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PEAK Grantmaking

Weekly Reader – May 7, 2018

What we’re reading and recommending this week. We add to this post throughout the week and look for your suggestions in the comments.

Monday, May 7

Time’s Up for Philanthropy, Too (Pamela Shifman, Philanthropy News Digest) Today, #MeToo is fueling a national reckoning with sexual violence, as women from all backgrounds and industries come forward to share their experiences of harassment and abuse. Their testimony has been a powerful wake-up call, from Hollywood to the nation’s factory floors to its farm fields. It should be a wake-up call for philanthropy, too.

Tuesday, May 8

How to Tell Stories About Complex Issues (Annie Neimand, SSIR) Stories are the most powerful tool we have for increasing understanding and building engagement with complex issues. Telling them well can drive belief and behavior change.

Wednesday, May 9

Philanthropy’s “New Power” Challenges (Grace Nicolette, CEP) Much of the philanthropic sector is “structured around old power dynamics, even as many in our field are seeking to make societal change in a new power way.”

Thursday, May 10

Fast Forward: How the Trump Effect is Accelerating Key Trends in Philanthropy (Philip Rojc, Inside Philanthropy) Trump’s ascendence set a lot of folks in philanthropy reeling, prompting some to act rapidly while others played a waiting game to see how the national situation shook out. Quite a bit has now been written about how funders have responded—and are responding—to the developments of the Trump era.

Friday, May 11

Mission Forward: Foundation Leaders Meet to Talk Place, Race and Impact (Dennis Price, ImpactAlpha) To kick off the biennial conference, distinct philanthropic approaches toward impact investing will be on offer in the discussion among three foundation presidents. Students of philanthropy will be watching to see how the spirited debaters reconcile around a shared mission of driving more capital toward urgent challenges.


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