Event Recap

The past few years have been marked by unprecedented challenges and economic uncertainty, and some of the questions top of mind lately are “What is the value of philanthropy today? What is its role? Why is it needed at this moment?” We’re experiencing a historically high level of inflation and a looming recession, which disproportionately affects lower income families and communities. Relatedly, we’re seeing an increased demand for services, putting a huge strain on response and recovery efforts- especially those on the frontlines. Many nonprofits have continued to operate in full force in order to serve our communities, but they are constantly concerned about long-term sustainability. There is a clear and urgent need for philanthropic individuals and organizations to not only fill these gaps, but also bring transformational and sustainable systems-change to our economic, education and workforce systems.

At Raise for Good, we believe this is the time to rethink our current philanthropic practices to create a better future and world. We believe in helping our partners navigate the philanthropic systems that exist, but also drive new ways of working. From collective funding, to community based grant making, hybrid business models and building earned income, consolidation in the nonprofit sector, to educating and engaging the next generation of wealth transfer now, this is the time to reimagine philanthropy, take bold risks, and collaborate with urgency to ensure every community will sustain and thrive. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to bring thoughtful community leaders together to share their insights and drive such fruitful conversation on how philanthropic individuals and organizations can come together to drive collective impact across the ecosystem.

Key Takeaways:

• Who we are outside of our professional lives shapes how we show up in our work. Our roles as community members, partners, parents, friends and more influence the values we align ourselves with and the work, or “assignments” as one of our speakers put it, we choose to pursue. When our assignment aligns with our identity and core values, we are able to show up in the most authentic and impactful way possible.  

• Philanthropy means “love of humanity”; knowing this, anything we do should ease the burden of what it means to do good work and complete our “assignments” collectively as humans. We should all be engaging in philanthropy in a way that lightens the load so people aren’t carrying as heavy of a burden.

Reflecting on 2022: Where has philanthropy stepped up and where has it fallen short?

• We've seen a greater desire among corporations to be "all in" and authentic in their commitments and actions. When businesses take a more decentralized approach to philanthropy, it becomes truly responsive to community needs by engaging the employee base and other key stakeholders across the ecosystem, allowing them to bring the most resources possible to their partners. As corporations develop and rethink their philanthropic models, a holistic ecosystem approach will be required to adapt to and solve social and environmental challenges.

• Many nonprofits have had to collaborate in various ways over the years, largely out of necessity due to scarcity of funding or ineligibility for institutional and government funding. This has created coalitions among nonprofits, pushing them into a natural state of collaboration, especially those focused on specific causes such as advancing racial equity. Supporting these causes has recently become "trendy," putting these organizations in competition with one another. As trends change, philanthropic organizations must be more agile and double down on their commitments.

• Events in recent years, particularly during the height of Covid in 2020, have brought funders together to better understand and collectively address community needs. We're seeing more philanthropic collaboration, with corporations, foundations, and individuals working together to develop new funding and support models. Having said that, trust-based philanthropy has become a trendy buzzword among many philanthropic leaders, despite not always reflecting their actual funding models. Philanthropic leaders are encouraged to continue listening to their communities and to be authentic in their giving practices.

Looking to 2023: Where is philanthropy headed and what gives our speakers hope?

• We are finally reaching a point in the corporate world where corporate social responsibility and social impact programs are no longer being asked to prove their business models and value; instead, companies' commitment to and engagement with their communities IS the value.

• Now is the time for organizations – nonprofits and funders – to be authentic and seek out resources that best serve them and their communities. This requires funders to put people at the center of the conversation and truly listen to them. On the nonprofit side, this means being willing to turn down opportunities and funders who are misaligned and do not share the same values.