Philanthropisms

Jake Ferguson & Vanessa Thomas, Baobab Foundation: Creating a new kind of philanthropic funder

Feb 2, 2023

59:18

In this episode Rhod talks to Jake Ferguson and Vanessa Thomas, two of the Committee members of the Baobab Foundation - a new member-led endowed grantmaker that is seeking to address issues of systemic racism and intersectional injustice in the UK. Including:

How did the Baobab Foundation come about?
What has been the progress so far?
Has the momentum behind addressing issues of racial justice that we saw in the nonprofit world following the murder of George Floyd in 2020 been maintained?
Why have Black and minority-led organisations historically lost out when it comes to philanthropic funding?
How is Baobab foundation trying to shift power to those who would traditionally have been seen as the recipients of philanthropy?
Why has Baobab decided not to adopt a traditional charitable structure?
How is Baobab trying to influence the way other funders work?
Does the philanthropy sector in the UK have a diversity problem?
Can Baobab play a longer-term role in offering a route into grantmaking for more people from Black and minority communities?
Why is building an endowment such an important aim of Baobab?
Can Baobab play a useful role as an intermediary in overcoming some of the barriers in relationships between more traditional/risk-averse funders and grassroots organisations/social movements?
Are there challenges in trying to bring together different types of knowledge (e.g. lived experience and professional expertise)? How do you navigate these?
Why was it important for Baobab to adopt a horizonatal, non-hierarchical structure?
How can measurement be a useful tool for organisations that receive funding, and not just a means to reinforce the dominance of the funder?
How can donors, funders and CSOs get involved with Baobab Foundation?

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