This is a story of molting. A story of deep, radical change. The alchemy of transformation.

A year ago (today, actually, which brings a whole other level of magic), I released my first book, the birthing process long and protracted and then quick and intense. It came out a week before I stood in front of a group of philanthropic advisors and development directors and outlined our complicity in a philanthropic system that was not built to change things after all. These two events last September served as both a culmination of years of thought and were meant to be a launching pad. I had no idea what I was being launched into … Read more…

We are all, in this moment together, sharing a plastic container, trapped inside and journeying toward a massive transformation. Each of us is doing it differently, doing it at different paces and with different beliefs about what this is anyway. I believe some of us were already preparing ourselves when we got here, and others are slow to the game. Some will make it, some will not. And I don’t think any of us has any idea what we’re preparing for. Not really. Read more…

I am reminded of the words of warning from Dr. Michael Moody at the recent philanthropy summit I spoke at in Tacoma: next gen are completely turned off by the thermometer visual of raising funds. They want to see and understand the impact of their giving. They want to know how their giving is creating real, tangible change. I find the issue of PTA fundraising fascinating in this context. Because real, tangible change in our schools looks like systemic advocacy to provide an education that works for all of our children. Read more…

Feminist philanthropy is an intuitive dance of perceiving and thinking with others. It’s like a hive. In this philanthropy, each person holds a piece of the puzzle, not any one person knows everything. It uses privilege to support the voices least heard, most harmed with the most at stake. It supports individuals in determining their own lives while honoring the collective. It knows that the answers are going to lie outside of the mainstream – they’re going to come in from the edges. And how we’re set up to capture that information is going to redefine the philanthropic industry. Read more…

This is the fertile soil where feminist philanthropy is rooted. Feminist philanthropy encourages philanthropists to question the status quo and what we place value on, and it supports people in being free to determine their own lives for themselves. It recognizes the power and privilege in economic systems of giving, and is finding ways to make this dynamic more equitable. Read more…