Weekly Reads—June 9, 2025

Enjoy PEAK’s weekly roundup of timely insights from the grantmaking community and beyond.

“Especially in turbulent times, we must stand firm in our values: equity, dignity, and an unshakable commitment to those too often pushed to the margins. … By supporting community-led solutions during moments of crisis or emerging opportunity, we will help ensure continuity of care, promote equity, and strengthen local systems of support.” [more]
Jean Accius, Creating Healthier Communities, and Tanisha Davis, Archstone Foundation

“Philanthropy—intentionally or unintentionally—sets up movements to fail, has created silos. That’s not how movements work. That’s not how organizations work. … Coming to the New York Foundation, I was really looking forward to finally be working at a multi-issue foundation that’s not dictating strategy, that’s not going to silo movements based on how we choose our funding strategy.” [more]
Rickke Mananzala, New York Foundation, for Funders for LGBTQ Issues

“The path to equitable funding … requires funders to sit with the ambiguity of not being expert and embracing curiosity. Recognizing that there are multiple ways to acquire knowledge from the field can reorient grantmaking. It opens the door to inviting practitioners and others into application development and grantee selection. It expands the range of possible learning agendas embedded in grantmaking, and opens the door to trusted collaboration with grantees.” [more]
Dalouge Smith for Grantmakers in the Arts  

“When more funders stay the course, they not only strengthen the communities they support—they also create safety in numbers, making it harder for any one organization to be singled out. When we operationalize racial equity, we close gaps, strengthen communities and make funding more effective. This work is essential and ongoing.” [more]
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations