Trust-Based Philanthropy is being embraced by a growing number of foundations and social investors as a way to alleviate power imbalances between funders and those they support while fostering more productive and informative relationships. Driven by the central philosophy that funders should approach grantee relationships as learning partnerships, a trust-based approach encourages multi-year unrestricted funding, streamlined reporting, and transparent and responsive communication. In this session, Carrie Avery, president and trustee of the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles, and Shaady Salehi, director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, will share an overview of the six principles of trust-based philanthropy, how they are embodied at her foundation, and the lessons they are learning along the way. Participants will also have an opportunity to explore a particular area of practice that they hope to refine or build in an effort to create more productive and balanced funder-grantee relationships. Participants can also expect to walk away with practical next steps to share with colleagues.
