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What the Heck is Fiscal Sponsorship, Anyway?
What the Heck is Fiscal Sponsorship, Anyway?An overview of the sometimes-misunderstood conceptSocial Impact Commons
Introducing... Common Ground: The Future of Fiscal Sponsorship
Introducing... Common GroundUnpacking the overlooked engine behind movements, mutual aid and frontline leadershipBen Wrobel
A people's climate policy agenda emerges in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe NGO Helps the People Take Charge of Climate Resilience Zimbabwe’s climate strategy isn't responsive to rural communities; Green Institute engaged citizens to change that. Ben Wrobel
How Can States Push for DAF Reform?
How Can States Push for DAF Reform?With federal reform stalled, state attorneys general can still act on DAF transparencyKendra Hurley
Rethinking Resources March 2025
Rethinking Resources NewsletterWhat’s next for resourcing social justice and feminist movements around the world?Proximate
Field Note: Participatory democracy isn’t just for governments
Participatory democracy isn’t just for governmentsNGO People Powered demonstrates how member-based organizations can use participatory democracy to determine how to allocate its budget.Proximate
Field Note: We need a common vocabulary for participation
We need a common vocabulary for participationWhat does make public participation in government decision-making meaningful? Proximate
How do you grow a culture of democracy from scratch?
How do you grow a culture of democracy from scratch?Marr Nyang founded Gambia Participates in a country just emerging from a decades-long dictatorshipPam Bailey
When Trust-Busting Leads to Trust Building
When Trust-Busting Leads to Trust BuildingThe story of how I discovered my trust fund — and had to fight to give it awaySusanna Penfield
Introducing... Unlocking Abundance
Introducing... Unlocking AbundanceAn editorial series exploring the future of DAF reform in the United StatesProximate
Five Questions for John Hecklinger
Five Questions for John HecklingerWe spoke with the Global Fund for Children’s co-CEO about participatory grantmaking and moreProximate
Out of Tune and Out of Time! The Harmful Stereotypes of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
Out of Tune and Out of Time! The Harmful Stereotypes of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’The song reflects a past era of development that led to decades of errorVincent Mwangi
Who’s Defining Participation?
Who’s Defining Participation?Maybe we need to focus on the social and political context in which the idea and practice of participation emerges.Proximate
The Ultimate in Participatory Democracy is People Governing Themselves
The Ultimate in Participatory Democracy is People Governing ThemselvesThe concept of people governing themselves is beginning to take root in an exciting way in MyanmarProximate
‘Nation states’ are no longer the engines of progress
‘Nation states’ are no longer the engines of progressDemocracy is not in decline. The nation-state is.Proximate
From the Editor: Reflecting on Proximate's First Year
From the Editor: Reflecting on Proximate's First YearIt's been a busy year – and we're excited for what's to comeBen Wrobel
Proximate's Most Popular: Our Most-Read Stories from 2024
Proximate's Most Popular: Our Most-Read Stories from 2024Here are the stories that generated the most reads and the most conversation this past yearProximate
Resourcing Feminist Movements: Provocations for the Future
Resourcing Feminist Movements: Provocations for the FutureWhere will the money come from for feminist organizing? We need to look to the global majorityAngelika Arutyunova, Amina Doherty, and Leila Hessini
Violence is a Community Problem That Must Be Solved by the Community
Violence is a Community Problem that Must be Solved by the CommunityResidents in Yumbo, Colombia, brainstorm solutions to urban violencePam Bailey
Crisis Response: The Timely Mandate of the Global Resilience Fund
Crisis Response: The Timely Mandate of the Global Resilience FundWe spoke with Laura Vergara and Ruby Johnson about their work to fund girls and young feminists on the frontlinesProximate
How to Fund the Girls You Want to Run the World
How to Fund the Girls You Want to Run the WorldYoung people are changing the world. Trust them with resources.Angelika Arutyunova and Lariza Fonseca
A New Book on Participatory Grantmaking
A New Book on Participatory GrantmakingThere’s a new book called Participatory Grantmaking in Philanthropy coming out in 2025.Proximate
RWJF Reflects on Participatory Philanthropy
RWJF Reflects on Participatory PhilanthropyThe Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the latest major foundation to experiment with PGM and they released a case study of their pilot phase.Proximate
Resumo de Relatórios: Doações de base no Brasil
Resumo de relatórios: Doações de base no BrasilLemos vários relatórios sobre a mudança de poder na filantropia e selecionamos os destaquesProximate
Aprofundando a Filantropia: o que queremos dizer com prática?
Aprofundando a Filantropia: o que queremos dizer com prática?Uma nova coluna para o Proximate Brasil sobre filantrópicas contemporâneasJoana Ribeiro Mortari
Deepening Philanthropy: What is Practice, Anyway?
Deepening Philanthropy: What is Practice, Anyway?​​A new column for Proximate Brasil on regenerative philanthropic practicesJoana Ribeiro Mortari
The Future of The Localisation Agenda
The Future of The Localisation AgendaAre we progressing or digressing? A new column by Vincent MwangiVincent Mwangi
New Data on the "Economics" of Localizing Aid
New Data on the "Economics" of Localizing AidProximate
Conference Confidential: A weekend with Resource Generation
Conference Confidential: A weekend with Resource GenerationAnna Patton investigated the rise of fiscal sponsors – both in the Global North and Global South – that are making it easier to donate across borders.Proximate
Report Roundup: Proximate Brasil
Report Roundup: Proximate BrasilWe read several recent reports on shifting power in philanthropy – and pulled out the highlightsProximate
Representação fiscal: um caminho para a democratização dos fundos no Brasil?
Representação fiscal: um caminho para a democratização dos fundos no Brasil?Alguns enxergam a representação fiscal como uma forma de reduzir as barreiras para pequenas organizações e coletivos - até certo ponto.Joana Ribeiro Mortari
What's the Future of Fiscal Sponsorship in Brazil?
What's the Future of Fiscal Sponsorship in Brazil?Some see fiscal hosting as a way to reduce barriers for small organizations and collectives – up to a pointJoana Ribeiro Mortari
Nota da Editora
Nota da EditoraSobre esse assuntoJoana Ribeiro Mortari
Editor's Note
Editor's NoteWe are entering a new era in how we practice philanthropy, people are embracing community philanthropy and trust-based philanthropy.Joana Ribeiro Mortari
Crossroads of Legacies: Experimenting with Flow Funding in Brazil
Crossroads of Legacies: Experimenting with Flow Funding in BrazilA donor and a flow funder share their views on philanthropy, autonomy and reparationsCaroline Amanda and Camila Haddad
Encruzilhada de Legados: experimentando o Flow Funding no Brasil
Encruzilhada de Legados: experimentando o Flow Funding no BrasilUm doador e um flow funder compartilham suas visões sobre filantropia, autonomia e reparaçãoCaroline Amanda e Camila Haddad
Arianne Shaffer sobre quatro anos de flow funding
Arianne Shaffer sobre quatro anos de flow fundingO Kindle Project é líder em flow funding, incluindo sua recente grupo de mulheres indígenasKevin McClendon e Ben Wrobel
Em conversa: o Jogo Oasis do Instituto Elos
Em conversa: o Jogo Oasis do Instituto ElosFalamos com Rodrigo Rubido sobre o que faz uma prática realmente participatória.Proximate
In Conversation: Instituto Elos’ Oasis Game
In Conversation: Instituto Elos’ Oasis GameWe spoke with Rodrigo Rubido about what makes a practice truly participatoryProximate
Citizens Assemblies Meet Participatory Grantmaking
Citizens Assemblies Meet Participatory GrantmakingA group decided how to spend $27 million of Marlene Engelhorn's fortune. We spoke with one of the project's leaders, days before it all kicked off.Proximate
Time for "empowerment philanthropy"?
Time for "empowerment philanthropy"? Our own Isabelle Clérié weighed in with her column, Want Effective Philanthropy? Look to the Global South.Proximate
Field Note: New Resources on Participatory Philanthropy
New Resources on Participatory PhilanthropyPorticus has been on a journey to explore participatory approaches in their work for a few years now. I've had a chance to peek at their internal decks. Proximate
A New Community of Practice
A New Community of PracticeI had the pleasure to speak recently with Maya Hasan, who is building out a new, global community of practice for the #ShiftThePower movementProximate
Where Will the Money Come from?
Where Will the Money Come from?The news that Wellspring Philanthropy Fund is closing its doors by 2028 came as a shock to many in the human rights space.Proximate
From Grizzlies to Plovers: Unpacking the Role of Citizen Science for Conservation of Endangered Species
What is the Role of Citizen Science in Conservation of Endangered Species?From grizzly bears to birds to bats, citizen science tools are helping scientists track and save speciesFiona Garrity
Should Street Protesters Partner with Democracy Reformers? Extinction Rebellion Says Yes
Extinction Rebellion Is Calling for Citizens Assemblies. Here's Why.Citizens' assemblies are on the agenda for the political groupPam Bailey
Parenting As a Blueprint for Participatory Work
Parenting As a Blueprint for Participatory Work"Because I said so" is not an effective parenting strategy, and it fails as a philanthropic approach as wellRozella Kennedy
How I Lost Respect Doing Community-Led Work
How I Lost Respect Doing Community-Led WorkJonathan Kifunda on the challenges of returning to his community from an international NGOJonathan Kifunda
Reporting is Broken. It’s Time To Do a Hard Thing and Fix It.
Reporting is Broken. It’s Time To Do a Hard Thing and Fix It.Oral reporting and other innovations can be better, fairer and easier on granteesRachel Kimber
Field Note: Let's all work together: a new ecosystem map
Let's all work together: A New Ecosystem MapI’m intrigued by the National Civic League’s effort to map the entities working to create a healthier democracy across my large and sprawling country.Proximate
Beware of ‘Participation-Washing’
Beware of ‘Participation-Washing’ An ever-present danger of deliberative democracy is that a government may host a citizens’ assembly or jury, and then ignore its recommendations.Proximate

Proximate is an independent media platform covering movements for participatory problem-solving. We look at the news through the lens of money: how it’s given away, how it’s invested, and how it’s distributed by government.
We are a fiscally sponsored project of Movement Strategy Center.

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