Reimagining Philanthropy

This year of crisis has forced us to take a hard look at the rules and assumptions that shape philanthropy. In the process we’ve learned a lot about ourselves and where we need to go next.

Nonprofits and foundations need to embrace alternative technologies, organizations, and public policies that reduce the reliance on big tech and allow for safe use of digital tools.

Nonprofits and foundations hoping to address our interconnected health and racial-justice crises need to be prepared to take on the societal systems that created them — and that have allowed their own organizations to flourish.

As nonprofits struggle during the pandemic, informal community-based networks of care are thriving. Understanding that phenomenon will help the philanthropic world rebuild into something better.

Philanthropic fortunes, created at the expense of shared investment in government programs, will not and cannot solve problems such as structural racism and inequitable public support for everything from health care to housing.

This series draws from the work of many activists, writers, filmmakers, and scholars beyond those linked to in the individual articles. The list below offers a fuller picture of all those who inspired this series. For recommendations on more timely resources, follow Lucy Bernholz on Twitter.