Grant Givers' Movement

The Grant Givers' Movement is a non-hierarchical gathering of over 500 people working or volunteering in the grant giving sector, led by a small organising team. It's a space for those who feel passionate about making positive change in and through the sector, to do so with collective power behind them. The movement is an opportunity for people working in grant giving to collaborate. Together, we seek to challenge the status-quo on issues such as where endowments are invested, where power lies, systems change and the role of philanthropy in tackling some of society’s most pressing problems. Ultimately, it’s about joining up and improving grant-making from within. We started the Grant Givers’ Movement because we truly believe in the power of foundations to make positive changes in the world. However, we know that many are not as effective as they could be and they are impeded from making those positive changes because of a number of inherent problems, which we seek to challenge. We know that there are many, many foundation staff who care passionately about the work that they do, the organisations they support, the incredible people they meet leading change in their communities and particularly the causes they champion. However, because of the hierarchical structure of foundations and the often solitary nature of the roles we have, grantmakers, grants officers, assistants and manager’s voices are seldom heard. We sometimes speak to each other about the challenges we face, and find solace in others; but we rarely go further. Our membership is anonymous by default, allowing provocative and dissenting voices to come forwards in a supportive and engaging space. The Grant Givers’ Movement is a space to highlight issues, build collective power to disrupt current bad practice, and catalyze real change for the better.