Place-Based Philanthropy
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- Download the Report
- Philanthropy Resources and Conversation: Emergent Models of Place-Based Philanthropy: A Review of Six Foundations’ Initiatives
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About the Convening
The Making Space for Place convening was an opportunity for foundations practicing a second-generation approach to place-based philanthropy to come together over three days to share their experiences and explore how place-based approaches can become even more impactful, especially through equity and power building. The goals of the convening were to:
- Deepen the equity focus and the power-building work in communities
- Harness power building to change systems and impact policy
- Build long-term capacity in communities and create broader infrastructure across a region
- Connect individual/organizational capacity to statewide networks across a region
- Assess potential evaluation approaches for this work
About the Report
The report provides a summary of the rich conversation from the Making Space for Place convening held in Denver, Colorado on April 14-16, 2025. The convening was facilitated by MDC and Tanya Beers, and the report was compiled by Jennifer James, Independent Consultant, and organized into four sections:
- What we are learning about a more emergent approach to place-based philanthropy that emphasizes how foundation staff engage with local actors (e.g., using a cultivation model)
- The actual practice of this form of place-based philanthropy
- How this work is experienced differentially across different individuals within a foundation
- Next steps for continuing and broadening this conversation through a Community of Practice.