Wednesday, May 15 at 2pm UTC

Voqal and Code for Science and Society

Speakers

Mary Coleman – Voqal
Miliaku Nwabueze – Code for Science and Society
Rayya El Zein – Code for Science and Society

Movement leaders risk everything to organize communities in the fight against global injustices. Funders often support the collective cause yet stop at providing crucial resources to care for frontline individuals who jeopardize their freedom and lives in service of the greater good. In May, we hosted an interactive discussion about the types of care philanthropy can and should provide to best support these leaders at the forefront of social justice movements in 2024 rather than follow reductive patterns. We explored a potential reframing of fellowships and programs to center care, mitigate risk, and hold the line for movement leaders to equip them with the fortitude, encouragement, and resources necessary to confront the state and win for their people. We asked ourselves what are we trying to protect with our funding? What are we afraid of funding? Why? What do we fear happening? What are the potential punishments? How do we reproduce our fears onto others in our decisions and programming?

Together, we grounded in what’s happening before participating in activities to focus our energies on funder practices and implementation to start this transformation.

Lessons from the Conversation

Prioritizing People Over Funds

Challenge Philanthropy’s Priorities: This EDGEy Wednesday emphasized the need for philanthropy to prioritize people and their well-being over endowments, reputations, and legacies. Philanthropic organizations often protect financial assets and institutional reputations at the expense of the communities they aim to support and it’s important to take concrete steps to shift this trend

Reassessing Risk and Support

Philanthropic entities are encouraged to rethink their risk aversion, particularly in funding initiatives that support justice-oriented work. This involves being willing to fund more radical and frontline activities that might involve legal or social risks but are crucial for systemic change.

Flexibility in Funding

Funding Individuals and Grassroots Movements: The conversation includes insights into supporting individuals and grassroots leaders, especially those who are directly involved in justice movements and might even be incarcerated. As a progressive funder community, we need to make fellowship and funding opportunities more accessible to these leaders.

Removing Barriers in Grantmaking

Simplify Application Processes: Open calls and application processes should be simplified to reduce the burden on applicants. The current lengthy and bureaucratic processes can exclude the very activists and movements that need support the most.

Understanding and Mitigating Internalized Norms

Self-Reflection in Philanthropy: Funders are urged to engage in self-reflection to understand how internalized norms and biases might influence funding decisions. This includes questioning how our policies and practices might inadvertently replicate oppressive structures.

Building Internal Capacity for Solidarity

Investing in Internal Education and Awareness: Philanthropic organizations should invest in their internal capacity to understand and act in solidarity with movements they support. This involves educating staff about the realities faced by frontline activists and encouraging a culture that genuinely supports transformative change

Proactive and Courageous Funding

Taking Bold Steps: Philanthropy is called to be more proactive and courageous in its funding choices. This includes funding activities that challenge the status quo and supporting movements that may be deemed too controversial or risky by traditional standards.

Creating Supportive Environments

Holistic Support Beyond Funding: Philanthropy should consider offering more than just financial support. This includes providing legal aid, mental health support, and other resources that frontline activists might need to sustain their work and well-being.

Accountability and Transparency

Transparent Communication and Decision-Making: More transparency in how funding decisions are made and how funds are allocated is required. This could help building trust with grantees and ensures that funders are held accountable to the communities they aim to serve.

Challenging Traditional Metrics

Rethinking Success Metrics: Philanthropic organizations are encouraged to rethink traditional success metrics, which often emphasize quantifiable outcomes over qualitative impacts. Understanding the broader social and systemic changes that their funding can support is crucial