Resource List on Philanthrocapitalism and Social Justice Giving
Community Alliance for Global Justice, Social Justice Fund, Resource Generation, and Thousand Currents collaborated to create this running document with links to articles and resources on philanthropy, philanthrocapitalism, and social justice giving.
| Philanthrocapitalism | ||
| Source | Author | Notes |
| The Birth of Philanthrocapitalism | The Economist | One of the first articles to introduce the term “philanthrocapitalism”, in 2006. |
| How to Criticize “Big Philanthropy” Effectively | Joanne Barkan | Article in Dissent magazine, outlining common arguments for Big Philanthropy and their counterarguments. |
| The Charitable-Industrial Complex | Peter Buffett | An opinion piece in the New York Times written by Warren Buffett’s son, Peter Buffett, criticizing the way that his father (and even himself) have conducted philanthropy. |
| Big Gifts, Tax Breaks and a Debate on Charity | Stephanie Strom | NY Times article, perspectives from several different billionaires on the impact of charitable giving and the tax breaks given to wealthy individuals. |
| The New Washington Consensus: Millennial Philanthropy and the Making of Global Market Subjects | Katharyne Mitchell, Matthew Sparke |
This paper outlines the emergence of a New Washington Consensus associated with leading philanthropies. Big idea: philanthropies are creating more market subjects among the poor and marginalized around the world as a solution to their problems. |
| How Big Philanthropy Undermines Democracy | Joanne Barkan | Article in Dissent magazine breaking down the ways in which philanthropy threatens democracy as wealth accumulates political power and influence |
| Wealth Inequality and The Fallacies of Impact Investing | Rodney Foxworth | If we’re truly motivated to deconstruct the wealth inequalities that have ravaged and extracted wealth from rural, indigenous, and majority people of color communities, then we must rid ourselves of the power dynamics, biases, and culture that got us here in the first place. |
| Gated Development – is the Gates Foundation always a force for good? | Mark Curtis, Global Justice Now | Comprehensive report examining the Gates Foundation’s funding and political influence in global health and agriculture, as well as its corporate, public relations, and institutional ties. |
| No Such Thing as a Free Gift: the Gates Foundation and the Price of Philanthropy | Linsey McGoey | Book, focuses on 1) making comparisons between late 19th century philanthropists and modern philanthropists and 2) unseen consequences of how money is spent. |
| Philanthro-Solidarity Compendium | New Economy Coalition | A compilation of resources to navigate the tensions & opportunities between philanthropy and social movements. |
| Social Justice Philanthropy | ||
| Source | Author | Notes |
| Social Justice Fund Giving Projects | Social Justice Fund (SJF) | A description of SJF’s Giving Project Model |
| Resource Generation – What is Social Justice Philanthropy? | Resource Generation (RG) | Definition, principles and history of Social Justice Philanthropy |
| Social Justice Philanthropy Assessment Tool for Family Foundations | RG and SJF | A sampling of questions designed to help foundations examine their progress on their journey towards social justice philanthropy. |
| Thousand Currents | Thousand Currents | Website about Thousand Currents work |
| Regenerative Economy Values | Regenerative Finance | Key social justice values to use when considering potential investments. |
| NCRP Study Faults Foundations for Underfunding Social Justice Philanthropy | National Center for Responsive Philanthropy | A study published by the NCRP analyzed 11 years of Foundation Center grantmaking data from 2003 to 2013 and found that only a small portion of foundation grants went toward serving the needs of vulnerable populations |
| Does Thousand Currents Walk the Talk? | Jennifer Lentfer, Thousand Currents | Example of how Thousand Currents practices social justice philanthropy |
| The Climate Solutions we need for our survival are already in our midst | Rajasvini Bhansali, Thousand Currents | What philanthropy can learn from grassroots leaders |
| Building Relationships Transformative Change | Katherine Zavala, Thousand Currents | Alliance building and relationship building in social justice philanthropy |
| 2,934 Hours | Joanna Levitt Cea, Thousand Currents | Building an alternative to impact investment and philanthrocapitalism |
| Funder Spotlight: Thousand Currents | The Whitman Institute | Components of social justice philanthropy as practiced by Thousand Currents |
| Smart Risks: How small grants are helping to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, | Jennifer Lentfer and Tanya Cothran, Eds. | A book of essays by practitioners of social justice philanthropy |
| The Thousand Currents Academy Experience | Swatee Deepak | Thousand Currents holds a retreat twice per year that gathers philanthropists, global thought leaders, and frontline community activists from around the world. Swatee Deepak from the Stars Foundation provides a reflection on how this retreat helped them understand philanthropy and the need for structural solutions to issues of oppression |
