The Bullshitador

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…


The Great Shift – practicing feminist philanthropy during a pandemic

 

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…


Public Schools and Fundraising

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…


Next Gen Philanthropy : The Hive

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…


Using Feminism in Our Philanthropy

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…


Why I Don’t Do #GivingTuesday

woman rock climbing

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.

I don’t participate in any of them. And while there’s increasing guilt in participating in the first two, there is a shame associated with not participating in the last. Why would you not give on a national day of giving? Read more…


Giving Compass launches giving planner (and it’s awesome)

person using white tablet computerThe Giving Compass giving planner allows you to create your annual philanthropic plan, and manage and analyze your contributions (cash, in kind and volunteering). In addition, they provide input about what others in your demographic are funding and at what levels, which builds philanthropic community and personal accountability.  All of these elements encourage more informed and greater giving. Read more…


Philanthropy is dead. Long live philanthropy.

Philanthropy needs a refresh. It needs to break down the falsely constructed walls between the haves and have-nots, between those that get to attend the auctions and those that benefit from them. It is painful to realize you’ve been complicit in a game that is rigged against others, especially if you felt you were part of the solution. Yet it’s only when we are able to acknowledge this that we can begin to heal the severed part of us and construct a new system. Read more…


Social Justice and the Cloud

cloud_social justiceThis is the possibility of philanthropy I find thrilling: that as our networks become smarter, and provide us with the tools to act more effectively in our world (whether by calling a taxi or rethinking where we shop), we have the increasing ability to question the status quo and find individually powerful ways to give back. Not just a transaction of money and time, but a way of being in the world that allows our doing to be impactful. A transformational way to align our actions with our intent. Read more…