Full Description
A new community-based framework assessing the impact of participatory grantmaking on philanthropy
Institutional foundations are influential, yet it can be difficult to understand how they operate. How do their staff members make decisions? What impact do these decisions have on nonprofits, civil society, and democracy more broadly? One practice that holds promise for demystifying this relationship is participatory grantmaking, whereby stakeholders and grantees participate in making decisions about grant dollars that were previously reserved for professional foundation staff.
The community-based case studies in Participatory Grantmaking in Philanthropy signal a cultural shift away from the power of elite institutions and their penchant for top-down decision-making. This book combines perspectives from academics and practitioners who address how participatory grantmaking relates to other features of contemporary giving, including trust-based philanthropy; giving circles; crowdfunding; conservative philanthropy; giving traditions in communities of color; and global giving.
Using in-depth case studies, quantitative research, and other evidence-based methods of exploration, Participatory Grantmaking in Philanthropy will be a strong resource for philanthropy practitioners not only at the community level but also at large institutional foundations as well as megadonors seeking to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their decision-making practices.
Contents
Introduction: Participatory Approaches to Philanthropy: The Distinct Role of Participatory Grantmaking
Cynthia M. Gibson, Chris Cardona, Jasmine McGinnis Johnson, and David Suárez
Part I: Mapping Participatory Grantmaking Practice
1. Institutional Change or Shooting Star? The Landscape of Stakeholder Participation among Large Foundations in the United States
Emily Finchum-Mason, Kelly Husted, and David Suárez
2. From Collaboration to Ceding Power: The Impact of Participation on Grant Decisions
Jasmine McGinnis Johnson
3. Participatory Grantmaking Practices among Women's Funds: What Has Been Learned?
Elizabeth Barajas-Román and Mirenda Meghelli
Part II: Case Studies of Participatory Grantmaking in Action
4. Grounding Practice in a Movement's Principles: Why the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund Continue to Prioritize Participation
Melanie Kawano-Chiu and Jen Bokoff
5. The Haymarket People's Fund: Evaluating an Antiracist Grantmaking Model
Eva King, Jaime Smith, and Kathryn Destin
6. Revolutionizing Philanthropy: Inclusive Participatory Processes in the New England Grassroots Environment Fund
Bart Westdijk and Sarah Huang
7. Global Participatory Grantmaking: Through a Climate Justice Lens
Laura García and Teresa Odendahl
8. Participatory Grantmaking and Giving Traditions in Communities of Color: The CLLCTIVLY Case
Stephanie Clintonia Boddie and Tracy R. Rone
Part III: The Challenges for and Limits of Participatory Grantmaking
9. Community Representation, COVID-19, and the Challenges of Shifting Grantmaking Power: How a Public LGBTQ+ Foundation Weighed the Options
Elizabeth J. Dale and Katie Carter
10. Community Foundations and Community Leadership: An Approach to Participatory Philanthropy
Melody MacLean, Caroline Merenda, and Len Bartel
11. "Participatoriness" in Philanthropy: A Conservative Perspective
Michael E. Hartmann and William A. Schambra
12. What Will It Take to Change? Traditional Foundations and Megadonors Experiment with Participatory Grantmaking
Anne Katahira with Marissa Jackson
Conclusion: Future Directions for Participatory Grantmaking Research and Implementation
Chris Cardona, Cynthia M. Gibson, Jasmine McGinnis Johnson, and David Suárez
Editors' and Contributors' Affiliations
Index
