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Funding for Change

Private philanthropy has long been an integral part of the U.S. economic system and has played a major role in shaping its social institutions. The emergence and growth of privately endowed foundations - a U.S. phenomenon - from the 1800's through the present time, are the outgrowth of fiscal policy. Although there has been a tradition of liberal or "humanistic" giving, it is only recently that the U.S. has seen the emergence of a radical type of philanthropic foundation whose purpose is not only to promote structural change but also to democratize the funding process itself to include a broad cross-section of race and class. This panel will focus on the emergence of this kind of philanthropy, what it is, the different forms it takes, and how it can be an effective tool for change. Panel members will talk about personal giving, new types of foundations, and the role of community grass roots activists in this kind of funding.

Organizer:

• Wendy Watriss, Chair, The Live Oak Fund for Change, P.O. Box 4601, Austin, TX 78765; (512) 476-5714.

• Tim Fuller, Executive Director, the Live Oak Fund for Change, P.O. Box 4601, Austin, TX 78765; (512) 476-5714.

• Steve Viederman, President, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, 16 E. 34th Street, New York, NY 10016; (212) 684-6577.

• Jeffrey Bronfman, Founder, The Threshold Foundation, and Board Member, The Live Oak Fund for Change, P.O. Box 4601, Austin, TX 78765; (512) 476-5714. He will talk about wealth, class, and social change, and how foundations like Threshold and Live Oak represent new models for change.

• Lynore Williams, an African-American activist and board member of the Funding Exchange, a national consortium of community-based social change foundations. She will give an overview of radical/progressive funding in the last 15 to 20 years and a description of the Funding Exchange model.

• Genevieve Vaughn, (512) 472-6575, a private philanthropist involved in national and international funding and the founder of the Foundation for a Compassionate Society. She will talk about personal altruism and the gift economy.

• Andy Sarabbia, community activist, first president of COPS in San Antonio, and diocesan director for the Campaign for Human Development, the social change funding arm of the Catholic Church. CHD has been in the forefront of funding citizen empowerment and has a new approach to publicly supported social change philanthropy. He will talk about the importance of social change giving to community social justice work and the philosophy and operation of CHD.

• David Todd, Wray-Todd Foundation.

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