On Tuesday, October 5, and Thursday, October 7, members were invited to join a discussion about the book titled Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous wisdom to heal divides and restore balance by Edgar Villanueva. In his book, Edgar walks us through his personal experience in philanthropy as a Native American from North Carolina. Edgar goes on to propose the seven steps of healing for those who are willing to reconcile with the negative consequences of philanthropy. During our conversation, we focused on the general message of the book and its implication on the modern world of philanthropy. The beginning of the conversation addressed the notion of fear shared by many when confronting the way colonization takes form in our modern world. In the discussion, a member described the resilience Edgar had to develop his vision and opposition to his recommendations as being rooted in the “fear of change.”
The group struggled with this quote from the book: “Philanthropy is the savior mentality in institutional form, which instead of helping –its ostentatiously proclaimed intent – actually further divides and destabilizes society” (Villanueva, p. 5). When breaking down this quote, we expressed that this statement does not negate all the good philanthropy has done. Instead, it recognizes the history of philanthropy as white people imposing their ideas and solutions on underprivileged communities. Relating back to the current diversity, equity, and inclusion work happening at Women’s Impact Fund, there are solutions that can move us away from the inherent divide that exists in philanthropy. Through strategies such as providing greater transparency to nonprofit organizations, offering unrestricted funding, and better including the voices of those with lived experience in our decision-making, we can work toward building a bridge between funders and nonprofits. Women’s Impact Fund, although small compared to other giving organizations, can shift its philanthropic impact. Members of the group took pride in the fact that changes that happen at Women’s Impact Fund could have a broader impact given the number of our members who serve on other nonprofit boards. Collectively, we can take steps in the direction of redefining philanthropy.
