45. Building Authentic Equity: All About Patagonia’s Path to Support Trust-Based Non-Profit Partnerships with Whitney Clapper

If change is hard, massive and meaningful change can seem impossible. But my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising is up to the task. As head of Community Impact and Partnerships for Patagonia, Whitney Clapper is innovating strategies designed to accelerate a paradigm shift in the way we live together and treat the planet. In this episode, much of our discussion focuses on the partnership dynamic between nonprofits and Patagonia, and what Patagonia looks for in its non-profit partnerships. You’ll find out the four specific areas that are currently the focus of Patagonia’s grantmaking and how, outside of grantmaking, Whitney acts as a conduit among different communities – expanding and binding together a network of activist organizations and the environmental and human causes they serve. 

Whitney’s marketing experience positions her perfectly to grow a community engagement platform based on communication, empathy, inclusion, and education. But, as Whitney points out, the work actually starts with the most basic of connections: Sharing stories. It’s what knits us together in all our diversity, and is our best hope. 

“We’ve got to get out of our own way and figure out how to be in partnership with one another if we are ever going to survive this world and climate change,” says Whitney. 

Listen now to join us in this boundary-pushing conversation about business partnerships, human connection, and what it will take to actually tackle the challenges ahead of us - like climate change.

Episode Highlights:

(00:30) – Get to know Whitney and her non-traditional career path.

(05:15) – What the term “community impact” means to Whitney. 

(07:30) – About the challenge to shift mindsets on a large scale while also hitting corporate milestones. 

(09:24) – Communicating and advancing a robust impact agenda beyond Patagonia’s culture to the massive outdoor industry at large.

(11:00) – The importance of collective learning among companies and non-profits, including alignment around core values, practices, and commitments.

(13:34) – Whitney is constantly aware of the influence Patagonia wields as a provider of narratives and as a non-profit funder.

(18:10) – Practices that foster stronger ties between funders and non-profit organizations.

(20:49) – Bringing alignment and the right fit: Transparency is the way to go. 

(26:20) – Though not her personal area of focus, Whitney explains how Patagonia’s grant-making structure is prioritized to support four core partnership pillars

(31:00) – Beyond the money: Patagonia Action Works is a platform that starts with seed funding but extends beyond to offer tools

(35:30) – Holding space for true empathy across partnerships 

(39:00) – Whitney serves as a conduit between Patagonia and BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities motivated to create a wider circle centered in a regenerative mindset.

(41:00) – Where to find Whitney and shout-out for The Wilderness Society’s Imago Initiative

This episode is a part of a mini-series on What Funders Want thanks to our incredible sponsors at Givebutter. With modern donation forms, fundraising pages, and events, Givebutter raises more than $150 million annually in support of more than 35,000 meaningful causes – from local youth groups to world-renowned charities. To learn more about how you can get started on Givebutter, head on over to givebutter.com/mallory.