By Kristen Campbell, Executive Director of Philanthropy for Civic Engagement (reposted from the Center for Effective Philanthropy blog) It doesn’t take a meteorologist to reveal the shifting winds in America. CEP’s aptly-titled report illustrates the sentiments many foundation leaders have felt as we make sense of the swiftly changing context in which we work. Its findings…
In December of 2016, TWI allocated $250,000 in rapid response funds to protect and build power within communities most vulnerable to the rollback of civil and human rights promised by the then new administration. Rather than create a new system, we leaned into our trust based grantmaking process to expend the $250,000 by the…
Eyes Wide Shudder It is with an anguished heart and clear eyes that I write this. The difference in our historical context between Tuesday morning and today is stark and sobering. The real cost of this election outcome will fall disproportionately on the undocumented immigrants, muslims, blacks, women, queer, and poor people scapegoated in this campaign…
Most grants and reports happen on paper. Here at the Whitman Institute (TWI), we like to do things a little differently. Recently, we invited current and potential supporters for one of our core grantees, Voice of Witness (VOW), for lunch at the office. Our relationship with VOW had come full-circle: Six years earlier, TWI Co-Executive…
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) has produced a series on grantee inclusion, in partnership with Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR). We’re excited about sharing this ongoing conversation because we believe in placing our grantees at the center of our work at the Whitman Institute. These articles represent a deep dive into how we can increase our impact…