"We are moving into an era of trust-based philanthropy, an approach to giving that fosters collaboration while rebalancing the delicate dynamics between those who invest and the stewards of those funds," says the president of Orange County Grantmakers, a group in Orange County, Calif., that works with local nonprofits and philanthropists to advance equity throughout the region.
But "it takes work," Madelynn Hirneise says.
"Nonprofits and donors talk and engage with one another, only connecting when it's time to talk about funding."
That's why Hirneise's group is pushing to create a community where "it's safe to learn, change course, and grow together to produce results that will change communities," she says in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times.
One example of that work: a new affordable housing community in Tustin, Calif., that's being built using public and philanthropic funding, and which will eventually house up to eight families with children.
"The access to safe housing and critical supportive services emerging from true collaboration and targeted investments in affordable housing development demonstrates what is possible when we are able to connect in meaningful ways," Hirneise says.
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