Weekly Reads—July 14, 2025

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

“The “AI moment” to transform grantmaking won’t arrive until grantmakers and technology providers become co-creators, working together to envision new and more powerful ways to deliver social impact. Grantmakers don’t need to see themselves as passive adopters of pre-packaged AI; they can take a proactive role as co-designers shaping tools that reflect the values and complexities of their work.” [more]
Sam Caplan, Submittable, for Candid

“The challenges in our democracy right now can feel overwhelming and intractable. Community organizing is an important way to nurture democratic practice, accountability, and trust. And family philanthropies, who are stewards of resources that are in the public trust, can have a huge impact with modest dollars by supporting the organizing groups in their own backyards.” [more]
Loren McArthur, LM Consulting, for National Center for Family Philanthropy

“Few in our sector are experts on democracy and anti-authoritarianism, but we can do what philanthropy is well positioned to do – fund those that are. Fund the democracy builders, fund the grassroots organizers, fund movements, fund the resistance. And stand in solidarity with peer organizations – philanthropy and nonprofits.” [more]
Deborah Aubert Thomas, United Philanthropy Forum

“[N]onprofits assert that if their foundation funders had a deeper understanding of the communities in which they seek to make an impact, they would be in a stronger position to address ongoing and emergent needs. Listening to the people and communities at the heart of philanthropic work, often and well, is perhaps of even greater importance in this current moment. Nonprofits are facing unprecedented challenges to their work, and information provided directly by the communities these organizations serve is critical to understanding the barriers and opportunities they face.” [more]
Voices That Matter: How Nonprofits and Foundations Engage With the Communities They Support, Center for Effective Philanthropy