Seven leading organizations focused on improving philanthropic practices have launched Listen to Community, an initiative calling on funders to transform how they work by building authentic relationships grounded in listening, and changing the balance of power so that people and communities have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them.
Listen to Community is a new resource and engagement hub to help foundation leaders and staff enhance their organization’s philanthropic impact.
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It comes at a time when philanthropy faces mounting scrutiny and concerns about credibility and relevance, and it’s geared to navigate the current climate. Every time a project that communities neither need nor want receives funding, funders risk perpetuating injustice, wasting resources, and eroding trust — and possibly causing harm. Yet embedded in these challenges is an opportunity for philanthropy to underscore its relevance and strengthen trust by embracing what Listen to Community organizers call “power with” rather than “power over” approaches that begin with listening.
“Philanthropy fulfills its highest purpose when it listens deeply, responds courageously to what it hears, and shifts power where it belongs — to community,” says Melinda Tuan, Managing Director of Fund for Shared Insight, a national funder collaborative that helped form the initiative.
Philanthropy fulfills its highest purpose when it listens deeply, responds courageously to what it hears, and shifts power where it belongs — to community
Listen to Community brings together the strengths and aligned actions of seven core strategy partners: Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Feedback Labs, Fund for Shared Insight, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, National Center for Family Philanthropy, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and Native Americans in Philanthropy.
The initiative is advocating for philanthropy to move beyond its well-documented tendency to talk a lot about the importance of listening without following through with meaningful action. It encourages funders to listen in ways that take into account power dynamics, enable reciprocity, and lead to greater community ownership and self-determination.
“I hear in my job every day from community members who feel that their relationships with their funders aren’t meaningful,” says Erik Stegman, CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy. “These relationships are not reciprocal, or respectful. And a lot of that has to do with how funders are actually listening and what they’re doing with what they hear.”
Momentum for change
A growing number of foundations have begun embracing community-centered listening practices, creating momentum that initiative organizers believe can reach a tipping point among funders. Listen to Community’s goal is to have more leaders and staff in foundations listen to impacted communities, respond to what they hear, and build authentic and equitable relationships.
“Listening is essential for effective outcomes in family philanthropy,” says Nicholas Tedesco, President and CEO, National Center for Family Philanthropy. “It allows donors to be accountable to communities, equitable in their practices, and build trusted and transparent relationships with partners. It is also central to learning and improving. Foundations that embed listening in their work — and join a community of donors that do the same — can generate significant, lasting impact.”
Listen to Community aligns with and supports complementary approaches — such as trust-based philanthropy, participatory grantmaking, community-driven philanthropy, practice shifts in learning and evaluation, authorized voice and power in board governance, and efforts to ensure organizations reflect impacted communities — while keeping its central focus on listening to shift power to community.
By highlighting listening as a foundational and transformational practice, the initiative strengthens and reinforces these other efforts.
“Listening to communities keeps philanthropy grounded in trust, partnership, and shared purpose,” says Marcus Walton, President and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). “This initiative will give clear examples of how listening to shift power can help funders practice more effective philanthropy — moving beyond silos and learning from peers who ground their work in relationships and community perspective.”
How to engage
Join Listen to Community’s mailing list to receive updates on and access to inspirational stories of funder listening, opportunities for peer connections and support, and practical tools to advance your own listening practices. Attend Listen to Community events, including at upcoming conferences hosted by CHANGE Philanthropy and the Center for Effective Philanthropy. And stay tuned to the initiative’s newsletter, website, blog, and forthcoming podcast, where you’ll find more ways to connect, learn, and take action.
Together at Listen to Community, we can shift philanthropy for good.
