Ideas

Last week in Nashville, I joined movement leaders, artists, youth organizers, and philanthropic partners for the Neighborhood Funders Group’s 2025 convening. It was more than a gathering — it was a reminder of why we do this work and how we must continue doing it together.

As someone who supports funders in aligning strategy with movement needs, I came to this convening with a clear purpose: to listen, reflect, and deepen my ability to guide philanthropic partners toward bold, community-led action. Over the years, I’ve helped funders design equitable grantmaking strategies, co-create learning agendas with grantees, and build the internal capacity to move resources toward long-term organizing infrastructure. This work is never about charity — it’s about power, accountability, and building the conditions for transformative change.

Below are a few takeaways that stayed with me from the sessions I attended:

The South Is Not a Project
If you’re serious about systems change, you cannot treat the South as an afterthought. The message was clear: the South is a political home for movement work, and funders must reflect that in their strategies — not just by showing up, but by staying, resourcing consistently, and building relationships with those already leading.

Organizing Is Not Optional — It’s Essential
Too often, philanthropy gravitates toward short-term programs rather than investing in long-term infrastructure. This convening affirmed what we already know: organizing is how power is built. Funders must move beyond episodic funding and invest in base-building, leadership development, and sustained community power.

Culture Is Strategy
Whether through art, music, or movement traditions, cultural organizing helps people make sense of this moment and move through it together. At NFG, cultural work wasn’t just celebrated — it was centered. Funders must come to see cultural organizing not as side work, but as core strategy.

Young People Are Leading with Clarity and Courage
The youth organizers in Nashville didn’t just show up — they led. From participatory budget assemblies to public demands rooted in healing and justice, they modeled what it looks like to design for the future now. Funders must make space and resources available to meet their vision and urgency.

Support Ecosystems, Not Silos
Funders were challenged to stop treating movements like competitions. The real work happens in coalitions — in relationships, coordination, and mutual care. As someone who helps funders reimagine support for networks, this message felt especially urgent. We must resource the whole, not just the parts that are most visible or familiar.

What We Do Next Matters Most

As NFG transitions into new leadership, the invitation is clear: deepen your relationships, listen more intently, and act more boldly.

I left Nashville with more than inspiration — I left with alignment and a mandate to move differently. At Community Science, we are committed to walking alongside funders as they push past business as usual and move resources in service of collective liberation.

We’re built for this moment. Now it’s time to move like it.