The Ethos of Being Trust-Based Session #2

The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Philanthropy California, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations are excited to announce a new five-part webinar series: The Ethos of Being Trust-Based. The series will run from December 2020-April 2021, and is open to all participants. Learn more about the series, and get details about each of the sessions below.

Series Overview:

The Ethos of Being Trust-Based, developed by Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Philanthropy CA, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, is a webinar series dedicated to exploring the fundamental values and dispositions central to a trust-based approach. At the heart of this work is a deep focus on building trust and relationships at every level, both internally and externally. This requires constant self-examination, a cultivation of interpersonal skills, a willingness to reimagine and adjust organizational practices, and an understanding of the greater systemic factors that have given way to the institution of philanthropy as a whole. It requires that we see and name how racial inequities have been perpetuated in our institutions, behaviors, and practices, even as we strive to alleviate them. Trust-based philanthropy invites us to understand and take action on these ideas at the personal, interpersonal, organizational, and systemic levels in order to interrupt the perpetuation of power imbalances in our sector.

Between the global pandemic and this country’s racial reckoning, our interconnectedness, and inequalities, have never been clearer. From this reality, how can we cultivate trust-based dispositions that support mutuality throughout crisis response, and beyond? 

• How can we seize the potential for redistribution of power, especially to benefit communities that have been systematically oppressed? 
• How might we fully embody partnership in a spirit of service? 
• What context is essential for us to understand? 
• What behaviors do we need to un-learn? 
• And can we embrace and sustain self-reflection and generative listening as must-have tools for transformation? 

Join the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Philanthropy California, and GEO as we explore these questions and examine the aspects of trust-building essential for a strong and healthy ecosystem at all levels: individually, interpersonally, inter-organizationally, and systemically. Each webinar will: 1) feature seasoned perspectives on some of the overarching concepts related to trust-based values and dispositions; 2) include stories and lessons from funders who try to live and breathe relational values; and, 3) offer space for small group reflection on how to cultivate what’s required to embed a trust-based ethos in our philanthropic practice.

SESSION #2: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: THE HARDEST SKILL BUILDING YOU’LL EVER DO

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, 10-11:30am PT

In philanthropy, we sometimes overlook or deprioritize the interpersonal skills required to do this work well. This includes the ability to connect dots, show up in an emotionally intelligent way, listen actively and empathically sensitively, and know when to get out of the way. It also requires a clear understanding of power, and how power imbalances between funders and grantee partners are exacerbated by race, gender, and class inequities. Cultivating and advancing effective interpersonal skills requires practitioners to bring self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and willingness to take multiple perspectives into account. In this workshop, we’ll:

• Explore practices to cultivate embodied listening
• Explore practices that help to cultivate empathy and compassion
• Build self-awareness around power, privilege, and navigating across differences, including addressing implicit bias
• Explore practices around transparent communication and managing discomfort