements from the North Star Fund, the Dorot Foundation, and the General Services Foundation provide language that focus on reducing the burden on grantees through more streamlined processes.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
In this post, Brenda Solorzano, CEO of the Headwaters Foundation, gives context and analysis to Jeff Bezos’ fast-moving, red-tape cutting philanthropy. One thing that’s missing: a commitment to power sharing and collaboration. Without those, Bezos runs the risk of being as challenging as the traditi| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Lisa Cowan, Vice President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, has a reminder for funders (including herself): “As funders, we must recognize that we are not experts at running the organizations we fund… When i give a grant, I gratefully part with the foundations’ dollars, to make sure that tho| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Several years ago, The Satterberg Foundation’s leadership decided to transform its grantmaking processes in an effort to build greater transparency and better alignment with their core values, including a shift to multi-year, unrestricted grants. Hear more from Executive Director, Sarah Walczyk.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This four-part series invites funders to consider a multi-dimensional approach to the trust-based journey, which trust-based values shape grantmaking practices, culture, Structure, and leadership.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This guide provides a 2-page overview of the trust-based philanthropy approach, including the six practices of trust-based grantmaking.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
The Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity created this guide to help foundation leaders understand what it means to move from racial equity to racial justice funding strategies.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
This guide provides insight on what it really means to do the homework and outlines action steps funders can take to meaningfully incorporate this practice in their organizational structure, culture, and relationships.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Thousand Currents’ funding model is inherently trust-based, with an approach rooted in trusting the expertise of the leaders in the communities they serve. Executive Director Solomé Lemma shares her thoughts about how trust-based philanthropy enables them to advance their goals for social transforma| Trust-Based Philanthropy
As one of the six pillars of Trust-Based Philanthropy, “Do the homework” is a reminder that the onus is on foundations to understand nonprofit organizations, and seek to understand how they might fit the foundation’s interests. Phil Li, President and CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, refl| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Funders, now is the time to show up for nonprofits, mobilize money, and nurture possibility.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Shaady Salehi| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Be Transparent & Responsive| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Look through this guide to find a compilation of the most commonly used terms and phrases used in the context of trust-based philanthropy and their definitions.| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Support Beyond the Check| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Solicit & Act on Feedback| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Simplify & Streamline Paperwork| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Multi-Year, Unrestricted Funding| Trust-Based Philanthropy
Do the Homework| Trust-Based Philanthropy
After more than 20 years of grantmaking in Los Angeles County, you’d think the Durfee Foundation would know all of the eligible nonprofits in the region. But as Claire Peeps, Executive Director of Durfee, reflects - that’s not the case. Claire writes, “Even with our lean staffing, we think it’s incr| Trust-Based Philanthropy
A cornerstone of trust-based philanthropy is a set of grantmaking practices that facilitate trust and transparency between funders and nonprofits.| Trust-Based Philanthropy