Rural LISC’s Post

Like everything else in life, philanthropy evolves and responds to the needs of society. In this very interesting article, Otto Scharmer describes the evolution of philanthropy and identifies four types of philanthropy that vary in complexity, but are all valid ways to contribute to the betterment of society. From our little corner of Bastion, we want to create systemic change by fostering a philanthropy movement in Latin America. Our founders are walking the talk by investing their resources in this effort. We want to create new philanthropists, we want good-hearted Latin Americans to join us in creating change for our region. There are many ways to help in whatever kind of philanthropy they want to do. We are here to help them. #smartphilanthropy #latinamerica #bethechange

Not only philanthropic activity, but sense making activities of complex systems in an effort to make changes to the causes and sources of societal/social issues that are upstream and impactful and sustainable, we need new ways of thinking and new tools for engaging. Otto Scharmer.... Stepping up philanthropic activity at the 4.0 level requires shifting the impact focus of philanthropy from downstream (short-term metrics) to upstream (evolving and transforming mindsets and operating systems). These evolutions require an inquiry into the root causes of the challenges we face. An amazing number of change makers worldwide are pursuing these inquiries. But they often must operate in isolation and frequently lack the methods and tools to approach transformative change more consciously and more collectively.

The field of pro-democracy philanthropy is in a moment of deep transformation. Learn the details about what that looks like for funders in the 2024 update of our "Field in Focus" report:

"Too frequently in the philanthropic sector, organizations awarded funding for capacity-building projects are not well-positioned to effectively utilize those funds to achieve the intended impact. The funding is essentially provided in a resource vacuum: grants invest in the operational infrastructure of organizations without investing in the human infrastructure. To help address this, capacity-building funding must be paired with a menu of resources that grantees can select from to meet their organization’s unique needs." Thank you Ed Braxton for giving voice to this! The future of the social impact sector depends on the future of the people who work in them. We too believe that leaders and their teams need to have more choice and involvement in determining what capacity building looks like for their organization. There is no one-size-fits-all approach! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gjw5BPYv

"Now more than ever, we need the leadership, vision, and brilliance of our nonprofit partners. A more equitable, just approach to accountability is fundamental to supporting them. When funders relinquish control and take responsibility for how we show up, we can cultivate relationships that unleash bold solutions." -Lorrie Fair Allen, Ashlee George, Charlize Theron | Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project For the future of #philanthropy to truly be trust-based we must signal to #nonprofits that accountability goes both ways and must be rooted in mutuality, relationships, and power analysis. Read more from "Reimagining Funder Accountability" below💡. #trustbasedphilanthropy #TheFutureofPhilanthropyIsTrustBased

In this article, authors Susan Misra and Marissa Guerrero, PhD reflect on what funders have learned over the last decade of grantmaking: What is the internal work that funders need to do to support systems change? How can funders be strategic and center grantee needs? Why is strong systems capacity critical to faster, deeper, better, different, or more long lasting change? Philanthropists are urged to rethink their approach, focusing on investing in systems' capacity for enduring change, rather than just funding outcomes. The authors stress the need for solutions deeply embedded within systems, capable of self-perpetuation. Drawing from diverse philanthropic experiences, they highlight key strategies for effective systems change: viewing system capacity as a critical outcome, combining responsiveness with strategy, and fostering broad buy-in across institutions. Examples from initiatives like The California Endowment and the Garfield Foundation illustrate how investments in capacity drive lasting systems change. The article emphasizes the pivotal role of philanthropy in strengthening civil society for sustained impact. https://lnkd.in/e3E7rzTq

Check out Sonia Perez's insightful post on the Center for Effective Philanthropy blog! She discusses how endowments can be a powerful tool in advancing equity. Click the link below to read more. Link: https://lnkd.in/gTz-UTYB

"The problem for philanthropists, in short, is that while targeted, programmatic investments can secure system-level outcomes, something more and distinct is required to sustain these outcomes. To change systems, therefore, funders need to invest in systems capacity." The article provides a highly useful differentiation between achieving outcomes and sustaining those outcomes when it comes to system change. This boils it down to a core aspect that is often overlooked in the system change debate. #systemschange #capacity #philanthropy https://lnkd.in/d2mawsdF

As philanthropic advisors, we were encouraged by this Financial Times article highlighting the potential of funder collaboratives for greater impact. We've witnessed firsthand how these collaboratives enable philanthropists and nonprofits to unite, delegating decision-making to individuals with lived and learned expertise. This approach centers on those who both need and understand the scale of social change required. The shift of power and resources to those facing injustice is crucial, not only for democracy but also for equity and long-term transformation. https://lnkd.in/eJ6d9HjE

🤝 Philanthropists are leveraging collaborative funding to amplify their impact. Partnering is certainly not always easy, yet it offers numerous advantages, such as learning opportunities and increased impact. By combining resources, funders can back impactful ideas with larger sums of money. Collaborative efforts also allow organisations to adopt a broader perspective on issues and take more significant risks. #philanthropy #impact #partnerships