Report: Reimagining Partnership and Shifting Power
At the Compton Foundation, we’ve been fundamentally reimagining our role as a philanthropic organization working for justice. Today, we’re glad to share that our evolution has been featured in Grantmakers for Effective Organizations’ latest publication, “Community-Driven Philanthropy: Participation, Partnership and Power.”
Over the years, we’ve shifted from viewing ourselves as primary decision-makers to recognizing that true transformation happens when we center the expertise of our grantee partners and the social movements to which they belong. This report explores how philanthropy becomes most effective when it meaningfully engages diverse voices that have been systematically excluded from decision-making. From our perspective, this isn’t just about making grants more effective: it’s about building the world we want to see by shifting power and resources.
Our experience has shown that when we nurture authentic relationships and build trust with our grant partners, we unlock new possibilities for our work together. This GEO resource offers practical tools for funders ready to join us. As a foundation committed to this path, we’re proud to amplify GEO’s work in building a philanthropy worthy of the movements we serve.
