Facilitating Political Journeys
When an individual recognizes systemic problems in their community, we lead them to connect and create relationships to build community solutions, make meaningful change and encourage growth in themselves and others.
Radical Love and Community-Centrism for Liberation
Radical Love and Community-Centrism for Liberation
Since 2020, Oregon Food Bank’s Community Philanthropy department has undergone a paradigm shift. Every discipline in our 45+ person team now operates within a theory of change that decenters money to center love and equity. This transformation of systems, policies, practices and goals orients our priorities to love and equity.
With courage, we innovate to realize the world and profession we know is possible. To reclaim philanthropy as love. To build a new way.
The tools and resources we’ve developed to support this transformation align strongly to Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF) principles. We offer them here to support YOU - anyone - working toward a just transition for philanthropy, to CCF practitioners, and all those advancing economic, gender and racial justice through philanthropy.
Adapt these resources for you. Improve them. Iterate. They are for the commons.
We envision our model as a revolution of radical love for liberation. Ours is one of many paths to liberation. And our journey is not over – not until the change we seek is indelible within our organization, sector and ourselves.
Time and practice have yet to prove if our theory is correct, whether love can transform and liberate as we believe it can. Until philanthropy evolves from $400 billion annual industry into a movement of radical love measured at equal scale, we won’t know.
So... We’ll see you on the journey or on the other side, lovebugs.
Community Philanthropy’s Four Strategic Priorities
Abundance
Dedicated to sharing resources and building a thriving ecosystem where we work in collaboration with our community to resist a capitalist “competition and scarcity” mindset.
A Just Experience
To center love, equity and racial justice, and decolonize philanthropy - we prioritize respect, dignity, opportunity and increased representation of OFB’s priority equity constituencies in our profession, team, and supporter base.
Relationships & Resources
Moving wealth toward solutions to poverty and injustice, supported by data and relationship management systems that reinforce the centering of love and equity in all we do.
Stories of Impact
See how our staff have been impacted by this journey
Resources
Facilitating Political Journeys
Abundance
A Just Experience
Relationships & Resources
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following individuals and organizations that have inspired us along the way:
- Shiree Teng
- Mark Rovner
- Vu Le
- Michelle Muri
- Justice Funders
- Community Centric Fundraising
