Dismantling Philanthropy Towards a True Just Transition

In a more just and equitable world, would we have “donors” and “beneficiaries”? What about notions of charity and benevolence? The philanthropic sector has accrued its private wealth and power through colonialism, enslavement, and extractivism, and historically and today largely upholds white supremacy and inequity through under-cutting/funding the most radically transformative work. In repairing these harms, can philanthropy be a force for good?

In this webinar, we grappled with what a true Just Transition looks like for philanthropy and what that means for each of us employed in the sector. With speakers and interactive engagement with webinar participants, we consider:

How might “doing philanthropy” also mean undoing the unjust systems that make philanthropy necessary in the first place, and that philanthropy too often also upholds?

We began from the premise that wealth redistribution must go beyond listening to grassroots communities and social movements, towards shifting resources, wealth, and power directly into the hands of those most impacted by these failing oppressive systems. Pathways we explored include:

• Reparations & re-framing philanthropy as reparative justice
• Participatory grantmaking
• Spending down accumulated wealth & class traitors
• Funding social movements (with multi-year, unrestricted funding)
• Divestment

In this webinar, we invited us all to take a hard look at the philanthropic sector and pathways for change (personally, in our professional roles, and as a field). What world might come post-philanthropy? What can those working in the sector do to make way for a true Just Transition, for Buen Vivir, for solidarity economies, and other liberatory visions? Participants walked away with new questions, and a community of funders to be in partnership with while creating structures that might better support thriving communities and a liveable planet.

Moderator
Charles Long – Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)

Speakers
Dana Kawaoka-Chen – Justice Funders
Esther Momodou – European Network for People of African Descent (ENPAD)
Iimay Ho – Resource Generation
Isis Amlak – Edge Fund
Rabab Tamish – Rawa Creative Palestinian Communities Fund (RAWA)

Organised by: Charles Long, Colleen Jankovic, Isis Amlak and Lindley Mease