***๐ป๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐จ๐๐ค๐๐๐ฃ?*** I am pretty sure you donโt. So then, why do some funders in #philantrophy treat their partners like that? As I look back on this yearโs Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association #PhileaForum, I am more optimistic than when I arrived on Monday. I had many heart-opening conversations that clearly showed that many, many, many people in the #Giving space understand that our restrictive world of project-managed milestone-obsessed short-term grant giving isnโt fit for purpose anymore. Just take this one example: the pending #ClimateCatastrophe requires us to use every bit of our creativity, boldness, and innovativeness to stop it: - We will need to invent new roles in society (like Climate Justice neighborhood guardians!) - reinvent how we spend public budgets (think heat-resilient cities!) - innovate our democracies (what if the most vulnerable in our societies were put in charge to design the services meant to โserve themโ!) - and change mindsets (When is enough enough? How do we share abundance in new ways?). I think we all know that a rigid one-year focus on the number of beneficiaries (a term we need to eliminate) and tying partners to unchangeable milestones wonโt work. *๐๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ค: ๐๐๐ฅโ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐จ๐๐ค๐๐๐ฃ!* We need to put those that we trust to know best in charge, with unrestricted, multi-year funding built on eye-level relationships with proximate, local leader-led organisations who in turn focus on building #agency and #changemaking for and with their communities. Thank you Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association for being couragous to host these conversations, help with concrete best-practice examples and create safe spaces where true learning and deep listening can happen. #EveryoneAChangemaker Ashoka European Forum Alpbach
Sven EGENTER
1mo
Thank you Marie for this important comment & the very useful analogy. Running a foundation-funded non-profit in the climate space supported (so far) by an institution that has understood that we know how to load our journalism & climate comms dishwasher I can only say: This culture of trust makes a massive difference, it's extremely motivating and I think it leads to much more effective and impactful outcomes. I hope your words help triggering a thought-process in more places. I guess we'll find out as we are now looking to scale our successful work out of Berlin on a European level...
Durukan Dudu
1mo
Good news. And thanks Marie Ringler for "bridging" these worlds - a tough and important function that I know you fulfill greatly. I hope and believe that one day will emerge more and more people, especially "givers", who are brave and honest to walk their talk. Otherwise, "We need to change the way we do things" is becoming an annoying slogan of virtue-washing, often told by people who are committed to NOT change the way they do things as long as they possible can =)
Wakanyi Hoffman
1mo
I am so loving this analogy of the dishwasher. I think Christopher M. Hoffman will find it resonates with both his personal and professional world ;)
Bowls go on the bottom Marie ๐ซค
Love this comment. Couldnโt agree more Marie! To add- I think there is also a civil resistance role to play here. Seen too many old school servants who just cope and do the โrestrictive world of project-managed milestone-obsessed short-term grant giving isnโt fit for purpose anymoreโ gameโฆ . Understood, survival is crucial, but hey- if impact is just a story and ever worse? So what?? Onwards and pushing for new ways, also by building support with more and more in the Giving spaceโฆ
Tina Deutsch
1mo
Thank you Marie Ringler for your thoughts! "Unrestricted, multi-year funding" is outstandingly rare. Those who provide it often don't even know how much it means. ๐
Craig Morris
1mo
Hey Marie, I attended an Ashoka event last year. I was told that Ashoka promotes substainable business models. I said that falls short because not everything worth supporting is a business model. You speak of Climate Justice Neighborhood guardians above. Has Ashoka changed its stance?
Bettina Ludwig
1mo
Your words are so motivating and indeed stimulate my ideas-center ๐ง ๐ซ๐ก๐ก๐ก
Enabling changemakers to have systemic impact | Partner at Ashoka Globalizer | Academic director at Ashoka Visionary Program | Author
1mothanks for sharing your insights from Philea, Marie! I have been lately thinking a lot on what it means to shift mindsets about your last point, "when enough is enough" and other ways of "manifesting abundance". In many cultures, a key indicator of abundance and status is still surrounding oneself with ultra-luxury items. I wonder what it takes to shift such narrative towards the one where status and abundance are associated with surrounding oneself with changemakers who can bring about systemic change for the good of all. Would be curious to hear your thoughts on that.