“So, it begs the question around the way in which we think about how philanthropy gets done in a charitable sense in this country, and that it doesn't foster the kind of solidarity and self-determination of communities, to alleviate all of the issues that people are spending their time writing applications for. And so with that I think the [#DisruptPhilanthropyNOW!] blog tries to create an opportunity to have grantees and also have program staff interrogate the ways that philanthropy is being practiced, and then create spaces for accountability in real time.”

We cannot significantly move the needle for racial justice if we are unwilling to challenge how resources are distributed. If we are hesitant in working to create accountable practices with foundations. If our interactions with the organizations who fund us are not aligning with our vision and values of racial justice and liberation. If we are not organizing for transformational change in the philanthropic sector. We urge advocates, organizers, and practitioners to challenge philanthropy, so we can collectively tackle how structural racism and white supremacy is operating. Let’s do some truth-telling - share your story!

Many mutual aid groups are popping up as unincorporated efforts with little formal structure and no established fiscal sponsor relationship. Platforms like Venmo offer opportunities for these ad hoc groups to bring in community donations, but access to institutional philanthropic resources is immediately limited given requirements around tax status or a track record for an applicant. Institutional philanthropy is historically - and intentionally - structured to create a power imbalance through which a privileged few determine the allocation of resources…