Proximate

Will you be in New York for Climate Week? We're co-hosting a happy hour on 9/22 to kick off the week, and bring together people interested in honest conversations about what true localization in climate funding looks like. Join Proximate as well as our partners Casa Socio-Environmental Fund, Alianza Socioambiental Fondos del Sur and Youth Climate Justice Fund. RSVP here, space is limited: bit.ly/3Mv5JLR

"Why is consumerism so energetic and creative? And participation as dull as sh*t?!... We need to make it joyful and meaningful." For Proximate I spoke to Jon Alexander - co-founder of New Citizen Project - about how we get past the "subject story" and the "consumer story" to craft a powerful new "citizen story". He explains what the US Democrats get wrong, how to ensure participatory democracy doesn't scare off politicians - and what we can learn from QAnon... https://lnkd.in/ezG8shE5 Demos | Apolitical Foundation | Oliver Holtaway | Ben Wrobel (And with thanks to Positive News, where I first read about Jon's excellent book, 'Citizens'.)

Canada’s Foundation for Black Communities is setting a powerful example with its participatory grantmaking model. We spoke with Liban Abokor about the $9 million initiative they are a part of to drive funding to, and with, Black communities.

The role of the grants manager has sometimes been overlooked in foundations. However, grants managers have a unique role to play in driving more equitable philanthropic practices. In her latest column, Rachel Kimber, MPA, MS encourages her peers to recognize their unique power – and step into it.

“You know that friend you can’t really vent to? The one who never empathizes, but always launches into their ultimate solutions to your problems?” In her latest column, Isabelle Clérié responds to a recent SSIR cover story offering a “new” vision for philanthropy. As she writes: “This call for a sweeping solution of “empowerment philanthropy” minimizes participatory, asset-based, community-led, and trust-based models that have been around for a long time in the Global South. I’m dizzy at the idea that this proposed solution is what will resonate with some funders and they will “go back to the drawing board” of philanthropy, only to innovate where others are already, demonstrably successful.”

New polling in the US shows “voracious appetite” for reforming charity laws around donor-advised funds, across the political spectrum. We spoke with Bella DeVaan of the Institute for Policy Studies about the ongoing donor “revolt” for DAF reform, as part of our series 🔓Unlocking Abundance 🔓with Magic Cabinet. Learn more about this series and our recent event in Seattle here: bit.ly/3YfVzFW

Good work by our partners at Magic Cabinet

Flashback to our recent Magic Cabinet Advocacy event, where we convened regional philanthropy leaders to discuss the future of donor-advised funds in the U.S. Thank you to our co-host Proximate and our incredible speakers, Se-ah-dom Edmo of Seeding Justice, Dan Petegorsky of Institute for Policy Studies, and Marc Moshcatel of Philanthropy Northwest for sharing your insights! Check out Proximate's event recap: https://bit.ly/4df2jbF

Join us to celebrate Proximate [Eastern Hemisphere edition]! Last month more than 50 people joined our first Proximate Conversation – a celebration of the journalism and community we've built since launching in October 2023. Next Thursday we're holding a second conversation, on a time zone better suited for our readers in Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania (yes, we've covered Oceania bit.ly/3zEPkkQ) Join us next week to hear from our team and our partners including: 🔵 Umesh Mangroliya – steward of Proximate Samip समीप 🔵 Vincent Mwangi – steward of Proximate East Africa 🔵 Mpindi Abaas – media partner from Solutions Now Africa 🔵 Eshban Kwesiga – Advisory Committee member with #ShiftThePower

"Political entities on all sides, everywhere, are incentivized to stoke enmity... 'ordinary people' are more focused on making day-to-day life work and not dialing it right back up to 11." From our Beyond Elections newsletter: Iain Walker of The newDemocracy Foundation offers his take on the role of participatory democracy in areas without a working government – and why attempts to solve conflicts often fail.