Join NCRP on April 16 for Making Climate Funding Work for the Frontlines, a virtual webinar-workshop on what it takes to move more resources to frontline-led climate solutions and build greater accountability in climate philanthropy.

Responsive Philanthropy began without a website, social media, or a glossy cover. What it had was space — space to think deeply about power, equity, and accountability. For 50 years, longform has been part of NCRP’s strategy. 🧵

Progressive philanthropy funds policy shops, media, and think tanks. But it often overlooks one of the most trusted civic forces in America: faith leaders. In NCRP’s 50th Anniversary issue, Jeanné Lewis explains why that’s a strategic mistake. 🧵

For five decades, NCRP has pushed the sector to move resources to the communities building power, advancing justice, and shaping a more equitable democracy.

In the late 1970s, foundations gave just 1% of grant dollars to women and girls. In NCRP’s 50th Anniversary issue, Tracy Gary reflects on how that reality sparked a movement — and how NCRP helped push it forward. 🧵

In 1993, NCRP issued a stinging critique of several community foundations, urging stronger connection to marginalized communities and more diverse leadership. In our 50th Anniversary Issue, Javier Alberto Soto reflects on what that moment meant. 🧵

Philanthropy leaders: join us March 5 (3–4 PM ET) for a focused virtual gathering on narrative power, truth-telling, and what this moment demands of our sector. This is not a webinar to passively watch. It’s a space to engage, reflect, and shape next steps together.

In NCRP’s 50th Anniversary issue, Dr. Dwayne Proctor reflects on his ancestry and his journey rooted in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the NAACP, and growing up in “Chocolate City.” Philanthropy, for him, is not theoretical. It’s inherited. 🧵

In February 1976, NCRP was formed with a clear purpose: to ensure philanthropy is responsive to those with the least wealth, power, and opportunity. Fifty years later, truth telling in philanthropy is more necessary than ever. 🧵

Since the 2024 election, one in twelve foundations seem to have censored themselves, having made changes to their websites since that removes language related to concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the social sector. bit.ly/3Ze9w6R

@unitedphilanthropy.bsky.social hosts a Forum WideNet webinar on responding to federal enforcement surges. Drawing on real-time lessons from Minnesota & beyond, it will share field-informed strategies to support impacted communities & strengthen funder preparedness. Feb 5, 2026, 12–1pm ET.

In rural areas across the country, gas stations function as community hubs. That reality is exactly why abortion pill education campaigns have shown up there: not to provoke controversy, but to meet people where access to care has already been stripped away.

Last Thursday marked what would have been the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a moment heavy with reflection. Roe was always a false pillar that many leaned on, but that doesn’t erase the strategies, risk, and organizing that went into filling the gaps left by both legislation and wealth.

New reporting from Bloomberg sheds light on a troubling trend we’ve been tracking across philanthropy: When political pressure intensifies, some of the wealthiest donors retreat — and frontline communities pay the price.

💫What an IMPACTful Year! #5 — Our Fifth Top LinkedIn Post of 2025 This one named what so many movement partners have been saying: If philanthropy wants lasting change, it must invest like it means it.

Silicon Valley’s “Network State” experiments — from California Forever to Próspera — are being sold as visionary solutions. But behind the glossy branding is a familiar pattern:

1️⃣ New NCRP research shows regressive funders are outspending progressive allies in the fight over LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant justice & democracy. 2️⃣ Anti-LGBTQ+ funding is up. Anti-immigrant funding is spiking. Anti-democracy funding keeps rising between election cycles.

💜Thank you to our 2025 IMPACT Awards Sponsor! 💜 We’re deeply grateful to Borealis Philanthropy for their generous support of this year’s IMPACT Awards at the CHANGE Unity Summit.

Two weeks ago, at the 2025 IMPACT Awards during the CHANGE Philanthropy Unity Summit, we celebrated the funders and advocates proving that philanthropy can — and must — meet this moment with courage, equity, and integrity.

We’re deeply grateful to have joined our CHANGE Philanthropy partners at last week's Unity Summit, a space that continues to remind us what’s possible when funders, organizers, and community leaders come together with purpose.

Accountability isn’t born out of comfort — it’s built through courage. 🏆 Jan Masaoka & Jon Pratt, co-founders of The Philanthropy Project, spent decades asking the hard questions philanthropy would rather avoid. Their fearless advocacy embodies the legacy of Pablo Eisenberg, NCRP’s founding chair.

🏆 The Bush Foundation is breaking barriers — giving movement groups unprecedented access to funding strategy and directly supporting individuals through community trusts led by Black and Native partners.

When attacks on justice escalate, WDN doesn’t flinch — they organize. 🏆 From launching the Block and Build Funder Coalition to mobilizing $100 M+ for movement power, Women Donors Network is redefining what bold donor action looks like, for their members, and for the sector as a whole.

In a moment when public health progress is under threat, @rwjf.org chose courage over caution. ❤️‍🔥 Through swift action and bold advocacy, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation protected lifesaving research, invested in health equity, and reminded philanthropy that waiting is not an option.

When funders truly listen, transformation follows. 🏆 The Grand Victoria Foundation didn’t just hear feedback — they acted on it, redefining what philanthropy can look like in Illinois.

We’re proud to have NCRP staff joining this year’s Unity Summit in Minneapolis! 💫 Meet our panelists shaping conversations on justice, power, and equity: ✨ Senowa Mize-Fox – Climate Justice ✨ Trey Withers – Democracy & Regressive Philanthropy

🏆 The Pablo Eisenberg Memorial Prize for Philanthropy Criticism goes to Jan Masaoka & Jon Pratt. For decades, Jan and Jon have spoken truth to power, interrogating the role of philanthropic wealth and pushing for accountability.

🏆 Congrats to Bush Foundation, winners of the “Smashing Silos” Award for Intersectional Grantmaking. From trust-based philanthropy to participatory grantmaking, Bush Foundation is leading with racial, gender, and economic justice.

🏆 We’re celebrating Women Donors Network with the “Mover and Shaker” Award for Bold Peer Organizing. WDN is showing philanthropy how to move in solidarity with movements and choose courage over comfort. 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/impact25awards

🏆 The “Get Up, Stand Up” Award for Rapid-Response Grantmaking goes to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. @rwjf.org is stepping up with urgency, funding frontline movements and speaking out for health equity when it matters most.

🏆 We’re proud to honor Grand Victoria Foundation with the “Changing Course” Award for Incorporating Feedback. Their bold shift to center Illinois’ communities of color—especially Black residents—shows what happens when funders listen deeply & act with courage. Congrats to Sharon Bush & the team!

⏰ Registration closes Oct 1 for #UnitySummit2025. For a decade, Unity has been where funders, organizers & community leaders align to strengthen movements & resource communities. Register: bit.ly/485T6TN

We’re proud to announce this year’s IMPACT Award honorees, recognized for bold leadership, accountability, and resourcing movements on the frontlines. These are the sector's best and are meeting this moment boldly.

From 2021, but check out the disparity between funding for national advocacy etc work vs local abortion funds from DC group @ncrpcommunity.bsky.social . The top 20 recipients of all repro rights funding in the US were NATIONAL organizations. Not great for a movt ecosystem. ncrp.org//2021-aborti...

In precarious times, philanthropy’s question isn’t “Can we plug every public-dollar gap?” It’s “Will we shift power so communities can govern their futures?”

Doulas and midwives save lives — but in too many places, they’re still treated as optional instead of essential. 📉 Lower preterm births 📈 Higher patient satisfaction 📊 $4 billion in potential healthcare savings W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s latest policy brief makes it clear:

What Speaks Volumes? The Data. 73% of the top U.S. funders responsible for 66% of all F1000 giving have said nothing on their websites about the current attacks on democracy. That’s not silence — it’s complicity.

📖 Storytelling isn’t just messaging—it’s movement strategy. In Responsive Philanthropy, Scot Nakagawa of @22ci.bsky.social reminds us: 💬 We need stories that connect, build power, and bridge divides to defeat authoritarianism.

From Haiti to Uganda to the U.S., the fight against authoritarianism is global. Philanthropy must respond like it understands what’s at stake. ActionAid International’s Secretary General Arthur Larok and Niranjali Amerasinghe issue this call:

Grassroots climate orgs are scaling deep, up, & out—but philanthropy still underestimates them. Part Three of the #JustReturns Project shows the impact data that funders can’t ignore. It’s time to invest in those leading the way. 📥 Read now: bit.ly/4JustReturns #FundTheFrontlines

🚨 This isn’t a culture war—it’s a funding war. NCRP’s own Research Director Ryan Schlegel reminds us that the rise in authoritarianism we’re seeing today is no coincidence.

“We are not in a post-Dobbs moment — we are in a rebuilding one...” Three years after the Dobbs decision, Brandi Collins-Calhoun NCRP's Movement Engagement Manager urges philanthropy to fund abortion access with courage and solidarity.

Nothing siloed can save us: Why nonpartisan nonprofits alone aren’t the solution By Ludovic Blain As CEO of the California Donor Table, Ludovic Blain dismisses the tired excuse that “elections won’t save us” and highlights the success stories in California that have indeed led to meaningful change.

💰 Philanthropy talks about climate justice, but only 3% of funding reaches frontline communities. 🔥 It’s time to fund the frontlines first, commit to long-term investment, and move money from false solutions. 📥 Download the Just Returns Report to align your grantmaking goals: bit.ly/4JustReturns

Philanthropy can't claim climate justice while investing in climate destruction. Part One of the #JustReturns Project shows how foundation portfolios fund fossil fuels & what to do about it. Align your dollars with your values. Download now: bit.ly/4JustReturns #JustReturns #MoveTheMoney

📣 Authoritarianism thrives on silence and spin. That’s why the new issue of Responsive Philanthropy uplifts data, research, and people-powered resistance as tools to fight back.

Philanthropy claims to support climate justice — but the evidence suggests otherwise. The Just Returns Project breaks down the gap between words and funding across three reports. Fund the frontlines, not false solutions. 🌱📊 📎 Read more: bit.ly/4JustReturns #JustReturns #FundTheFrontlines

💥 Say it louder, ICE raids. Legal threats. Community trauma. Frontline groups need more than solidarity statements. Now is the time to act. If you’ve moved money to reflect the poly-crisis this year, move more. If you haven’t yet, start now. 📢 Communities are under siege.

Great piece from @thirdwavefund.bsky.social via @ncrpcommunity.bsky.social We need funders to get closer to the ground, to trust the leadership of people who live what they’re funding & to let go of the paternalism that frames sex workers as beneficiaries instead of experts. ncrp.org/2025/06/sex-...

Philanthropy says it cares about climate justice—but just 1.4% of ClimateWorks’ grantmaking reaches the frontlines. Top-down funding won’t cut it. The rainy day is now a hurricane. It’s time to fund real solutions. Read Part 2 of our blog: bit.ly/juneCWF #JustReturns #FundTheFrontlines