Justice Funders' training series covers the fundamentals of philanthropic transformation using various movement principles and tools.
Fundamentals Trainings
“Thank you for offering these sessions. I was becoming disillusioned with work, and these sessions gave me hope for the future of philanthropy.” – Training participant
We are pleased to offer our Spring 2025 Fundamentals Training series. These workshops provide interactive and dynamic opportunities to explore the concepts, frameworks, and values central to transforming philanthropy away from preserving institutional wealth, and towards building the economic power of frontline communities.
We encourage participants to attend the entire series, but registration for individual trainings is also available. Participants who successfully complete all four fundamental trainings will receive a certificate recognizing their commitment to activating movement principles in philanthropy.
The intended audience for the trainings is staff of philanthropic institutions. We also request that no more than three staff from each institution enroll in each training. If more than 3 staff are interested in a particular training, please contact Justice Funders’ Consulting team for more information.
Space is limited. The registration deadline is a week prior to each training. We will not be recording trainings, nor will they be available for purchase. Please email trainings@justicefunders.org if you have any questions.
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Training #1: Stifled Generosity – History of Philanthropy
Monday, April 28, 2025; 1-4pm ET | Registration link | Registration deadline: Monday, April 21, 2025
“Know whence you came. If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go.” —James Baldwin
This participatory training will trace the history of institutional philanthropy in the United States, from which current extractive philanthropic practices are derived, to understand how inequity has been built into the sector. Considering the cultural “source codes” of philanthropy will provide the grounding for participants to consider a more just and thriving world and to explore how we can be effective change agents within our institutions. During this interactive training, we will discuss: What will it take to get to transformation? How might we redistribute wealth, democratize power and shift economic control to communities for the good of the whole?
Training #2: Just Transition & Untethered Imagination
Wednesday, May 7, 2025; 1-4pm ET | Registration link | Registration deadline: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
In this training, we will introduce the Just Transition framework – a unifying set of principles, processes and practices that build economic and political power to shift from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy.* Effective exploration of the various paths towards a regenerative economy requires us to consider new approaches, solutions, and ways of engaging with the world. Justice Funders refers to this set of skills and practices as “untethered imagination.” In this participatory training, we will explore the power and potential untethered imagination has to enable us to envision the changes needed to achieve liberation.
*Definition adapted from Movement Generation’s description of the Just Transition.
Training #3: Resonance 2.0 – Movement Principles for Philanthropy
Thursday, May 22, 2925; 1-4pm ET | Registration link | Registration deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2025
With the Just Transition principles and framework as our guide, it is up to each of us to find our paths towards building the regenerative economy. We will provide an overview of Justice Funders’ framework: Resonance 2.0, an updated guide for philanthropy’s role in the Just Transition. Through a series of exercises and small group discussions, participants will explore how foundations are redistributing resources for the regenerative economy. Grounding in movement visions, participants will explore how to stay in alignment with movement goals.
Training #4: Introduction to Just Transition Investing
Thursday, May 29, 2025; 1-4pm ET | Registration link | Registration deadline: Thursday, May 22, 2025
A Just Transition requires divestment from the dominant financial system and redirecting that capital into community-controlled institutions and activities that build the self-determination of frontline BIPOC communities and decrease reliance on philanthropy over the long term. Building on the Resonance Framework, this training will introduce the concept of Just Transition Investing by specifically exploring and playing with the core principles of the Just Transition Investment Framework. We will discuss emergent strategies philanthropic institutions can activate to create a fresh vision and direction that no longer maximizes foundation profits nor preserves institutional wealth, but instead shifts capital and power to build the economic power of our frontline communities. This intro-level training will serve as a foundational building block for our upcoming program dedicated to equipping foundation staff with tools, strategies, and knowledge applied in investing spaces to champion a Just Transition.
Note on Accessibility
We will be using auto-generated closed captioning in English. Please email trainings [at] justicefunders [dot] org about other accessibility needs you have to support your full participation.