What is place-based philanthropy anyways? Richard Woo, executive director of the Russell Family Foundation in Gig Harbor, Washington, describes it as “Community Change from the Inside Out,” and that’s as good a definition as we’ve heard!
At the 2010 Family Philanthropy Conference, several family foundations with a commitment to place-based philanthropy participated in a daylong session to share experiences and strategies. While each foundation brought its own unique approach, all shared a passion for the communities where they worked. Examples of funders taking this approach include:
- Russell Family Foundation
- Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Flintridge Operating Foundation
- Rasmuson Foundation
For more examples, check out this new interactive map of family foundations around the country that are using place-based (or “embedded”) philanthropic strategies to bring holistic change in a specific community or communities.
Here are additional resources to get you started on better understanding the tools and methods of place-based philanthropy. Before you delve into these, check out this interactive map of family foundations around the country that are using place-based (or “embedded”) philanthropic strategies to bring holistic change in a specific community or communities.
SELECTED REPORTS AND ESSAYS
- Chapin Hall – Embedded Philanthropy and Community Change
- Donor Perspectives on Place-Based Philanthropy by Thomas E. Backer, Alan N. Miller, and Jane Ellen Bleeg. Published by the Human Interaction Research Institute
- Best Practices for Embedded Philanthropy, By Sharon Schneider, The Philanthropic Family blog.
- Wanting More from Place-based Philanthropy, by Janice Foster, Grassroots Grantmakers blog