meet the moment
Join a Community of Funders Standing in Solidarity with Nonprofits
Presented by the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, in Collaboration with NCFP & GEO
Actions by the federal government — from funding rollbacks, to militarized crackdowns, to the gutting of social services — are putting our communities at risk. The nonprofits they rely on are also in crisis, with stretched capacity, high rates of burnout, legal concerns, and fears of shutting down amid budget cuts.
This is a critical moment for funders to stand in solidarity with nonprofits and bolster our collective power to advance a healthy, just, and democratic society. By signing this pledge, funders send a powerful collective message: that we stand in solidarity with nonprofits and communities, are committed to practicing trust-based philanthropy, and will use our power and platform to protect and defend our social sector.
Move in Solidarity with Nonprofits
Listen to your nonprofit partners. Offer them a safe space to share what they are going through, listen deeply, and extend empathy and moral support.
Offer support beyond the check, such as access to legal services, digital security, audit preparation, risk assessment, and exploring fiscal sponsorship options for particularly vulnerable organizations.
Be transparent and responsive about how you and your foundation are navigating this moment and be attentive to grantees’ needs and questions.
Advocate for nonprofits by using your platform to communicate what is at stake and what we can do about it.
Collaborate with other funders to pool funds, eliminate administrative burdens, and respond to nonprofits’ needs.
Mobilize Money in a Trust-Based Way
Commit to multi-year, unrestricted funding that allows nonprofits to plan ahead. If you already provide multi-year funding, offer early renewal notices when you can.
Increase your grantmaking budget. This can take many shapes, such as: eliminating administrative costs from your 5%, making stock grants in addition to your core grants, increasing your giving to match the level that your endowment is growing, or simply committing to a higher payout this year. This resource offers helpful guidance.
Simplify and streamline processes, and set up systems to swiftly review and approve applications, so you can disburse funding more quickly.
Be flexible on the timing of grant disbursements, as many nonprofits are experiencing cash shortages due to federal funding freezes and reticent funders.
Give gifts instead of grants, to eliminate administrative burdens altogether.
Nurture Possibility & Innovation
Listen for, and fund, big bets. Many nonprofit leaders are already thinking about how to reimagine their work in a dramatically different environment. Listen for these ideas and offer trust-based funding to help them develop new ideas to rebuild civic infrastructure.
Support connection and ideation. Nurture and fund opportunities for nonprofits to be in community with one another, to exchange ideas, to reimagine their work together, or to simply rest.
Explore funding beyond the conventional 501c3 structures, such as LLCs, 501c4s, fiscally sponsored organizations, mutual aid networks, and donor circles.
