If philanthropy is serious about democracy, faith-led advocacy is infrastructure.
Read: bit.ly/RPJeann%C3%A...
#ResponsivePhilanthropy #50Years
11.03.2026 18:04
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If philanthropy is serious about democracy, faith-led advocacy is infrastructure.
Read: bit.ly/RPJeann%C3%A...
#ResponsivePhilanthropy #50Years
Jeanné Lewis asserts, “funding faith-led advocacy is not a departure from that strategy – it is an expansion of it.”
It’s about investing in trusted messengers who translate policy into values — dignity, stewardship, justice.
Clergy rank among the most trusted professions in the U.S.
Faith leaders shape media, policy debates, voter engagement, and public opinion — in sermons, prayer circles, city halls, and headlines.
When they speak, people listen.
IRS filings show $260M+ invested in right-leaning faith-adjacent media + policy orgs in 2024.
Meanwhile, progressive faith leaders shaping democracy operate with a fraction of that support.
That gap isn’t just financial. It’s strategic.
Progressive philanthropy funds policy shops, media, and think tanks.
But it often overlooks one of the most trusted civic forces in America: faith leaders.
In NCRP’s 50th Anniversary issue, Jeanné Lewis explains why that’s a strategic mistake. 🧵
Help power the next 50 years of accountability and movement-building.
Donate: bit.ly/NCRP50thanni...
Last week, NCRP marked 50 years of being philanthropy's critical friend and independent watchdog for the sector with our friends at Levi Strauss Foundation.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone and the work ahead.
For five decades, NCRP has pushed the sector to move resources to the communities building power, advancing justice, and shaping a more equitable democracy.
Tracy’s message today:
If you want philanthropy to evolve, fund the organizations that challenge it.
Here’s to 50 years of accountability — and 50 more.
Read: bit.ly/RPTracyGary
#ResponsivePhilanthropy #50Years
NCRP was philanthropy’s “critical friend” long before accountability was fashionable.
It insisted foundations go beyond tax compliance and charity — toward equity, shared power, and justice.
With encouragement from NCRP’s first executive director Bob Bothwell, women’s funds gathered in 1985 to build what became the Women’s Funding Network.
The goal? 100 funds by 2000.
They surpassed it.
In the late 1970s, foundations gave just 1% of grant dollars to women and girls.
In NCRP’s 50th Anniversary issue, Tracy Gary reflects on how that reality sparked a movement — and how NCRP helped push it forward. 🧵
Soto’s bigger point: philanthropy isn’t just the purview of the wealthy.
It’s immigrant parents sending small donations. It’s mutual aid. It’s shared responsibility.
We must redefine who counts as a philanthropist.
Read: bit.ly/RPJavierAlbe...
#ResponsivePhilanthropy #50Years
Diversifying boards. Including community in grantmaking. Embedding racial equity into strategy.
Institutions can’t remain static while the world changes. Listening to criticism is evolution.
The Denver Foundation didn’t ignore the critique.
Programs like Strengthening Neighborhoods have since invested $10.2M+ in nearly 1,400 grassroots-led groups — shifting from distance to direct community connection.
In 1993, NCRP issued a stinging critique of several community foundations, urging stronger connection to marginalized communities and more diverse leadership.
In our 50th Anniversary Issue, Javier Alberto Soto reflects on what that moment meant. 🧵
We’ll discuss:
• The power of story to shift public will and policy
• What sustained survivor support requires beyond headlines
• How to invest in narrative change and community infrastructure
Register here: bit.ly/4qMbBSN
And invite 2–3 peers who should be in this conversation.
As *The Perfect Neighbor* gains national recognition amid rising racial violence, the question is clear: how will philanthropy move from visibility to action?
Philanthropy leaders: join us March 5 (3–4 PM ET) for a focused virtual gathering on narrative power, truth-telling, and what this moment demands of our sector.
This is not a webinar to passively watch. It’s a space to engage, reflect, and shape next steps together.
Now at Missouri Foundation for Health, Proctor challenges funders:
Norms are suggestions. Go three steps further. Be bold. Let community wisdom lead.
📖 Read “From Legacy to Impact” by: Dr. Proctor: bit.ly/RPDrDwaynePr...
#ResponsivePhilanthropy #50Years
He credits NCRP’s “critical friendship” — especially Power Moves and Cracks in the Foundation — with pushing philanthropy to confront power, wealth origins, and community harm.
Accountability isn’t punishment. It’s growth.
From radio DJ to touring with Ray Charles to earning a PhD and leading at RWJF, Proctor’s path into the sector wasn’t linear.
But lived experience taught him deep listening, collaboration, and self-determination — skills philanthropy desperately needs.
In NCRP’s 50th Anniversary issue, Dr. Dwayne Proctor reflects on his ancestry and his journey rooted in the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the NAACP, and growing up in “Chocolate City.”
Philanthropy, for him, is not theoretical. It’s inherited. 🧵
Our Winter 2026 issue of Responsive Philanthropy marks 50 years of holding up a mirror to the sector.
Featuring Dr. Dwayne Proctor, Javier Alberto Soto, Tracy Gary, Jeanné Lewis, and @suhasiniwrites.bsky.social.
The next 50 years demand courage.
Read more: bit.ly/PR50thannive...
In February 1976, NCRP was formed with a clear purpose: to ensure philanthropy is responsive to those with the least wealth, power, and opportunity.
Fifty years later, truth telling in philanthropy is more necessary than ever. 🧵
Raising payout isn’t the only starting point—authors Ben Francisco Maulbeck and Tyler Armey outline ways funders can experiment and push boundaries to meet the moment. bit.ly/4kjaSa2
If the 15% of foundations considering higher payout joined the Level Up Pledge, CEP data shows $121M more could be granted in 2026. bit.ly/4a4mQiU
In NCRP’s Hide or Speak, many foundations want to expand funding and partnerships, yet 41% say they’re unsure how to respond in today’s climate.
New findings (bit.ly/4tjuZJ4) from the Center for Effective Philanthropy reveal a disconnect: only half of nonprofit leaders feel foundations understand their needs.
Pressure to self-censor shapes where money flows. New data from the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity shows funding for communities of color fell 22.2% (inflation-adjusted) from 2021–2023—and funding tied to grants and pledges using the term “racial justice” dropped by 90%.
bit.ly/45M6GcR
For nonprofit leaders of color, today’s pressure is compounded and often invisible. ABFE’s Holding the Line found 15.4% of Black-led nonprofits and 9.9% of other POC-led nonprofits are told not to mention race—compared to just 3.8% of white-led groups.
bit.ly/4tcOTWd
