We’ve recently come upon a philosophy that encouraged us to see in print. Trust Based Philanthropy! What a concept! It is our hope that this strategy can permeate the landscape of giving and encourage others to see nonprofit leaders as partners in solving the challenges of this life.
So often, donors lord power over the folks in the trenches and this perpetuates the inequity in the relationship. The nonprofit leader KNOWS they are dependent on the generosity of strangers and this can be crippling. What if I the budget we’re using isn’t clear? Will they ask questions about it? What if I use the wrong tone at the meeting? What are they thinking? What’s the magic word to get them to trust us? If we as funders would internalize the idea that this is a partnership and that they (the nonprofit) are doing something we can’t do and we have something they don’t have and normalize a healthy equitable relationship, imagine where we could go in tackling the problems of our day!
Recently our foundation started focusing on the health of non profit organizations. We were sensing exhaustion, burn out and lots of “I wish” conversations with our partners. So we asked this question, “If you had $5000-$10,000 designated for care and development of staff in your organization, what would you do?” The responses were beautiful. There is a deep desire to invest in staff and leader heath. We are currently in the process of organizing this experience into an article to share in hopes that other funders might consider this question and supporting non profits in this way.
BUT, I don’t believe we would have gotten the honest replies we did if we had not already been walking with these partners in a trust based relationship. They felt safe to share with us what they really needed and how much it would cost. There was no magic answer. Every single request was funded without any manipulation from us. It has been a joy to hear the impact this has had. I believe by listening to our partners we have further strengthened the relationship we have with them going forward.
Thank you to the Whitman Institute for this perfect graphic of Trust Based Philanthropy. Praying others will embark on the same journey.
https://thewhitmaninstitute.org/grantmaking/trust-based-philanthropy/