Weekly Reads—September 13, 2024

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

“Make 10% the new 5%. The math never worked for me. Private foundations, whose mission is to serve and deploy resources to the community, are only legally required to give out 5% of their assets annually (excluding staffing and overhead costs) to the community, while holding on to the other 95%. This outdated formula has been in place since the 1969 Tax Reform Act. It’s time for philanthropy to give communities a raise by changing the giving floor to at least 10%. Endowments will be smaller, but communities will be stronger.” [more]
Judy Belk, California Wellness Foundation

“The future doesn’t happen to us. We create it with the decisions that we make today. What the future needs and deserves is for each of us to be smart about what’s coming next and to build that future muscle.” [more]
Trista Harris, FutureGood, for Collective Impact Forum

“The increasing frequency and severity of disasters underscores the urgent need for a shift in how we approach disaster philanthropy and community support. Traditional, reactionary giving is not sustainable in the face of constant crises. Adopting a proactive, holistic approach is essential. By focusing on mitigation and prevention, creating pre-established disaster recovery funds, and ensuring support reaches often-overlooked rural communities, we can better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of these disasters.” [more]
Katie Huang, The Center for Disaster Philanthropy

“I have come to appreciate the people who have largely spent the last five years misrepresenting and banning the book [How to Be an Antiracist] and trying to discredit me. What you have done—and why you have done it—have functioned like the book’s postscript. … I also really appreciate the people who ended the book and saw it as a beginning. They joined with us on our journey to be antiracist, as we transform ourselves to transform society.” [more]
Ibram X. Kendi, Scholar, on LinkedIn