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This is Not the Time to Stockpile Capital

Health and Environmental Funders Network Dec 27, 2018
This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
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Stockpile Capital Giving Compass
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Giving Compass’ Take:

• Scott Fitzmorris argues that with our democracy and climate in active crisis, it is time for foundations to distribute, rather than stockpile, their capital. 

• What are the returns on capital stockpiled vs. capital spent on grants? What high-priority funding opportunities could benefit most from an immediate influx of money? 

• Learn why many philanthropists, including Chuck Feeney, are engaging in lifetime giving instead of endowing foundations for the long term. 


Our democracy and our climate are in crisis. The nation’s activists and organizers are rising to meet this challenge with inventiveness and courage. It’s time for philanthropy to do the same.

That’s why the Wallace Global Fund will nearly double our grant budget this year, dedicating all of our portfolio gain from the last year to grant making — and none toward increasing our endowment. That will mean an additional $10 million in grants to tackle the extraordinary challenges our country and the world face.

Our sister foundations and all major donors working for social change should consider doing the same. By increasing our collective grant-making power, we could exponentially grow the power of civil society to serve as a check against undue influence of special interests over our government.

When we face existential threats to our democracy and our life-supporting planet, should we be stockpiling our capital and continuing only to grant the minimum 5 percent required by law?

The organizations we fund are on the front lines of the fights to defend basic human rights for all, regardless of class, gender, immigration status, race, or religion. They are defending access to an open internet and accessible voting rights for all. And they are fighting for sensible regulations of corporations to ensure we protect our air, water, climate, and health.

Read the full article about stockpiling capital by Scott Fitzmorris at Health and Environmental Funders Network.

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Interested in learning more about Impact Philanthropy? Other readers at Giving Compass found the following articles helpful for impact giving related to Impact Philanthropy.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
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    Is Civic Engagement A Movement Or Moment?

    Giving Compass' Take: • Many individuals who are working in the nonprofit or philanthropy industry are trying to understand if the increased rate of civic engagement will turn into a long-lasting movement.  • The imperative to be civically engaged in society right now is strong, but will it lead to creating change and/or sustainability? • Read about how donors can understand more about the importance of civic engagement and democracy and what to do.  Civic involvement is at-large in the present day, however is it here to stay? “Why do you think civic engagement feels so salient and urgent right now?” First, people are trying to make sense of an objectively difficult moment for our country, and want to take personal responsibility and pride for their part in settling the tumult. Second, while some organizations are reporting record engagement, it’s still a little unclear how much of this overall civic action is truly new and/or sustainable, versus how much is merely getting more public and media attention due to the emotional fervor of the day, and attempts to make sense of it. It’s no secret that people lack trust in the leaders and institutions that exist to serve them, but there’s also a lack of trust in democracy, and in our fellow citizens. The limitations of the binary representative system also mean that even if you like, support and trust your representative systems or leadership, you’re highly unlikely to agree with them 100% of the time. Therefore, our civic engagement has to regularly and consistently go beyond the representation we might empower at the voting booth to ensure our voices are heard on a timely, active and regular basis. This beyond-the-booth engagement, too, is a fundamental tenet of civic participation. The reason our work feels so urgent in this moment is because those of us who do this work know that realizing the change we seek in a sustainable way will mean shifting our collective perceptions of what civic engagement looks like. Whether that feeling is a fad or a reality is on all of us in the fields of philanthropy and civic engagement to support. Read the full article about civic engagement by Kristen Cambell at United Philanthropy Forum


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