Listening at TFN25: Power, Solidarity and Love
BY Melinda Tuan, Managing Director, Fund for Shared Insight
As a first-time participant at a TFN conference, I came to Baltimore with a question: In a national environment characterized by fear and uncertainty, are place-based funders still committed to listening to community?
In sessions and conversations throughout TFN25, and as the room filled with people for a session on listening and participatory practices during the meeting’s last morning, the answer was clear. The chaos and hazards of our context have only strengthened the commitment of TFN funders to listen to the communities they serve and work shoulder-to-shoulder with them so that people are better off in ways they define for themselves.
TFN25 attendees learn about the importance of arts funding in the community, culture as a driver of economic development and learning key skills for practical application and mental health.
This kind of listening and partnering is what the funder collaborative Fund for Shared Insight has been exploring for the past decade — a journey that has taken us from building mechanisms such as Listen4Good to collect better feedback, to advocating for listening as a way funders can shift power to people and communities at the heart of their work. Through these efforts, we’ve seen that place-based funders have a special relationship with communities — and thus a particular opportunity and responsibility to listen to those communities. What drew so many of us into conversation on the last morning of TFN25 was our collective recognition that listening in non-extractive, authentic ways is an ongoing challenge, even when you’re committed to it.
At Shared Insight’s blog, and in resources including our Funder Listening Action Menu and Participatory Philanthropy Toolkit, we’ve been developing and collecting ideas, frameworks and promising practices to help funders listen to shift power to community. At TFN25, it was exciting to learn more about how place-based funders are listening to the communities they serve and being transformed by what they hear — and in turn, helping their communities achieve their own self-determined transformation.
From our conversations, I am taking away a wealth of examples and reflections on listening and power. To share a few:
The Power We Hold
Elizabeth Love, CEO of the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation, shared ways the foundation has been trying to better listen and respond to the communities it serves in Texas. The foundation’s board is changing its membership — moving from a board of all family members to include people closer to the community. And together, the board is doing the hard work of looking at their own power and how they wield it. Over the course of a year, they learned about racial equity, mapped their power and reflected on where they could shift power to communities.
Now, the board and staff embrace trust-based philanthropy, and they approach connections with current and potential grantees with an eye to correcting power imbalances. The team has reduced demands on organizations’ time in applications and reporting, and they attend town halls and speak with community members to learn about power and trust dynamics. Redesigned feedback conversations have led to a new fund to support capacity-building for grassroots organizations, designed and managed by a committee of grassroots leaders.
TFN25's Tuesday Morning Plenary speakers discussing ways that philanthropy can step up now to bolster and protect community partners.
Power Together
In the closing plenary, Maya Wiley, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, crystalized another aspect of listening and power in our current moment, when it can seem like every issue we care about in our communities and on our planet is being threatened. But while the purpose of the Administration’s “flood the zone” strategy is to overwhelm responses, it’s also an opportunity for solidarity, Wiley pointed out. Rallying empathy and action across all impacted communities creates a great source of power.
Maya Wiley discusses turning adversity into action that creates lasting change at TFN25's Closing Plenary.
Listening is an important part of building such solidarity and collective action. We recently wrote about this as “turning on the headlights” in times of crisis so funders don’t cause more harm or miss the opportunity to be of greatest use. Across our TFN25 conversations I heard about funders listening to communities as a way to better understand the moment, as well as supporting community leadership to meet it.
Power and Love
At the final lunch, sitting with colleagues from the Kresge Foundation, we landed on the topic of love. For me, the work that I do at Shared Insight is so joyful, and I heard similar joy reflected in their experience of working in deep partnership with communities in Detroit. We agreed that to do philanthropy well, it has to be done with love. And there is power in love.
In Shared Insight’s own experiment with participatory practices in philanthropy, one of our biggest lessons was that we need to reconsider how we understand power. In his final book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote:
Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political or economic changes. In this sense power is not only desirable but necessary in order to implement the demands of love and justice. One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites. Love is identified with a resignation of power and power with a denial of love. ... What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.
This reexamination can help us see the power that lies in communities, and shift philanthropy’s role to share its own power from a place of love. Transformative love, as explored by Shiree Teng and Sammy Nuñez, fuses power and love on the path to justice, with deep listening as a crucial dimension.
My initial question coming into TFN25 was answered emphatically. I hope to keep hearing from TFN members about how you are using listening to build power and solidarity across your work. What was palpable over the three days of the meeting was the love foundations have for the communities they serve, their readiness to listen and transform in response and the power that listening through love holds as communities face the present and change the future.
About the Author
Melinda Tuan is Managing Director of Fund for Shared Insight. Find her on LinkedIn.
Advocacy Spotlight: BikeWalkKC
TFN’s Advocacy Spotlight Series, spearheaded by the network’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, lifts up the work of nonprofit grantees making an impact in their communities and beyond. We asked funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in this series. We’ll share these Advocacy Spotlights TFN’s Blog and social media platforms as part of our commitment to amplifying community-led sustainability solutions and building the field of philanthropy through shared learning.
Advocacy Spotlight: BikeWalkKC
Nominated by: Kathryn Conner, Program Coordinator, The Equitable Transportation Fund
Nina Whiteside McCord and Neighbors United for Action neighborhood association organized to simplify an intersection and install a raised crosswalk at 63rd and Meyer to benefit residents and Kauffman School students in the 5th District of KCMO.
About BikeWalk KC
"BikeWalkKC advocates for policies and infrastructure that make walking, biking and public transit safer and more accessible in the Kansas City region. Their work addresses critical issues of health, safety and community connectivity. Combining public education, coalition-building and direct policy engagement, their approach serves as a model for other communities.
The Equitable Transportation Fund has supported BikeWalkKC because their work aligns with our mission to fund initiatives that create more just and inclusive transportation systems. Their efforts help shape transportation systems that serve all residents equitably, not just those with access to personal vehicles.
BikeWalkKC advances equity by advocating for safe and accessible transportation options in historically underinvested neighborhoods, where residents often face the greatest mobility barriers. Their programs prioritize engagement with communities of color, low-income residents and people with disabilities to ensure their needs and perspectives are at the center of planning and investment decisions."
40 volunteers observed Kansas City, MO's Gillham Cycletrack in 2022, taking surveys from users on bikes, foot, and scooters and collecting data about driver behavior, safety, and more.
About Their Impact
"BikeWalkKC is a leader of the Transportation for All Coalition. A recent capacity-building grant from Ewnig Marion Kauffman Foundation enables BikeWalkKC to strengthen the coalition, deepen its research through a transportation case study of Kansas City with Urban Institute, and develop case statements on transportation and upward economic mobility. This grant is a significant milestone that builds on the foundation laid by previous support from ETF.
An in-person convening planned for fall 2025 of funders, policymakers and transportation advocates will elevate the conversation on transportation as a driver of economic mobility. The 2024 Transportation for All Coalition report captures the impact of this work and provides a roadmap for ongoing advocacy."
Featured Image: In 2023, BikeWalkKC received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to collect local data to understand how structural racism has shaped Kansas City's transportation system and infrastructure and made Black and Brown neighborhoods less safe for residents. This photo is from a neighborhood walk audit for that project.
About this series: TFN invited funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in the Mobility and Access Collaborative’s Advocacy Spotlight series. The stories in this series were submitted by funders and shared with nominees in advance for fact-checking and further clarification when needed. If you have any questions about this series or TFN’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, please contact Martha Roskowski martha@fundersnetwork.org
Advocacy Spotlight: LINK Houston
TFN’s Advocacy Spotlight Series, spearheaded by the network’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, lifts up the work of nonprofit grantees making an impact in their communities and beyond. We asked funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in this series. We’ll share these Advocacy Spotlights TFN’s Blog and social media platforms as part of our commitment to amplifying community-led sustainability solutions and building the field of philanthropy through shared learning.
Advocacy Spotlight: LINK Houston
Nominated by: Elizabeth Love, CEO, Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation
LINK Houston Community Action Network gathering. Photo Credit: LINK Houston
About LINK Houston
"LINK Houston advocates for a robust, equitable transportation network so that all people can reach opportunity. LINK focuses on ensuring inclusive mobility so that people can move around our region affordably and sustainably by walking, rolling, biking and riding transit; keeping communities united in the face of public infrastructure projects like highway expansions; and increasing transit access to housing.
LINK empowers residents to engage with decision-makers at agencies such as Houston METRO and the City of Houston, and serves as a powerful watchdog across our region. The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation supports LINK because the organization maintains influence among residents, public officials and the media, having shaped and now watchdogging the implementation of a $7.5 billion METRO bond package so that it boosts transit in low-access areas with a history of disinvestment.
LINK partners with fellow advocates to mobilize opposition to the I-45 expansion, culminating in a voluntary resolution agreement between the Federal Highway Administration and TxDOT to address community concerns. Link also ensures that community voices have seats on our Metropolitan Planning Organization's powerful Transportation Policy Council."
LINK Houston staff surveying bus riders for the 2025 Equity in Transit report. Photo Credit: LINK Houston.
About Their Impact
LINK Houston’s "Equity in Transit 2024" report emphasizes the need for increased bus service frequency and improved on-time performance, which are crucial for those who rely on public transit for work, education, healthcare and other necessities. The organization focuses on equity by prioritizing advocacy to benefit low-income and communities of color, which experience chronic disinvestment. LINK Houston uses data analysis and works with community members to survey bus riders to inform their recommendations. This approach helps them identify the most pressing needs and advocate effectively for changes that will have the greatest impact.
Over the years, LINK Houston’s Equity in Transit report recommendations resulted in additional and improved services in neighborhoods like Gulfton, Kashmere Gardens and Trinity Houston Gardens. The latest report in 2024 called for increased frequency on routes that were reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several of those routes are now on the frequent network.
Featured Image: LINK Houston staff with former Federal Highway Administrator speaking at the announcement of the Voluntary Resolution Agreement for the North Houston Highway Improvement Project. Photo Credit: LINK Houston.
About this series: TFN invited funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in the Mobility and Access Collaborative’s Advocacy Spotlight series. The stories in this series were submitted by funders and shared with nominees in advance for fact-checking and further clarification when needed. If you have any questions about this series or TFN’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, please contact Martha Roskowski martha@fundersnetwork.org
Meet the Team: Hazel Paguaga
At TFN, we believe our strength lies in our people, and we take pride in recognizing the expertise and commitment of our team members. This ongoing series — Meet the Team — highlights the talented individuals who power our network.
BY Brooke McPherson, Communications and Engagement Associate, The Funders Network
In this edition of Meet the Team, we’re excited to spotlight one of TFN’s Program Associates, Hazel Paguaga!
Hazel plays a key role in supporting several of TFN’s initiatives and working groups and is a vital part of our team’s day-to-day operations. We caught up with Hazel to learn more about her work and background. And in honor of TFN’s 25th Anniversary theme Be Bold Together, we also asked Hazel what boldness means to her.
TFN: Hi Hazel! We’re thrilled to have you as our very first TFN team member spotlight! Can you tell us about your role here at TFN?
Hazel: Hey there! I support the Inclusive Economies working group, Mobility and Access Collaborative and Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency and Emergency Partnership (PPREP) cohort.
I help keep things running while weaving TFN’s values throughout our programming. I schedule meetings, take notes, input data into Salesforce, coordinate webinar logistics, run the Zoom room to ensure a smooth process during webinars, process recordings and send out webinar resources.
For our in-person meetings, I coordinate everything from catering to lodging to transportation and anything else in between to make sure we have a successful gathering. I keep information flowing and send out bi-monthly email roundups for Inclusive Economies and MAC with the latest news, resources and upcoming events.
If you’re looking for general information on these programs, I can point you in the right direction. I also add jobs to our job board so if you ever have something you’d like to share email jobs@fundersnetwork.org!
TFN: Wow, that’s a lot! Where are you from?
Hazel: My family immigrated from Nicaragua to Miami, where I was born and raised. Currently, I’m living in San Antonio!
TFN: You’ve been with TFN since 2019. Do you have a special moment or memory you’d like to share?
Hazel: My favorite memory with TFN was visiting Montana with the PPREP cohort last year. Being able to visit the communities in Red Lodge and Fromberg and hear from them directly about their disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. The drive through the Beartooth Mountains was amazing and a little scary!
Hazel pictured with TFN’s Maureen Lawless and Danyelle O’Hara in Montana
TFN: And what about a fun fact about yourself?
Hazel: I love horror movies, even though I watch them through my fingers sometimes. I love a good scare!
TFN: As you know, The Funders Network is celebrating our 25th Anniversary and our theme for the year is Be Bold Together. What does boldness mean to you?
Hazel: Boldness means pushing yourself to do the things you’re hesitant or scared to do. It can look like taking a risk and trying something new when others around you are going on a different path.
Thank you, Hazel, for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at all the meaningful ways you support TFN’s work. Your dedication to our mission, infectious positivity and generosity shine through in everything you do — and we’re so lucky to have you as part of TFN’s team!
Keep an eye out for next month’s team member spotlight as we continue to celebrate the people who bring bring boldness and joyful purpose to this work.
Hazel also was the mastermind behind our TFN’s 25th Anniversary Conference playlist!
Advocacy Spotlight: Transportation Riders United
TFN’s Advocacy Spotlight Series, spearheaded by the network’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, lifts up the work of nonprofit grantees making an impact in their communities and beyond. We asked funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in this series. We’ll share these Advocacy Spotlights TFN’s Blog and social media platforms as part of our commitment to amplifying community-led sustainability solutions and building the field of philanthropy through shared learning.
Advocacy Spotlight: Transportation Riders United
Nominated by: Chris Van Eyken, Director of Policy Strategy, TransitCenter
About Transportation Riders United
Transportation Riders United (TRU) is a nonprofit that has been working since 1999 to improve public transit in greater Detroit through education, engagement and advocacy. TRU advocates for more and better public transit in metro Detroit. TransitCenter supports their grassroots organizing to strengthen support for transit improvements.
TRU fights to improve transportation justice and equity in Detroit and its suburbs. One-third of Detroiters can't afford a car yet Michigan's transportation investments focus on highway widening. Bus commuters — 90% of whom are people of color — have commutes that take twice as long as driving.
About Their Impact
TRU won a legislative victory last year that will support the expansion of transit to all of Wayne County. In 2022, TRU succeeded in expanding transit throughout all of Oakland County.
TRU is also one of the state leads for Michigan in the Clean RIDES Network, which unites more than 100 leading organizations working state by state to build sustainable transportation systems that cut costs for families, curb air pollution, and shorten commutes.
Featured Image: More than 100 supporters of funding public transit joined TRU in Lansing, Mich. for Transit Day at the Capitol. The day was spent meeting with legislators' offices, hearing from transit providers and policy makers and spreading the message of why increasing funding for public transit is so important.
Photo Credit: All photos provided by Transportation Riders United.
About this series: TFN invited funders to nominate a stellar grantee to be featured in the Mobility and Access Collaborative’s Advocacy Spotlight series. The stories in this series were submitted by funders and shared with nominees in advance for fact-checking and further clarification when needed. If you have any questions about this series or TFN’s Mobility and Access Collaborative, please contact Martha Roskowski martha@fundersnetwork.org
Going PLACES: On Radical Love
BY Tim Murphy, Program Officer of the McKnight Foundation, and member of the 2024 PLACES cohort
If you work in philanthropy, you know the phrase: “The word philanthropy comes from two Greek words meaning the love of humankind.”
While well-intentioned, I would bet a small fortune I am not the only person working in this sector that has rolled their eyes as that phrase reverberates around a staff meeting or conference session.
It’s easy to become slightly skeptical of philanthropy — or some may say downright cynical. In a world that is driven by grants, deadlines, arbitrary payout numbers, site visits, board rooms, strategic planning sessions and more — shall I go on? The truest sense of connection, love, and care are often hard to find, or can even be completely absent from the picture.
Over my eight years in philanthropy, I have sat with this contradiction time and again, wondering if the field is flawed or if I was just turning over the wrong stones? Is there actually a place within philanthropy that centers radical love; that welcomes people from all walks of life and celebrates their differences — that truly has the best interest of ‘us’ in mind?
As I hit submit on my application to be a 2024 TFN PLACES Fellow in December 2023, those questions ricocheted around my mind. Transparently, I had applied multiple times — not yet able to be accepted. Part of me was wondering “Damn, am I really that uninteresting?” Ironic coming from a funder, right?
What I did not know then that I do know now is that the questions posed above would be answered for me in a resounding manner throughout my PLACES experience (yes, I was finally accepted).
As the fellowship transpired, starting with a trip to Cleveland in the spring, I knew I was in for something special. It was instantly apparent I was in the midst of a special group of people. See for yourself!
The 2024 PLACES Cohort. Photo Credit: Audrey McCann Photography.
Philanthropic leaders from across North America; trusted and revered community members; musicians; gardeners; organizers; amazing cooks; and so much more. We took the time needed to get to know one another and slowly built relationships. The TFN team knew that the work of love and care cannot be performed on an expedited timeline. We can’t rush the important things.
As the fellowship carried on, we got to see some of the most incredible community leaders I could imagine in Denver, met with Drake’s personal philanthropic advisor in Toronto (true story), and finished out a magnificent year in Sacramento engaging with indigenous leaders and learning about their hopes and dreams for the future.
Scenes from the Sierra Health Foundation. Photo credit: Bina M. Patel.
As I reflect on the full experience that was the TFN PLACES Fellowship, I of course think about the groundbreaking community investment strategies, grantmaking best practices I learned about, and new, innovative ways of practicing philanthropy. But perhaps most importantly, I witnessed and participated in a new way of being in community together with other philanthropic leaders.
The cohort practiced radical love in a way that was new and profound for me. We practiced accountability and care all within the same breath. We took time to rest and share stories and laughs without rushing to an endpoint. And for me, as a straight, white male, I felt deep optimism and confidence that we can truly achieve a just, equitable future where people are seen and valued for who they are and who they want to become.
I come out of the fellowship re-energized and committed to our collective well-being. I will continue to think about my role in social change and philanthropy, but I will never question my commitment to fighting for a better world.
As I close, I think about a quote from adrienne marie brown where she asks, “What do you love enough to change for?” For me, the answer is reflected in our PLACES 2024 Fellowship cohort. I will always find a way to change for them; for us. I hope others will too.
About the Author
Tim Murphy has served as a program officer at the McKnight Foundation with the Program Alignment team since 2021. In this role, he extends the capacity of McKnight’s program teams, including leading a portfolio of grants around institutional memberships, democracy, and local media and journalism. He is passionate about the intersection of media, democracy, and equity across the entire state of Minnesota. He is a member of the 2024 PLACES cohort.
Register Today for GREEN's 2025 Annual Meeting in Savannah!
We hope you’ll join TFN’s GREEN 2025 Annual Meeting taking place May 20-21 in Savannah!
Tap into the collective wisdom of the GREEN working group and other funders as we explore climate and environmental justice, community resiliency and supporting a vibrant green economy and workforce for all.
On Day One, we’ll dive into the resilient, community-driven efforts underway in Georgia and the Coastal Region. Our morning panel discussion will feature place-based leaders like Rachael Thompson, Executive Director of the Glynn Environmental Coalition, and panel moderator Patrick King II, Georgia State Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
We’ll then take our learning outside the conference room and travel to the Pin Point Community, a historic Gullah-Geechee community located 25 minutes from downtown Savannah. We’ll meet with community members and partners supporting resilience planning and cultural preservation in this unincorporated community in Chatham County.
On Day Two, we’ll provide the space to learn and strategize with your funder peers. Our Funder Fishbowl — Despite Tough Times, Communities are Rising Above and Beyond — will allow funders to share how they are adjusting strategies and approaches to their work in the face of an increasingly hostile federal landscape for climate and environmental justice.
We’ll also hear from Meg Coker, Editor in Chief of The Current — a nonprofit news organization that focuses on environment, health, public safety, education and government throughout coastal Georgia.
Agenda Overview
Monday, May 19
- 6:30-8:30 p.m. — Optional Dinner for Funders
Tuesday, May 20 — Learning from Place
- 8 a.m. — Breakfast and Networking
- 8:30 a.m. — Welcome, Agenda Review and Lightning Round Intros
- 9:15 a.m. — Introduction to Savannah and the Coastal Region
- Featuring Josiah “Jazz” Watts, Justice Strategist, One Hundred Miles and Board Member, Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society
- 10:30 a.m. — Panel Discussion: Work Underway in Coastal Regions
- Moderated by Patrick King II, Georgia State Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
- 11:45 a.m. – 4 p.m. — Savannah Site Visit to the Pin Point Community
- 6:30 p.m. — Reception and Dinner
- With speaker Neesha Powell-Ingabire, author of Come by Here: A memoir in Essays from the Georgia Coast
Wednesday, May 21 — Learning from Peers
- 8 a.m. — Breakfast and Networking
- 9 a.m. — Small Group Conversations with Facilitators
- 9:45 a.m. — Funder Fishbowl: Despite Tough Times, Communities are Rising Above and Beyond
- 11 a.m. — Deeper Dive Breakouts with topics including:
- Funding community leaders and nonprofit civic infrastructure
- Defending the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and BIL awards
- Workforce and the green economy
- Investing in narrative change
- 12 p.m. — Lunch with Meg Coker, Editor in Chief of The Current
- 1 p.m. — Closing Circle: Insights, Commitments and TFN Opportunities
- 2 p.m. — Adjourn
Lodging
TFN has reserved a block of rooms for Monday and Tuesday (May 19-20) at Hotel Indigo Savannah with a lodging rate of $214. The Funders Network room block includes a $10 discount on the destination fee, which will be applied upon checkout. Click here to make your reservation or please call the hotel at 877-666-3243 and reference The Funders Network.
Please contact Ashley Quintana at ashley@fundersnetwork.org if you are having problems making a reservation.
Who should attend?
Registration is open to donors, staff, directors and trustees of all grantmaking institutions. We are seeking to create an intimate gathering of funders with the goal of learning, sharing and facilitating strategic conversations about where philanthropic resources can have the greatest impact.
Registration
Newcomers welcome! Join us if you are already engaged with TFN’s GREEN working group — or are looking to learn more about us.
Registration is open to donors, staff, directors and trustees of all grantmaking institutions.
- $300 for Members
- $500 for non-members
For questions regarding group rates, please contact Ashley Quintana at ashley@fundersnetwork.org.
Thank You
Thank you to our funder planning committee for their ideas, guidance and assistance in planning this meeting:
- Dominique Mack, Partnership for Southern Equity
- John Mitterholzer, The George Gund Foundation
- Kalila Barnett, Barr Foundation
- Omar Carrillo Tinajero, Center for Community Investment
- Ruth Goldman, Merck Family Foundation
About Green
The GREEN working group helps funders connect and learn together, align around shared ideas and strategies and support strategic collaborations and joint projects that advance sustainable, equitable and prosperous regions and communities. Funders have a special interest in the following issues:
- Community-led climate action.
- Funder practices to advance racial equity.
- Equitable implementation of federal and state climate and clean energy investments, including equitable and sustainable community/government partnerships.
- Climate-supportive workforce and cooperative business opportunities.
For more information about TFN’s GREEN working group, reach out to Ashley Quintana at ashley@fundersnetwork.org.
Going PLACES: Weaving Together Joy and Horror in Denver
BY Eric Phamdo, Senior Program Officer, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and 2024 PLACES Fellow
“We are living in a constant juxtaposition of both horror and joy — and I’m not sure how to navigate that; not in my personal life, and not in the industry that is philanthropy.”
— Marci Ovadia, PLACES Coach and Facilitator.
As the 2024 PLACES Cohort came together for the first time to start our site visit in Denver, Bina M. Patel — our anti-racism facilitator and lead coach — asked, “How are you? What are you bringing in with you today?”
Those two simple yet profound questions allowed our “professional” masks that we often wear in this work to safely come down. Our cohort of philanthropy professionals quickly made space to allow for our full selves to show up and share what we were struggling with; sharing personal caregiving challenges, distress about political chaos, the ongoing terror of watching violence unfold in the Middle East, and the dissonance about the role of philanthropy in both changing and upholding systems of power and oppression. It was a tender and supportive moment in which we could recognize the great privilege we have to work in philanthropy, as well as the emotional burden we take on from our unique viewpoints into community.
“I am a woven person.”
— Cal Duran, Denver Artist
Philanthropy is complex work. Existing in the system and navigating strategic complicity — a term coined by Bina in her book Say The Quiet Part Out Loud — is hard. But PLACES has helped me understand my positionality as both a changemaker and upholder of the system.
So what do we do with this complexity? I keep going back to hope and reflecting on certain glimmers (the opposite of triggers) that stood out to me from my fellow colleagues and mentors while in Denver. I thought I would share them with you as I continue to sit with everything I learned and am still holding.
“Do not internalize the failure of the system. Instead, move into a place of strategic movement. Hone your skills to create movement and progress, instead of constantly fighting.”
— Bina M. Patel
The massive, “wicked” problems facing our society and planet are, to say the least, overwhelming. The emotional crush of experiencing and witnessing injustice and terror, compounded by nonstop media, oftentimes can make us feel powerless and incapacitated. Bina compels us to focus on our own agency to change what we can.
Ask yourself, “What does this forward movement look like? How might my values be demonstrated? What is feeling stuck or hard? And how can that feel differently if you felt liberated and free?”
— Bina M. Patel
How can we change what we can when each path seems implausible? A symptom of oppression or frustration can be limited thinking — to only see the barriers and focus on why things won’t work out. Bina reminds us that our mindset is critically important. The greatest achievements start from a place of liberating dreaming, and if we orient ourselves to this mindset, we can find solutions that were otherwise hidden.
“Hope comes from when you are the agent of change. Hope comes from community. What you bear witness to does not have to be the prevailing outcome.”
— Bina M. Patel
We should never accept the status quo as permanent.
It is both inspiring — that we do the work on behalf of our own communities and families — but also heartbreaking that because of that we may place extraordinary pressure on ourselves to solve it, and feel the extraordinary weight of the challenges. We don’t have time to rest when it’s our lives at stake.
As I sit with all this, I am brought back to closing questions posed by Bina: So what can I do? What can’t I do? What do I need to do to maintain my peace?
“I don’t have the privilege to be tired.”
— Alece Montez, Panelist and PLACES Alum, Co-Executive Director of AJL Foundation
As she so often told us, joy and happiness are not the same. Happiness, and the pursuit of it — it is often deeply rooted in capitalistic norms and measures. Joy, however, instills a greater sense of capacity, energy, and inspiration. It is resilient against the system. There is power, agency, and capacity in joy. I also go back to something Marci shared when speaking to the liminal space that exists in the juxtaposition of joy and horror: the antidote to darkness is transgressive joy.
“I can’t lose hope because my kids are already here.”
“I don’t wish you a good day, I wish you a gentle day.”
— Renée M. Chacon, iDiné/Xicana/Filipina Sahumadora for Kalpulli ColorAztlan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Womxn from the Mountain
And I now know that in joy, there is healing. We know we have healing to do — but it can be part of the joy, not the sorrow.
So what were my top takeaways when I think of all that I’ve shared above? We must center relationships and repair. We must make space for joy in this work, and we must hone our ability to contend with complexity and act strategically while also having an ethic of care for ourselves and those we serve.
To close, I wanted to share two final quotes from Talissa and Mawish — two incredible women who walked this unimaginable year with us as Muslim women. I want to honor that and reflect on their words that have stayed with me since we left Denver:
“We don’t have to lose our soul to exist within the system.”
— Talissa Lahaliyed, Equity Programs Manager, TFN“Resistance is liberation – and love is embedded in that.”
— Mawish Raza, Pillars Fund and 2024 PLACES Fellow
About the Author
Water, Workforce, and Ways Forward: Urban Water Funders at TFN25
BY Kerry Hastings, Program Coordinator of TFN's Urban Water Funders
Last month, philanthropic leaders from across the country gathered in Baltimore for the TFN’s 25th Anniversary Conference, united under the theme Be Bold Together. It was an energizing space where funders from diverse issue areas explored the intersections of equity, sustainability, economic development, public health and democracy. For those of us working in the urban water space, it reaffirmed what we all know — that water is not just an environmental issue, it is deeply connected to every aspect of community well-being.
One of the most resonant calls to action came from keynote speaker Maya Wiley, a lawyer, professor and civil rights activist who is president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She challenged us to find our fight and lean in. I pose this challenge to myself, to you, to us: what is the fight that will define our collective work in this moment? How can we come together to not only ensure our grantees and the field survive today’s challenges but also position them for long-term victory? These are questions we must grapple with as we navigate an increasingly complex and urgent landscape.
We kicked off our time together with a pre-conference tour — co-hosted by the US Water Alliance — at WSSC Water, a local utility in the region. WSSC has an excellent track record in providing clean water and in prioritizing community service and engagement, and the engaging tour at their facilities reminded us that water utilities can serve as anchor institutions in advancing public health and economic opportunity.
After the tour, we gathered with local nonprofit partners to discuss the realities facing the urban water landscape. A key insight came from Melissa Roberts of the American Flood Coalition, who reminded us to tread thoughtfully as we defend systems that were already broken. How do we center our defense on people and outcomes while reenvisioning the systems that have not best served communities before this moment? This perspective is critical as we work to address long-standing inequities in infrastructure, access, and resilience.
As the same session, we discussed communicating the nonpartisan nature of water. Alana Harkness of Great Lakes ReNew underscored that water security is national security, and the importance of emphasizing how economic supply chains depend on water security. Water sits at the intersection of environment and economy, making cross-sector collaboration not just beneficial, but essential.
Speaking of collaboration, we heard a loud call for new partnerships throughout the conference. We cannot navigate this moment alone siloed in our water spaces. To build a durable coalition, we must look beyond traditional water funding spaces and align with other sectors that share a vision for equity and sustainability. One example of the Urban Water Funders doing just this was at the post-conference session co-hosted by TFN’s Inclusive Economies and UWF working groups. We hosted an incredible panel talking about the work ahead in advancing inclusive infrastructure workforce and economic development and launched the new Partners for Places track that will focus on water and other infrastructure sectors in the economic development and workforce spaces...be on the lookout for more information!
Our challenges are many: combating misinformation, preventing further fracturing and silos, and protecting critical infrastructure amid an uncertain funding landscape. As funders, we must stay vigilant in finding opportunities to secure resources for water, including upcoming policy opportunities like the Transportation Bill in 2026, State Revolving Fund Reauthorization in 2026, and tax credits within the tax package, all of which non-profit partners have begun to explore as avenues for water investments (we’ll share when we have more information!). But beyond funding, we must also invest in movement building and coordination. This work cannot be sustained without intentional efforts to strengthen the field.
Above all, we must embrace creativity in the face of necessity. TFN President and CEO Dion Cartwright, put it best: “Don’t ask ‘Can I withstand this time?’ but instead ‘What will I stand for?’ and ‘Who will I stand with?’”
As we move forward, let’s embrace the call to be bold together. Let’s define our fight, commit to a shared vision, and ensure that the communities we serve have the resources and support they need to thrive — not just today, but for generations to come.
About the Author
Kerry Hastings is the Program Coordinator for TFN’s Urban Water Funders Working Group.
TFN @ the Movies — Razing Liberty Square
Are you joining us in Baltimore for TFN's 25th Anniversary Conference: Be Bold Together? Be sure to join us Sunday at 6 p.m. for TFN @ the Movies as we present a timely, thought-provoking documentary as well as a Q&A with those involved in the making of the film.
We're thrilled to share this year's selection: Razing Liberty Square, an award-winning documentary about a community in the crosshairs of climate gentrification — and those fighting to save it from being erased in a rapidly changing Miami. Watch the trailer here.
Razing Liberty Square is set in the oldest segregated public housing project in the South: Liberty Square, at the heart of Miami’s Liberty City.
Underserved for decades and suffering from chronic disinvestment, Liberty City has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation.
But as rising seas threaten Miami’s luxurious beachfront, wealthy property owners are pushing inland to higher ground. Liberty City, which sits on a ridge, is now real estate gold.
When residents of Liberty Square learn about a $300 million revitalization plan for their neighborhood, they know that this sudden interest comes from the fact that their neighborhood is located on the highest-and-driest ground in the city.
Now they must prepare to fight a new form of racial injustice: climate gentrification.
We'll be joined by filmmaker Katja Esson, community leader Valencia Gunder and climate action advocate Caroline Lewis for a panel discussion moderated by TFN's Tere Figueras Negrete.
TFN @ the Movies is presented with the support of the Wyncote Foundation.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
KATJA ESSON
Film Director
Born in Germany and based in Miami, Katja Esson is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker whose documentaries tackle race, class, and gender. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
VALENCIA GUNDER
Founder and Co-Director
The Smile Trust
Valencia provides coordination and support for diverse, low-wealth communities addressing climate change impacts. She is co-director of the Smile Trust and executive director of the Black Collective and the Freedom Lab. Valencia also founded the Community Emergency Operations Center in Liberty City in the wake of 2018's Hurricane Irma.
CAROLINE LEWIS
Founder & Senior Advisor
The CLEO Institute
Caroline, an education and engagement strategist, founded The CLEO Institute in 2010. The Florida-based nonpartisan organization is dedicated to climate education, advocacy, and engagement.
TERE FIGUERAS NEGRETE
Senior Communications Director
The Funders Network
Tere has been part of TFN's leadership team since 2016. Before joining TFN, she spent 15 years as an award-winning writer and editor with the Miami Herald.
ABOUT TFN25
Join us March 17-19 for TFN's 25th Anniversary Conference: Be Bold Together in Baltimore. We'll gather at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, located on the Inner Harbor, the city's historic seaport.
TFN25 offers skill-building workshops, deep-dive strategy sessions and opportunities to forge new connections and expand your professional networks.
We hope you'll join us for the Post-conference Inclusive Economies and Urban Water Funders Meeting: Leveraging Public Infrastructure Funds from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, immediately following our Closing Plenary and lunch.
➡️Check out our TFN25 Anniversary Conference website to view our Learning Agenda and more.