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Welcome back to Grassroots Grantmaking.
Every other month, our team at Proximate tracks the global movement in philanthropy to shift power to the grassroots. In this issue, we’re looking at what happens when longstanding centers of influence begin to lose their grip.
As I explore in the Publisher's Note, we are witnessing the sunset of a "monopoly" era in philanthropy, when a small number of foundations, conferences, publications and geographies set the agenda for anyone engaging in charitable giving. What comes next will be more distributed, and it will be different – though it won't necessarily be more democratic.
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New readers: Learn about this editorial project's first two years, and subscribe.
Thanks to our longtime partner Magic Cabinet for the continued support.
With gratitude,
Ben Wrobel
Publisher, Proximate Press
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What's New |
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The recent wave of tech IPOs – and Nan Ransohoff's provocative Substack post – has created a frantic discussion about the next "wave" of philanthropy. Jan Masaoka offers a counterintuitive take: the era of foundation dominance is coming to a close. [Read]
Donor advising is at the center of many of those changes. We sat down with Jessica Dudley to discuss trust-based philanthropy, the changing role of donor advisors, and where giving may be headed next. [Read]
Proximate has always been interested in the role media plays in shaping philanthropy. We're excited to introduce On Media, a new recurring column by Tirrea Billings, founder of Philanthropy Unfiltered. She examines how philanthropy is covered, and how those stories influence what the field pays attention to. [Read]
We've long believed that the next iteration of philanthropy is emerging from the Global Majority. In this issue, Vincent Mwangi reports from the East Africa Philanthropy Conference, while Maria Amália Souza argues that the infrastructure for community-led climate finance already exists. |
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What's Taking Root? |
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A new recurring feature from Vanessa Stevens highlighting the reports, conversations, and ideas worth paying attention to across philanthropy.
This first edition explores board governance, locally led funding, and long-term movement support. [Read] |
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From the Archives |
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Some stories become more relevant with time. As authoritarianism continues to reshape civic space across Central and Eastern Europe, we're revisiting our conversation with the Dalan Fund on what it takes to build trust when traditional funding approaches fall short. [Read]
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