All Stories

From grizzly bears to birds to bats, citizen science tools are helping scientists track and save species

Citizens' assemblies are on the agenda for the political group

"Because I said so" is not an effective parenting strategy, and it fails as a philanthropic approach as well

Oral reporting and other innovations can be better, fairer and easier on grantees

Jonathan Kifunda on the challenges of returning to his community from an international NGO

Here's where you can find conversations on localizing climate solutions, from philanthropy to the grassroots

Gerry Roll offers an alternative to the either-or dynamic around DAF reform – arguing that not all DAF sponsors are created equal

As foundations wait on federal DAF legislation, some are taking matters into their own hands and taking back control from donors

The constant battle between individual versus collective leadership and decision-making

Integrity starts with how we live our lives; so does democracy

We need to move to a healthy ecosystem of diverse democracies

Zimbabwe’s climate strategy isn't responsive to rural communities; Green Institute engaged citizens to change that.

Jon Alexander on how “circular power politics” could help politicians buy in to citizen participation

Disastrous town hall meetings are becoming a familiar part of the American fabric. It doesn’t have to be that way

Fiscal sponsorship is increasingly seen as one solution to the challenges of localization

Farmers in Kasasa are experimenting with a democratic model to invest profits from the sale of maize

Swatee Deepak on her recent report and the future of feminist philanthropy

A new space to explore participatory problem-solving approaches across East Africa

A community-led approach to development

We need to invest time, resources, and knowledge in local leaders and communities to support them

Magic Cabinet and Proximate gathered philanthropy leaders in June to discuss paths to reform for donor-advised funds

Bella DeVaan of the Charity Reform Initiative on the latest movement for DAF reform

Grants managers can harness positional power to drive meaningful change in the landscape of philanthropy

The debate around a recent SSIR cover story misses the global perspective

The funder is investing $9 million to set an example for Canada’s philanthropic sector

What if democracy could be so much more than what we think it is?

Citizens’ assemblies are increasingly popular in Europe and Canada. But not in the United States. How come?

Iain Walker offers on the role of participatory democracy in areas without a working government – and why attempts to solve conflicts often fail

A new column by Rachel Kimber on the journey to shape equity in grants management

Donors bring an investment mindset to development. That needs to change

The Dalan Fund has a new vision for locally-led grantmaking in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central and North Asia

The two most important democratic innovations of the last 30 years have developed in parallel but not in unison

Ruchi Varma has a vision for designing safer school zones that involves asking children as young as nine what they should look like

Our series Loss & Damage explores what it would look like to localize climate funding

Um fundo liderado pela comunidade tem um modelo baseado em confiança único para doações que pode ser um exemplo para o Rio Grande do Sul

We spoke with the founder of Baixada Institute about the need to hold honest conversations between donors and communities

A reação à filantropia baseada na confiança veio à tona. É hora de os líderes doadores de base comunitária responderem.

Canoes working together are better than boats with just one captain; so too with philanthropy

What I Learned from Reading 175 Participatory Grantmaking Resources

An interview about community philanthropy with the leaders of Rede Comuá

The opera grew from a community arts project into an international sellout show - and resisted opportunities to sell out along the way

Deepak Menon on using a unique model to support social enterprises in India, from civic tech to climate innovation

Canoas trabalhando juntas são melhores do que um barco com apenas um capitão; assim também é a filantropia

Uma investigação sobre a abordagem participativa ao buscar soluções para desafios do Brasil, por brasileiros

Three lessons from a human-based approach to development

A community-led fund has a unique, trust-based model for distributing grants can be an example for Rio Grande do Sul

Guter Rat is an experiment that merges participatory grantmaking and citizens assemblies

Grab some popcorn and check out these films that screened at Whorehouse Cinema and the Red Umbrella Film Festival

An excerpt from Dr. Imogen Flower's academic study of the Sex Worker's Opera

Justice Fund Toronto pushed a law that's forcing Canadian millionaires to give away more of their money

With $68 trillion on the line, young donors at Resource Generation and elsewhere are pushing grassroots models

Forty grantees have been chosen through a unique participatory process

Paz Romero and Julia Chacur on the importance of sharing global grant opportunities

This double issue takes two approaches to the question of how to shift power to the grassroots

Backlash to trust-based philanthropy has come out into the open; it's time for grassroots grantmaking leaders to respond

The second Shift The Power Summit gave voice to the community philanthropy movement. Will donors listen?

We spoke with Amber Banks about DWP's participatory model and their work in the Global South

A new column for Proximate on community philanthropy and asset-based community development

Be prepared to bend your own rules – and be prepared for transformation

The Seattle literary magazine uses a participatory process to set editorial strategy

A women-led participatory design agency is helping redesign community water systems, urban gardens and parks

A new approach seeks to combat the growing lack of affordable housing across the archipelago

Una organización de diseño participativo liderada por mujeres ayuda a comunidades a diseñar infraestructura de agua, huertos urbanos y parques.

A more democratic media will require alternative funding models – and more

Publishers ask: how does equity fit into the goal of "saving the news"?

Estrategias emergentes buscan combatir la creciente escasez de viviendas asequibles en el archipiélago.

The Palestinian social entrepreneur hub was deplatformed – but has doubled down on its commitment to community investment

A look at three women in American history who paved the way for people-powered media

A guide on how to read this issue

Rawa Fund is holding donors accountable for cutting funds to the grassroots

One by one, cooperatives and crowdfunding projects are taking back control of our energy system.

Katy Love and Diana Samarasan on the launch of a new self-assessment tool

Arianne Shaffer reflects on learnings from the Indigenous Women's Flow Fund

Forty percent of collaboratives use participatory grantmaking. But are all collaboratives more inclusive?

This summer, sex workers came together to celebrate cinema – and challenge the traditional film festival model

An introduction to the entrepreneur support organizations driving inclusive innovation

Grapevine’s founder on how DAOs and giving circles intersect

Advocates are exploring paths to reform through Congress, Treasury and the state level

Thaddeus Squire wants to push the field in new, equitable directions

We read several recent reports about grassroots grantmaking... so you don’t have to

Who funds the funders? Fenomenal Funds used PGM to resource women’s funds during the pandemic

Meses após o ataque ao Congresso Nacional, o Presidente Lula está apostando em uma nova plataforma para dar voz aos cidadãos em sua democracia

A reflection on the growth of the 1,500-person participatory grantmaking community

A new "Consumer Reports" for digital participation platforms, from People Powered

Less than 20% of humanitarian aid to Ukraine goes directly to grassroots NGOs. A coalition of Ukrainian activists is trying to change that

Moving money to unfamiliar places is hard. That’s why philanthropy leaders are innovating by shifting power to the grassroots

Two years into her tenure, the head of Diverse City Fund is leaning into healing support for on-the-ground organizers

We read six reports about grassroots grantmaking, and pulled out the highlights

The Climate Democracy Accelerator is helping groups around the world build participatory climate projects

A new report makes the case for community power in banking

As writers and actors continue to strike, the Midnight Oil Collective is testing a new approach to funding the arts

A Q&A with Village Capital’s CEO on the occasion of their 150th cohort of peer-selected investment

Participatory grantmaking is growing in the UK - how far along is it?

Months after the attack on the National Congress, President Lula is betting on a new digital platform to give citizens a voice in their democracy

The foundation released a report reflecting on their experiment with participatory grantmaking

A movement is growing in Kenya to shift power to communities

Can Malawi's participatory weather forecasting project change the game in a changing climate?

Vermont's largest food bank is responding to the state's growing diversity by offering culturally-relevant food

A personal essay about the power of connection – and the possibility of growth

A new playbook from Common Future helps foundations drive participation in investing