Funding Social Movements, with Regan Ralph

<p>In this episode we talk to Regan Ralph, President and CEO of the Fund for Global Human Rights, about her experience of funding right-based movements around the world and what she has learned about the challenges and opportunities of funding social movements through philanthropy. Including:</p> <ul> <li>What does philanthropic funding for social movements look like? i.e. what are the various elements of an overall movement that can be funded- e.g. grassroots organising/movement building, policy work, advocacy, legal challenges etc?</li> <li>How can a funder determine where best to allocate their resources in order to support a movement most effectively?</li> <li>Are traditional nonprofits and funders too often a reflection of existing systems and power structures to push for the kind of radical solutions we need to deal with huge global challenges like the climate crisis and racial inequality/injustice? Is that why more people seem to be looking towards social movements?</li> <li>Can we find forms of philanthropy that are genuinely able to support fundamental reform to the very systems in which wealth has been created? What are some of the hallmarks of this type of philanthropy?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>How big a risk is there that foundations and other funders co-opt social movements by deliberately introducing grant stipulations etc aimed to direct the focus of the movement away from controversial areas or soften their tactics?</li> <li>Is there also a danger that even well-intentioned funders inadvertently skew the direction of movements by virtue of the choices they make about what to fund and what not to fund? How can we avoid this risk?</li> <li>Does a desire for “measurable impact” from funders limit their willingness to fund social change movements, because the success of their work may not be easy to attribute or quantify?</li> <li>Can funding from donors/foundations confer legitimacy on movements as well as financial resources? Is this useful for the movements?</li> <li>Can funders play an important role b