Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ comprehensive report examines power as central to both philanthropic practice and systems transformation, showing that addressing power dynamics isn’t optional add-on but fundamental requirement for genuine change. The framework demonstrates how traditional philanthropy consolidates power with wealthy donors while claiming to serve marginalized communities, undermining transformation goals. Rather than incremental improvements to extractive structures, the report calls for fundamental power redistribution from funders to communities—participatory allocation, community leadership, structural change enabling rather than controlling transformation. This provides rigorous analysis and practical frameworks for funders serious about catalyzing systems change through power equity.
Key Highlights
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Power as Central: The report positions power analysis and redistribution as fundamental to systems change rather than peripheral concern, showing that transformation requires shifting power not merely improving services or increasing representation within unchanged structures.
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Philanthropic Power Dynamics: Rockefeller Advisors examine how conventional philanthropy concentrates decision-making with donors while extracting labor from communities through application burdens and reporting requirements—showing structural patterns not isolated bad practices.
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Community Leadership: The framework emphasizes centering community leadership in defining problems and solutions rather than funders determining priorities then seeking community input within predetermined parameters.
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Participatory Approaches: The report explores specific practices redistributing power including participatory grantmaking, trust-based funding, community-controlled foundations—providing concrete alternatives to traditional donor-controlled philanthropy.
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Solidarity not Charity: Rockefeller Advisors articulate shift from charitable giving to solidarity-based philanthropy where funders support community-led transformation rather than solving problems for passive beneficiaries.
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Structural Change: The framework connects power-shifting philanthropy with broader systems transformation, showing how funding practices either reinforce or disrupt structural inequities beyond individual grant decisions.
Practical Applications
This framework enables power-shifting philanthropy:
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Foundations can use Rockefeller framework to assess current practices against power equity principles, identifying where donor control undermines stated commitments to community empowerment and transformation
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Philanthropic networks can adopt the report’s participatory approaches, creating shared practices redistributing power across multiple funders rather than requiring communities navigate different funder expectations
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Community organizations can reference the framework when advocating for funding transformation, using research-backed analysis showing how power concentration prevents genuine change funders claim to support
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Movement funders can implement solidarity-based approaches using the report’s concrete examples and frameworks, moving beyond rhetoric about power to actual redistribution of decision-making and resources
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Researchers can build on Rockefeller analysis studying how power-shifting philanthropy catalyzes systems change, documenting what redistribution approaches produce better transformation outcomes
Connection With SuperBenefit
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Rockefeller’s emphasis on power as central to transformation resonates with SuperBenefit’s power-aware approach to coordination primitives, showing that effective tools must address power dynamics rather than assuming technical mechanisms alone redistribute authority—suggesting that DAO governance requires explicit power analysis and redistribution design not just decentralized voting.
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The framework’s call for community leadership rather than funder control validates SuperBenefit’s conviction that coordination tools should enable community self-determination, demonstrating that genuinely empowering systems support communities defining their own priorities and solutions rather than imposing external frameworks claiming universal applicability.
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Rockefeller’s connection of power-shifting philanthropy with structural transformation validates SuperBenefit’s understanding that coordination primitive development serves broader systems change—showing that funding mechanisms, governance structures, and economic systems interrelate rather than changing in isolation, requiring coordinated transformation addressing power across interconnected systems.
Related Concepts
- Power - Distribution and transformation in funding relationships
- Governance - Decision-making in philanthropic contexts
- Community - Leadership and self-determination
- Coordination - Mechanisms for resource distribution
- Grants - Funding approaches and practices