As the sun sets on the Edward W. Hazen Foundation, we extend our gratitude to our grantee partners for their transformative work and collaboration on our final offering to philanthropy:   

Reevaluating Practice: Reimagining Philanthropy 

This report culminates a five-year spend down process, defined by our grantees and shaped by our commitment to them. “Reevaluating Practice: Reimagining Philanthropy” captures the aspirations of grassroots organizations for partnerships with funders that enable a more effective and sustainable movement for social justice—highlighting the ways funders impeded and empower organizers to mobilize their communities:   

“We need to get philanthropy to realize that power-building means more than engaging executive leadership. For us, it’s all about our members. We want to elevate their participation, growth, and voices,” shares Chauncy Young, director of the Parent Action Committee at New Settlement.  

The grassroots organizations that contributed to this report are nurturing change in cities from Oakland, California to Wichita, Kansas, from small towns to bustling metro-areas across the country, driving a powerful and enduring movement for justice. 

As we approached our final months, we asked our grantees to share their experience with philanthropy as the basis of our final message to the sector. Grantees describe how power imbalances weaken the resilience of social justice organizations and they reveal how funders prioritize addressing systemic issues over supporting the individuals tackling those challenges.  

The report also explores the examples grantees share of effective and equitable practices from some of our peer institutions. Our grantees shared this space with us and allowed the Hazen Foundation to reflect on our practices, which were rooted in transparency, responsiveness, and adaptability.  

We hope this report is a catalyst for transforming conversation into concrete action. The Foundation, its grantees, partners, and allies envision a future for philanthropy where its value is based on a fierce commitment to building authentic and lasting relationships with those on the frontline of change—this report aims to move the future forward.  

Thank you to our partners over at Grantmakers for Effective Organizations for stewarding our report long after we are gone.   

Click HERE to read the report.

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