Explore Our Articles

Check out our story archive and search for a specific article here

Depois da Ruptura da Barragem, Fundo Brumadinho está Repensando a Filantropia
Depois da ruptura da barragem, Fundo Brumadinho está repensando a filantropiaUm fundo liderado pela comunidade tem um modelo baseado em confiança único para doações que pode ser um exemplo para o Rio Grande do SulJoana Ribeiro Mortari
Diane Pereira Sousa’s Vision for Community Philanthropy in Brazil
Baixada Institute’s Model of Localized PhilanthropyWe spoke with the founder of Baixada Institute about the need to hold honest conversations between donors and communitiesBen Wrobel
O campo filantrópico precisa confiar nos verdadeiros especialistas – as pessoas que são apoiadas por ele
O campo filantrópico precisa confiar nos verdadeiros especialistasA reação à filantropia baseada na confiança veio à tona. É hora de os líderes doadores de base comunitária responderem.Cynthia M. Gibson, Lisa Pilar Cowan, Jocelynne Rainey & Joana Ribeiro Mortari
The Canoes of Community Philanthropy in Brazil
The Canoes of Community Philanthropy in BrazilCanoes working together are better than boats with just one captain; so too with philanthropyDiane Pereira Sousa
What I learned from reading 175 participatory grantmaking resources
From self-assessment tools to resources on how to do the inner work, there's a lot of help out thereWhat I Learned from Reading 175 Participatory Grantmaking ResourcesKelley Buhles
Five Questions for Real People's Fund
Five Questions for Real People's FundWe spoke with Jessie Nguyen, from the REAL People’s Fund, on why solidarity is necessary for democratizing capitalSonia Sarkar
Community Philanthropy: Money is Power, But Knowledge Is Power Too
The Rise of Community Philanthropy in BrazilAn interview about community philanthropy with the leaders of Rede ComuáTarisai Jangara
The Revolutionary Art of the Sex Worker’s Opera
The Revolutionary Art of the Sex Worker’s OperaThe opera grew from a community arts project into an international sellout show - and resisted opportunities to sell out along the wayChloe Marshall
Village Capital’s Model for Peer Due Diligence
Village Capital’s Model for Peer Due DiligenceDeepak Menon on using a unique model to support social enterprises in India, from civic tech to climate innovationKevin McClendon
Investindo Em Pessoas Que Transformam Realidades
Investindo em pessoas que transformam realidadesCanoas trabalhando juntas são melhores do que um barco com apenas um capitão; assim também é a filantropiaDiane Pereira Sousa
Nossa visão para a Proximate Brasil
Nossa visão para a Proximate BrasilUma investigação sobre a abordagem participativa ao buscar soluções para desafios do Brasil, por brasileirosJoana Ribeiro Mortari
After the Dam Broke, Fundo Brumadinho Is Rethinking Philanthropy
After the Dam Broke, Fundo Brumadinho Is Rethinking PhilanthropyA community-led fund has a unique, trust-based model for distributing grants can be an example for Rio Grande do SulJoana Ribeiro Mortari
The Story of the Half-Built Road
The Story of the Half-Built RoadThree lessons from a human-based approach to developmentIsabelle Clérié
Marlene Engelhorn is paying 50 strangers to give away her fortune – here's how it works
Marlene Engelhorn is paying 50 strangers to give away her fortuneGuter Rat is an experiment that merges participatory grantmaking and citizens assembliesProximate
Five Memorable Recent Films by Sex Workers
Five Memorable Films by Sex WorkersGrab some popcorn and check out these films that screened at Whorehouse Cinema and the Red Umbrella Film FestivalChloe Marshall
Musical Theatre as Artistic Activism
Musical Theatre as Artistic ActivismAn excerpt from Dr. Imogen Flower's academic study of the Sex Worker's OperaImogen Flower
What Does It Take for Government to Reform Philanthropy? Yonis Hassan Found Out
What Does It Take for Government to Reform Philanthropy? Yonis Hassan Found OutJustice Fund Toronto pushed a law that's forcing Canadian millionaires to give away more of their moneyKevin McClendon
Are Young Philanthropists Driving Participatory Philanthropy?
The Young Donors Driving Participatory PhilanthropyWith $68 trillion on the line, young donors at Resource Generation and elsewhere are pushing grassroots modelsAbigail Higgins and Ben Wrobel
The Youth Climate Justice Fund Is Building Power for Young Leaders in the Global South
The Youth Climate Justice Fund Is Building Power for Young Leaders in the Global SouthForty grantees have been chosen through a unique participatory processBen Wrobel
Justice Funds is Bridging the Information Gap for Global South Activists
Justice Funds is Bridging the Information Gap for Global South ActivistsPaz Romero and Julia Chacur on the importance of sharing global grant opportunitiesProximate
Beyond Letting Go: Recentering Grassroots Leaders
Beyond Letting Go: Recentering Grassroots LeadersThis double issue takes two approaches to the question of how to shift power to the grassrootsBen Wrobel and Meg Massey
Philanthropy Needs to Trust the Real Experts — The People It Supports
Philanthropy Needs to Trust the Real Experts — The People It SupportsBacklash to trust-based philanthropy has come out into the open; it's time for grassroots grantmaking leaders to respondCynthia M. Gibson, Lisa Pilar Cowan & Jocelynne Rainey
Is This Community Philanthropy’s Moment?
Is This Community Philanthropy’s Moment?The second Shift The Power Summit gave voice to the community philanthropy movement. Will donors listen?Ledys Sanjuan Mejía
Introducing: Repairing Development by Isabelle Clérié
Introducing: Repairing Development by Isabelle ClériéA new column for Proximate on community philanthropy and asset-based community developmentIsabelle Clérié
What's Next for the Decolonizing Wealth Project?
What's Next for the Decolonizing Wealth Project?We spoke with Amber Banks about DWP's participatory model and their work in the Global SouthProximate
Building Food Sovereignty: Collaborative Efforts for Cultural and Environmental Resilience
Building Food Sovereignty: Collaborative Efforts for Cultural and Environmental ResilienceClimate leaders in SF and Detroit are cultivating their own sustainable food systemsKevin McClendon
Four Pieces of Advice for Participatory Grantmakers In Aotearoa New Zealand
Four PIeces of Advice for Participatory Grantmakers In Aotearoa New Zealand Be prepared to bend your own rules – and be prepared for transformationLani Evans and Christina Howard
How Puerto Ricans are Collectively Designing their Just Recovery
How Puerto Ricans are Collectively Designing their Just RecoveryA women-led participatory design agency is helping redesign community water systems, urban gardens and parksCarlos Berríos Polanco
Perspective: How The Seventh Wave Curates Our Calls For Submissions
How The Seventh Wave Curates Our Calls For SubmissionsThe Seattle literary magazine uses a participatory process to set editorial strategyJoyce Chen and Bretty Rawson
Community Land Banks: An Alternative to Displacement in Puerto Rico?
Community Land Banks: An Alternative to Displacement in Puerto Rico?A new approach seeks to combat the growing lack of affordable housing across the archipelagoCarlos Berríos Polanco
Cómo los puertorriqueños diseñan su recuperación justa colectivamente
Cómo los puertorriqueños diseñan su recuperación justa colectivamenteUna organización de diseño participativo liderada por mujeres ayuda a comunidades a diseñar infraestructura de agua, huertos urbanos y parques.Carlos Berríos Polanco
Is a £100 million participatory fund the solution to the UK's journalism crisis?
Is a £100 million participatory fund the solution to UK's journalism’s crisis?A more democratic media will require alternative funding models – and moreKelly Bewers
BIPOC Media Leaders Welcome Press Forward… With Caution
BIPOC Media Leaders Welcome Press Forward – With CautionPublishers ask: how does equity fit into the goal of "saving the news"?Sherrell Dorsey
Bancos de tierras comunitarias: ¿una alternativa al desplazamiento en Puerto Rico?
Bancos de tierras comunitarias: ¿una alternativa al desplazamiento?Estrategias emergentes buscan combatir la creciente escasez de viviendas asequibles en el archipiélago.Carlos Berríos Polanco
BuildPalestine Is Betting on Social Innovation as a Tool for Liberation
BuildPalestine Is Betting on Social Innovation as a Tool for LiberationThe Palestinian social entrepreneur hub was deplatformed – but has doubled down on its commitment to community investmentProximate
Excerpt: Our Brave Foremothers in Community-Driven Journalism
Excerpt: Our Brave Foremothers in Community-Driven JournalismA look at three women in American history who paved the way for people-powered mediaRozella Kennedy
What Happens When Artists Invest in Other Artists?
What Happens When Artists Invest in Other Artists?A democratically-controlled production company launched amid the writers and actors strikeBen Wrobel
Editor's Note: A Year of Movement
A Year of MovementA guide on how to read this issueProximate
Soheir Asaad on Philanthropy, Palestine, and the Danger of Fragile Solidarity
Soheir Asaad on Philanthropy, Palestine, and the Danger of Fragile SolidarityRawa Fund is holding donors accountable for cutting funds to the grassrootsBen Wrobel
Can We Democratize the Energy Transition?
Can We Democratize the Energy Transition?One by one, cooperatives and crowdfunding projects are taking back control of our energy system.Anna Gorman
A New Tool Pushes Foundations Beyond Participatory Grantmaking
A New Tool To Push Foundations Beyond Participatory GrantmakingKaty Love and Diana Samarasan on the launch of a new self-assessment toolAlía Tall-Khatib
Are Donor Collaboratives Better for the Grassroots?
Are Donor Collaboratives Better for the Grassroots?Forty percent of collaboratives use participatory grantmaking. But are all collaboratives more inclusive?Ledys Sanjuan Mejía
Arianne Shaffer on Four Years of Flow Funding
Four Years of Flow Funding at Kindle ProjectArianne Shaffer reflects on learnings from the Indigenous Women's Flow FundKevin McClendon
A Different Kind of Film Festival in Amsterdam
A Different Kind of Film Festival in AmsterdamThis summer, sex workers came together to celebrate cinema – and challenge the traditional film festival modelChloe Marshall
The Rise of Participatory ESOs
The Rise of Participatory Incubators and AcceleratorsAn introduction to the entrepreneur support organizations driving inclusive innovationJessica Newfield and Kevin McClendon
Philanthropy on the Blockchain
Philanthropy on the BlockchainGrapevine’s founder on how DAOs and giving circles intersectEmily Rasmussen
What’s Next for DAF Reform?
What’s Next for DAF Reform?Advocates are exploring paths to reform through Congress, Treasury and the state levelKaila Philo
Can a New Survey of Fiscal Sponsors Drive a Conversation on Commoning?
A New Vision of Fiscal SponsorshipThaddeus Squire wants to push the field in new, equitable directionsBen Wrobel
Report Roundup: December 2023
Report Roundup: December 2023We read several recent reports about grassroots grantmaking... so you don’t have toProximate
5 Minutes with… Ledys Sanjuan Mejía
Fenomenal Funds' Non Competitive Grant SystemWho funds the funders? Fenomenal Funds used PGM to resource women’s funds during the pandemicProximate
A participação pode ajudar a reavivar a confiança na democracia brasileira?
A participação pode ajudar a reavivar a confiança na democracia brasileira?Meses após o ataque ao Congresso Nacional, o Presidente Lula está apostando em uma nova plataforma para dar voz aos cidadãos em sua democraciaMarcela Martins

Proximate is an independent media platform covering movements for participatory problem-solving. We look at the news through the lens of money: how it’s given away, how it’s invested, and how it’s distributed by government.
We are a fiscally sponsored project of Movement Strategy Center.

Get Our Monthly Issues

Proximate
© 2025 PROXIMATE ® ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.