Tensions in Funder Learning: Reflections on a Participatory Grantmaking Initiative
Funder learning efforts can be rife with tensions.
As funders, we need to learn in order to improve how we do our work; and we don’t want to “experiment” with people’s lives or work. We want our learning to be grounded in the lived expertise of those who are most impacted but least consulted by philanthropy; and we don’t want our learning to be at the expense of community. We want to do things like compensate community members for their time and expertise, and we don’t want to be overly transactional in our relationships.