The Courageous Giving Framework

A Philanthropic Strategy to Build a Just Democracy

This political moment calls for a comprehensive philanthropic strategy that protects marginalized communities from physical and political attacks while building the economic, cultural, and political power we need to create a future where we all can thrive.

The Courageous Giving Framework is a progressive philanthropic strategy to ensure that donors and funders are working in alignment with social justice movements to build a just, multiracial, democracy. 

This framework describes what to fund and is designed to complement progressive funding approaches, such as Trust-Based Philanthropy, social justice philanthropy, and the Justice Funders’ Resonance Framework, which guide donors on how to fund.

To this end, we ask: where are resources needed now?

Build.

Build robust grassroots political and economic power to create a multiracial and multiethnic democracy where all people can thrive.

  • Provide multi-year general operating support to grassroots organizations that have a track record of building political power within marginalized communities and are accountable to the bases they say that they represent. (Sample organizations: Movement for Black Lives, NDN Collective)

  • Fund grassroots organizations to build communications departments to effectively amplify their cultural change work.

  • Fund narrative strategy organizations that are building a new vision of our country that includes those who have been marginalized. (Sample Organizations: TransLash, Demos, Color of Change)

  • Fund pooled funds and donor collaboratives that follow the expertise of the social justice movement leaders to extend your reach beyond the organizations that are currently in your network. (Democracy Frontlines Fund, Communities Transforming Policing, Southern Power Fund)

  • Fund and support Black and Indigenous reparations efforts to build a national culture of repair.  The Right often takes advantage of racial tension to destroy our movements. Building solidarity through repair makes us more resilient in the face of authoritarian movements. (Sample Organizations: Liberation Ventures, Decolonizing Wealth Project)

Maintain.

Maintain the domestic human and civil rights gains of the last 50 years.

  • Provide general operating support to think tanks and legal advocacy groups that respond to unjust political threats, voter suppression, and gerrymandering. (Sample Organizations: Campaign for Southern Equality, Movement Advancement Project)

  • Fund grassroots voter engagement campaigns partnered with social justice movements to ensure robust voter turnout in the upcoming presidential election and increased engagement in the democratic process. (Sample Organizations: Movement Voter Project, Black Voters Matter, Showing Up for Racial Justice)

PROTECT.

Protect marginalized communities by resourcing mutual aid, community care, and security networks that meet fundamental survival needs.

  • Fund mutual aid networks where community members work together to provide for each other’s needs.  Hate crimes have been on the rise since 2014. In 2022, the FBI data reported the highest number of hate crimes since they began collecting this data in 1991. Mutual aid networks will become increasingly important as fascism and the rate of hate crimes rises. (Sample Organizations: Tranzmission, Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective)

  • Provide general operating support to organizations targeted by digital, physical, and legal security threats in response to their work. (Sample Organizations: Janisha R. Gabriel Movement Protection Fund, MPower Change)

aDAPT.

Adapt our strategy in response to the current political context and the insights of trusted social justice leaders.

  • Develop a cohort of trusted advisors from the communities you fund who provide insight into the needs of their communities and justice movements.

  • Join mission-aligned funder networks to gain access to private funder briefings and other learning opportunities to deepen our understanding of relevant social justice movements. (Sample Organizations: Grantmakers for Southern Progress, Solidaire Network)