What Happens When Communities Are The Grantmakers?

Earlier this summer, I delivered the keynote to nearly 70 journalism students and faculty at the Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change in Austria. The speech focused on the role of the media in creating a just civil society and why we at The Pivot Fund believe disrupting journalism philanthropy is key to creating a more equitable media and democracy.

The students asked great questions. Many of them – like many U.S. journalists – had never heard of the small, independent outlets we’re investing in. We didn’t know about them either until we asked community members for their trusted sources of news and information. 

That lack of awareness points to a big power dynamic: the private foundations and billionaires with millions of dollars to make grants have very little in common with the communities they aim to help.

Black and indigenous communities have a long history of mutual aid networks and giving circles where people can share resources with other community members. At The Pivot Fund, we draw on that history through participatory grantmaking, a strategy where the decision-making power of who gets a grant is ceded to the communities impacted. 

We asked communities where they got their news and conducted a statewide survey in Georgia to learn about information consumption habits. That led us to the small, independent news outlets that are well-read in their community but not necessarily by the powerful or well-connected who consume mainstream news sources that don’t always cover underserved communities. 
Ultimately, we asked community leaders and publishers of color to decide who got funded and how much. 

There are many different models for participatory grantmaking, but the principles of democratization and building trust are at its core. The students and teachers in Salzberg didn’t know about our grantees. But, I think they instinctively understood the importance of billionaire donors sharing power with the communities they seek to serve.

Read more about the seven grassroots community journalism organizations The Pivot Fund supports in Georgia.