A glimpse into the future of philanthropy

A week in Nairobi offered a glimpse of what the future of philanthropy could look like: local, trust-based and community-led.

György Hámori, Roots and Wings Foundation

I had the privilege of joining the GFCF’s Community Philanthropy Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya from 8 — 10 October 2025, alongside 42 participants from 23 countries. I was representing the Roots and Wings Foundation from Hungary. Most of us came from challenging environments, yet we shared a deep commitment to strengthening local communities and rethinking how power and resources flow.

We met at a time when the global context feels increasingly fragile: aid budgets are shrinking or collapsed, civic space is under pressure, and trust in institutions is eroding. Yet beneath these visible cracks, something quieter and more enduring is taking root.

Community philanthropy has always spoken the language of trust. Its scale is not measured in grants or headlines, but in relationships — in the slow, consistent work of people taking responsibility for one another. What may seem small or local — a neighbourhood fund, a collective decision, a shared act of giving — often becomes part of a much larger pattern.

“The future of social change may lie less in grand gestures and more in the steady, relational work of rebuilding trust.”

Like mycelium beneath the soil, these connections spread unseen, creating networks that nourish and transform communities from within. They remind us that power can be built, not seized — through care, participation and shared ownership of change.

The Symposium offered a space to witness and deepen these connections: to see how local action, wherever it takes place, contributes to a broader movement for equity, justice and community-led development. It was a powerful reminder that the future of social change may lie less in grand gestures and more in the steady, relational work of rebuilding trust.

The GFCF carries a bold ambition: to weave these threads together and help build something new globally. The future is uncertain, but what could be more exciting than a vision paired with steady action — a commitment to (re)building civic infrastructure and reimagining how solidarity, trust and shared power can shape the next generation of civic life and build a more connected, participatory world.

By: György Hámori, Program and Partnerships Manager at the Roots and Wings Foundation. This post originally appeared on György’s LinkedIn page.