Thoughts from the Just Giving Conference 2013
Held at the beautiful campus of the Galludet University in Washington D.C., the second annual conference of the Edge Funders Alliance was entitled ‘What is to be done? And how do we do it?’ The simplicity of the conference title was refreshing-allowing for discussions to get straight to the issues that matter, without having to overcome jargon posed barriers.
The quest for answers in the various sessions was however no simple task and questions were answered with more complex questions: How do identity and power impact the contexts in which we operate as grant makers? How can addressing power imbalances within our institutions contribute to deeper transformation? How can grantmakers embrace the power they have and use it for good? How do we move from analysis to action? What are the local, transnational and global strategies we need to address the shifting trends in the global economy? How do we leverage the power of donor networks to increase the impact of our work? How do we mobilize more resources for social justice work? And the unrelenting – how do we evaluate social change?
Among the principles highlighted in the pursuit for answers there were two that summed it for me; to aim at social change that is “cumulative, inter-generational and durable” and to do it with “agility, humbleness and an ear to the ground”. Many speakers expressed a desire to incorporate these principles in their work while some others shared concrete examples and techniques showing how it could be done.
However, questions around how we can grow the circle of foundations reflecting a willingness to incorporate these or related principles remained largely unanswered. Speaking at a session on ‘strategies for resourcing social justice and movement building’, Nathaniel Williams of the Hill-Snowdon Foundation put it succinctly, “It’s about growing the pie and also making it taste better.” For the most part, participants at the Just Giving Conference contributed to making it taste better. As for making the pie bigger, discussions spoke more to the frustrations in the field.