Foundations Are Increasing Their Support of Advocacy

A new report from the Foundation Center found that foundations are increasing their support of advocacy to help the poor and other disadvantaged people. Specifically, giving to social-justice causes grew by nearly 31 percent from 2002 to 2006. The report, Social Justice Grantmaking II, was based on interviews with grantmakers and advocates.

Those interviewed, "cite[d] a changed political environment, the success of community organizing in the recent election, and new ideas and energy in the field among a number of factors reinvigorating a commitment to social justice philanthropy. Among other recommendations, they point to a move away from funding large, often contentious and unwieldy coalitions to instead support smaller, nimble collaboratives that more effectively advance issues of race, class, background, region, and generation."

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