Reflections on philanthropy and organizing in the United States

Philanthropic foundations play a major role in supporting community organizing efforts around the country. Even as they provide millions of dollars each year to enable organizing, they have also come under significant criticism for investment approaches that sometimes hinder and even undermine the core goals of organizing itself. This paper focuses on reflections from a funder seeking to support community organizing and the challenges of doing so within the structures of the philanthropic community. In particular the paper examines the way notions of power, theories of change used to justify philanthropic investments, and entrenched assumptions about social change shape the ability of funders to leverage their perch to support organizing. The paper also contextualizes these reflections in a broader debate about the appropriate relationship between funders and grassroots organizing.