The Ethos of Being Trust-Based: Confronting and Correcting Historical Power Imbalances

Trust-based philanthropy is anchored in an understanding of power and privilege, historical and systemic racism and structural oppression, and how these shape people’s realities in profoundly different ways. As grantmakers, we have a responsibility to confront the reality that philanthropy originated from and has often contributed to systemic inequities, both in the ways wealth is accumulated and its dissemination is controlled. While these discussions may be challenging and difficult, this type of self-reflection is fundamental to the work of trust-based philanthropy. As individuals and institutions, we must be willing to recognize historical trauma and systemic power, examine our own relationship to power and money, and be willing to give up some of that power and control in a spirit of service and collaboration with those who are closer to the issues at hand. In this session moderated by GEO’s Akilah Massey, we will:

• Review some of the salient historical and systemic factors that have contributed to inequity in philanthropy
• Learn how trauma – including and especially systemic oppression, racism, and other isms – affects the soma (body, perception, internalized narratives, patterns & habits of responding)
• Learn techniques for noticing our own typical response patterns, our relationships to power, and how we might work more skillfully with these in order to respond with dignity, care, and the intention to connect