Philanthropy Today

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From senior editor Drew Lindsay: A veteran of two decades of LGBTQ advocacy, Brad Clark helped engineer what’s arguably the most important victory for progressive philanthropy of the 21st century. He and other nonprofit and grant-making leaders on the left persuaded an America overwhelmingly hostile to gay marriage that “love is love,” as their campaigns gently insisted. The dramatic swing in public opinion — achieved in little more than a decade — led to change in state laws and eventually the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court’s declaration of same-sex marriage as constitutionally protected.

It is as a committed and successful progressive that Clark critiques progressive philanthropy this week in The Commons. “Our institutions — dominated by the wealthy and highly educated — have become rigid in tone, exclusive in culture, and ineffective in tactics,” he writes. “It’s not working!”

Clark, who will soon step down from his post as CEO of the grant maker of gay-rights advocate Tim Gill, urges philanthropy to open itself up to more Americans — including those of different political beliefs but also average people who can’t penetrate the field’s jargon and insularity. He offers lessons from his advocacy partnerships with unlikely allies as well as from his experiences coming out as gay at a Christian college.

“Real progress happens when we choose to see people as neighbors, not opponents,” Clark writes.

I invite you to spend a few minutes with Clark’s essay.

About a year ago, our newsroom at the Chronicle detected a growing dread among nonprofit and foundation leaders. Privately, these core readers told us that nationwide polarization was derailing crucial efforts for the common good. Attacks from the left and right kneecapped even the Salvation Army.

At the time, our organization was transitioning to a nonprofit newsroom, leaving our for-profit mothership. Always a mission-focused staff, we decided to plant a flag in the ground with The Commons, a project to explore the country’s fissures along lines of race, class, gender, politics, and more.

A little more than a year later, The Commons was named one of three winners of the American Society of Business Publication Editors “Project of the Year” award, taking home honorable mention.

It’s a nice recognition of the breadth of the work — more than 120 pieces of content, including news, on-the-ground stories from around the country, analysis, first-person essays, advice, photo essays, and opinion pieces. We’re also producing a monthly live interview series, virtual and in-person events, and video journalism.

While the award is terrific, The Commons is intended to help the field as it navigates these unprecedented times. Dive in for a look. Our hope is that you’ll be both inspired and challenged. If you have thoughts about what we ought to do in Year 2, please drop us a line at: Editor@philanthropy.com.

“We’re missing crucial civic infrastructure in our country, with too many organizations going broad rather than deep. The Elks Clubs, Rotary Clubs, local press — these were important because they were contextualized to place, making them feel authentic and rooted. Now everything’s watered down, trying to appeal nationally.”
— Richard Young, founder of CivicLex, which promotes civic engagement in Lexington, Ky.; Forbes

“The evidence is overwhelming: Trust is the critical ingredient in nearly every successful collaborative endeavor in any sector. From securing funding to achieving policy victories, our movements succeed or fail on the strength of our relationships.”
— Amber Banks, founder and CEO of the Center for Trust and Transformation, which advances social and racial justice; Centering Trust Substack

“It is time for civics to become the new STEM. … We must change not only how we prioritize civics but how we communicate about it to students. If we want students to be passionate about civics, they need to understand what is in it for them.”
— David J. Bobb, CEO of the Bill of Rights Institute; Fulcrum