Tools & Resources to Shift Power to Communities
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Looking at your role/function within your foundation.
What are listening practices that can shift power?
Assess how you are listening through a set of reflection questions.
Are you a donor or do you advise donors?
If you are a foundation donor — or work closely with donors — you have unique opportunities to shift your mindset from one of ownership over the organization’s wealth to one of stewarding resources into the hands and control of impacted communities. With this kind of reframing, defined by, and advanced through, listening to the people and communities your foundation seeks to serve, you’ll be creating a legacy of partnership that delivers resources where they are needed most.
Note: If you’re a fundraiser, take a look at what community-centric fundraising is all about.
Get going with these tools and resources
Join a network of funders and donor organizers committed to building relationships with social movement leaders to provide support for transformational change toward a more just and collective future.
Resource Generation offers resources and programming to young people with wealth or class privilege, or who are involved in family foundations to learn more about philanthropy around social, racial, economic, or environmental justice. Use this guidance to help you make sense of all the opportunities to give and move your money in the direction of social change efforts led by people most impacted by injustice.
This guide invites you to reflect on four principles — accountability, equity, learning, and relationships — considering the meaning of each, how they manifest in your foundation’s philanthropic purpose, and how they show up in governance, grantmaking, and operations.
Pro tip: National Center for Family Philanthropy’s website offers additional resources to help families realize the purpose and potential of philanthropy for meaningful impact.
Get inspired by what other funders are doing
Through a community-based research process that tapped the wisdom of local movement leaders and grantee partners, the Tzedek Social Justice Fund recognized that it needed board members with direct experience doing the kind of work that Tzedek funds. Founder and donor Amy Mandel stepped down from the board, and Tzedek is now governed by a board of community leaders with diverse backgrounds and lived experience.
Explore this menu to spark the changes you want to see.
Mix and match to find the examples, resources, and reflections best suited to help you and your organization shift power to the people and communities at the heart of your work.
Have questions about the menu or ideas for resources or examples?
Please reach out to our communications manager, Debra Blum.
