Participatory grantmaking: Has its time come?

The paper surveys a number of frameworks that have been developed for incorporating participation into decision-making processes, both inside and outside philanthropy. More clarity about the what, why, and how of participatory grantmaking will help create a baseline for action and experimentation that can be tweaked by the field of philanthropy over time. As awareness of the concept grows, so will understanding and, ultimately, acceptance of participatory grantmaking as an essential component of philanthropic practice. This paper is an effort to begin to develop more clarity on the topic. Auspiciously, this work doesn’t have to start from scratch. Numerous participatory frameworks have already been developed for other fields such as public health, psychology, education, deliberative democracy, community organizing and community development. The key question is: Can these existing frameworks—or at least key components of them—be applied to institutional philanthropy?

The paper tries to answer this question by proposing a starter framework for participatory grantmaking that can, hopefully, be used as a springboard for ongoing discussion across the field. The paper also includes suggestions and ideas for action for those interested in advancing participatory approaches to philanthropy. It closes with a call for institutional philanthropy to consider embracing the power of inclusion, openness and participation to achieve better results for communities and all of society.