In recent years, the opaque dynamics of trust within the world of philanthropy have captured the attention of the social sector. From where The Bridgespan Group sits, working closely with both the donors and the doers, that attention is a good thing. We’re beginning to see evidence of a shift from a culture of compliance and philanthropic control, toward collaboration and grantmaking practices that recognize nonprofit leadership and expertise. The shorthand for this shift in today’s parlance is the idea of “trust-based philanthropy,” which the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project has most notably advanced.
In our essay, we looked to other fields—the social sciences and for-profit investing—to shed new light on this discussion and the underlying assumptions guiding the relationships between donors and doers. How did we get here? Why have control and compliance donor practices proven so durable despite evidence that they often undermine impact? How can a more nuanced understanding of these dynamics help build the range of relationships that drive the most social change?
With the intention of broadening the conversation on trust, we invited several thought partners to contribute their perspectives in response to our essay, to push and pull, to build, and to offer counterpoints.
By Jeff Bradach, Kathleen Fleming, Preeta Nayak, and Zach Slobig
The movement toward trust-based philanthropy has sparked avenues for debate. Are trust-based approaches at odds with strategic philanthropy? Does unrestricted funding mean that funders add nothing beyond their checkbooks? This essay explores the assumptions around funder-grantee relationships to discover if a more nuanced understanding of these dynamics could drive more social change.
Read the essay
