What Will It Take for Trust-Based Philanthropy to Stick?

by Shaady Salehi

“What will it take for trust-based philanthropy to stick? How do we know this isn’t just a fad?”

These are questions we often hear from colleagues who are mindful of our sector’s tendency to gravitate toward the hot new approach without grappling with what it means for the long haul.

Against the backdrop of Covid-19 and this year of racial reckoning, we’ve seen hundreds of foundations adopt a number of trust-based practices. We marveled, both with awe and curiosity, as grantmakers across the United States and abroad made dramatic shifts to their protocols in response to the urgency of the moment. Our circumstances had dramatically changed overnight, and as a result, many funders made moves to unrestrict previously restricted grants, loosen reporting requirements, and quickly disseminate additional funds directly to leaders on the frontlines. This proved that, indeed, it was possible to abandon many of the archaic, harmful, and unnecessary grantmaking practices as we knew them toward a more trust-based approach.

But as we continue to live through a convergent set of crises — and as many of us attempt to rebuild and reimagine what our post-pandemic world should look like — we’re hearing rumblings that many funders are planning to go back to the ‘old way’ of doing things. 

At the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, we are watching all of this with curiosity about what comes next. As foundation leaders wrestle with their future vision for the sector, we are clear about one thing: If we are serious about building a more equitable and trust-based sector, one that can be responsive and adaptive to current and future crises, we’re going to have to change it from the ground up. It means doing the right thing when a global pandemic hits, but it also means being the kind of organization whose values consistently drive it toward these same actions. At its core, trust-based philanthropy is a holistic approach that includes not just grantmaking practices, but also culture, structures, and leadership.

We are on a journey with all of you, and we’re excited to continue to share reflections and lessons back to the field. At this crossroads moment, when some funders are considering pulling back toward a very problematic set of norms, we’ve created a new tool that delves more deeply into what we believe is necessary to help foundations make trust-based philanthropy stick. Trust-Based Philanthropy in 4D offers reflections and action steps for using values of equity and power-sharing to guide your work across four key dimensions: your organizational culture, structures, leadership, and practices.

Stay tuned as we continue to tease out these concepts in our upcoming programming, resources, and blog posts. If you’re a grantmaker on the trust-based philanthropy journey, please share your thoughts with us on the trust-based philanthropy peer exchange.

Shaady Salehi is the Director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project.