Moving From Overwhelmed to an Opportunity

by Nelli Garton

I know I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world and the incredible needs that philanthropy is trying to address. We can't fulfill these on our own, so where do we start? Are we just providing short-term solutions when the whole system is breaking down? Grant requests are up, the needs in society are more acute, and governmental contributions at all levels are plummeting. There is intense frustration with the status quo from Occupy Wall Street to the Tea Party.

I went to a meeting of funders a few weeks ago feeling frustrated, disconnected, and overall pretty pessimistic about the future. I walked away reinvigorated and with a new perspective on the role of philanthropy in supporting real and lasting social change.

Frustration has moved people to action — from Tahir Square to the Wisconsin State Capitol and from Wall Street to Main Street. People have found their voices and are engaging in civil society in a way we haven't seen since the 1960s. There is an appetite for change and it is bubbling up across the country and the world. Philanthropy needs to recognize this paradigm shift and be open to shifting as well. 

I am reminded that philanthropy does not and should not have all the answers. Listening to those affected, providing space and support for honest discourse, addressing root causes of problems as opposed to symptoms are ways we can make a real difference. My hope for the Council's Family Philanthropy Conference, February 13-15 in Miami Beach, is that we can find common ground and learn the best way to support the change we want to see.

Nelli Garton is vice chair of the Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation, a member of the Council on Foundations.