Module 1 AN INTRO TO PHILANTHROPY

This module is designed to help participants explore the practice and legacy of philanthropy in both an individual and a cultural context. This lays the groundwork for participants to understand how privilege can position them to act philanthropically, how their identity and experience can shape their philanthropic engagement, and how their commitment to advancing social justice might introduce new questions about how they’ll practice philanthropy.

• Participants understand philanthropy as a “multiplicity.”
• Participants can describe how they benefit from and can engage in philanthropy.
• Participants can evaluate philanthropic tradition as an expression of society’s values and norms.

Payton, Robert L. & Moody, Michael P. Understanding Philanthropy: Its Meaning and Mission. Indiana University Press, 2008. (Excerpts from introduction)

Key facts on U.S. foundations and grantmaking trends can be found on Foundation Center’s website.

This module intersects with the topics explored in the Social Justice 101 module (Module 2). After participants have a solid understanding of what philanthropy is and how philanthropy interacts with non-profits, move on to the Social Justice 101 module to explore the concept of privilege and how their commitment to advancing social justice might introduce new questions about how they’ll practice philanthropy.

• We recommend assigning a pre-reading in advance of facilitating the exercises below. At a minimum, participants should read excerpts from the introduction of Moody and Payton’s “Understanding Philanthropy: Its Meaning and Mission.”
• This module is recommended for the beginning of participant’s journey.
• The content provided in this module can be stretched out over two 60-minute sessions with participants. One session can be spent defining terms and exploring the concepts discussed in this module, and the second session can be spent on self-reflection and sharing with the “Philanthropic Autobiography” activity.
• For the first couple of modules, you may want to assign pre-readings and check in with participants to see what feels manageable to them. All of the readings included in this toolkit can be excerpted, and the exercises were designed for participants reading with various levels of depth.