Making it Stick: From Disaster Response to Long-Term Institutional Change

At a time of crisis and change, philanthropy is responding to community needs in an unprecedented way. Foundations are unrestricting grants, listening and responding to urgent needs, seeking out emerging efforts to support, and even increasing their payouts. Not coincidentally, many of these disaster response tactics are core principles of trust-based philanthropy, which takes an intentional, sustained approach to addressing the inherent power imbalances between nonprofits and funders. The question, however, remains: As more and more foundations see the value in trusting the leadership and guidance of nonprofits on the frontlines, will these trust-based practices sustain for the long haul? And what is the work of foundation executives and trustees in paving the way for a trust-based future?

In this session, hosted in partnership with the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, we’ll hear from the CEO and Board Chair of the Headwaters Foundation in Montana who have intentionally built a trust-based culture within their organization and throughout its grantmaking practices. We’ll hear from them about the work of building and operationalizing a trust-based culture, the ongoing dialogue it requires, and how that can inform the roles and responsibilities of CEOs and trustees.

Speakers

Brenda Solorzano, CEO, Headwaters Foundation

Robert Philips, Board Chair, Headwaters Foundation

Shaady Salehi, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (moderator)

Learning Objectives

• Demonstrate that trust-based philanthropy practices are part of a larger frame centered in relationship-building, dialogue, and transparency
• Articulate the connection between organizational culture and grantmaking practice
• Clarify the roles of CEOs and trustees in a trust-based context
• Debunk common misconceptions that can be barriers to embracing trust-based philanthropy
• Examine the changes your organizations have made in your disaster response work and explore the policies and practices that can be sustained in your ongoing grantmaking and leadership work