This episode offers a valuable, concrete opportunity for funders to collectively and individually support their grantee organizations and the nonprofit sector, and to break out of a period of general confusion, silence, and inaction. In this fourth installment of our bi-weekly “Defend Nonprofit, Defend Democracy” Series, host Rusty Stahl sits down in-person with Shaady Salehi, co-executive director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project. They discuss a new action pledge designed to unite philanthropic funders in support of nonprofits in this new political period of political attacks on nonprofits and philanthropy, fear of speaking out, destabilized government funding, and increasing demand on nonprofits. Shaady introduces the "Commitment for Trust-Based Action," a funder pledge developed by Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, and the National Center for Family Philanthropy. The pledge outlines three key commitments: moving in solidarity with nonprofits; mobilizing money in a trust-based way; and nurturing possibility and innovation.

The conversation highlights how nonprofits are facing unprecedented challenges, with 90% reporting negative impacts from federal policies. Salehi emphasizes practical actions funders can take, including offering multiyear unrestricted funding, increasing grant budgets, simplifying application processes, and considering alternative funding structures like gifts instead of grants. She explains these recommendations were developed by listening directly to nonprofit leaders who reported feeling isolated and pulled in different directions by uncoordinated funder responses.

Salehi also discusses how this commitment addresses the need to resource nonprofit leaders' creativity and strategic thinking as they reimagine their work for a dramatically different future. She encourages foundations to support connection and convening among nonprofits and explore creative funding opportunities beyond traditional 501c3 structures. The initiative aims to create a united front for the social sector during turbulent times, with Salehi inviting both funders to sign on and nonprofits to share the commitment with their funders to start conversations.

You can find all the episodes of this podcast plus our blog, toolkit and other resources at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fundthepeople.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And we invite you to learn from all the amazing past guests of Fund the People - A Podcast with Rusty Stahl at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fundthepeople.org/ftp_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Bio

Shaady Salehi is the co-executive director of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project, a 5-year learning and advocacy initiative to make trust-based practices the norm in the philanthropic sector. Throughout her career, Shaady has worked in various social sectors using strategic communications to galvanize coalitions, establish legacies, generate buy-in, and strengthen networks. Previously, Shaady was Managing Director of Distribution and Impact at ITVS, where she led a team to advance the reach and impact of documentaries on public television. Prior to ITVS, she was Executive Director of Active Voice, a pioneering organization that uses storytelling to catalyze social change. Shaady is a 2014 Aspen Institute Fellow and sits on the board of Let It Ripple, a nonprofit that experiments with collaborative filmmaking for the common good. She holds an M.S. in Strategic Communications from Columbia University, an M.A. in Anthropology from UC Davis, and a B.A. in Anthropology from Oberlin College.

Resources

Meet the Moment: A Call to Action for Philanthropy

CEP report: How U.S. Nonprofit Leaders Are Experiencing the Political Context

Trust-Based Philanthropy Project

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

National Center for Family Philanthropy