Community philanthropy, women’s philanthropy and feminist philanthropy – understanding opportunities and challenges for collaboration to improve women’s and communities’ realities

From 2020 to 2021, the GFCF engaged practitioners and interested parties in community philanthropy, women’s philanthropy, and feminist philanthropy to explore relationships among and between these three approaches and points of interest related to the broader philanthropy ecosystem, with special focus on women’s human rights. This report is the result of the first phase of this global, collaborative project, which involved a literature review and 18 interviews with community philanthropy, women’s philanthropy, and feminist philanthropy practitioners and close allies.

The starting assumption for this research was that community philanthropy, women’s philanthropy, and feminist philanthropy are each rooted in similar values and goals, with mutually relevant practices and shared challenges. As such, there is potential for each approach to lift the other in achieving shared objectives and overcoming shared challenges. Based on this starting assumption, the author of this report set out to explore the potential for an enhanced collaboration in shifting power towards people on the ground – to shape and guide rights-based philanthropy to improve women’s and communities’ realities.

Author: Marija Jakovljević, with editorial support from Dana R.H. Doan

Published by: GFCF

Published: September 2024

Download the summary report or the full report