This fabulous booklet, Telling our Stories: Philanthropy in the Northwest, published by Philanthropy Northwest
Yes, it is! Happy “Love of Mankind” day. Practice a random act of philanthropy.
Last night I witnessed a dramatic depiction of organized philanthropy (arguably the most clunky kind) at the annual meeting (and 30th anniversary) of Philanthropy Northwest, our regional association of grantmakers.
It was stunning in its honesty and reminded me of my years working in the field of professional philanthropy. I learned:
- If you work for a foundation, people don’t always tell you the truth. They tell you what they think you want to hear. It can distort relationships.
- Power dynamics are at work, big time, when money is involved. There are the donors, then there are the “hired hands” who help distribute the money, then there are the supplicants, and the grantees.
- Foundations are actually repositories of “news” on the creative edges of culture, as they receive proposals for funding from social entrepreneurs. Journalists should pay more attention to this news source. (Especially the grant requests that are turned down.)
The presentation, Four Short Plays: Four Big Ideas, brilliantly directed by KJ Sanchez, was made up of tidbits remembered from interviews with people in the philanthropic realm. It highlighted disparities between rich and poor, intentions and “guidelines,” heart and head. I’m sure it made some people mad. I hope it inspires conversations that will, in fact, result in everybody becoming a philanthropist. (You don’t have to have money to love humankind.)
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