NFG knows that this is a critical time for philanthropy. More people are amassing wealth, leading to more billionaires entering philanthropy and the creation of more DAFs and private foundations. There continues to be wealth hoarding among individual and foundation donors. Many foundations persist in adhering to a minimum 5% payout while endowments continue to grow. And we are seeing some positive shifts with foundations spending down the assets they’ve been holding and shifting their investment practices. Many more funders are centering trust, community power building, and decentralized decision-making in their grantmaking.

Given this context, NFG is working toward the following long-term outcome:

Philanthropic assets are liberated so that
BIPOC communities and low-income communities
have power to self-determine.

We believe that progress toward this long-term outcome, which is part of our new theory of change, will take a broad base of funders who are co-conspiring with NFG. This includes those interested in racial, gender, economic, disability, and climate justice who are beginning their journey and those leading the way, liberating assets, and organizing other funders to shift power and move more money to communities.

This refreshed theory of change document is a commitment, an aspiration, and a blueprint for how NFG wants to be in our work and in our relationships with our community. 

Appreciations to the many folks who helped inform our theory of change, including NFG’s staff, board, the co-chairs of NFG programs, members, and our friends at Luminare Group who guided us through this process in 2021-2022 and previously in 2018, and our designer Karla Flemming.