National Network of Grantmakers: Building Power for Social Justice &
Grantmakers Without Borders: Funding Social Movements Globally

Annual Conferences in Tucson, Arizona, October 12 – 15, 2003

by Polly Withers, EGA Program Associate

Grantmakers Without Borders’ third major gathering had some 150 funders and social movement leaders from twenty countries convening on October 12th for a day of dialogue, debate and learning on funding social movements globally. Attendees were presented with workshops built around a strong, organized and effective program. The conference began with the plenary Understanding Social Movements, a discussion on how social movements are making a change, specifically pinpointing Cancun and the World Social Forum as opportunities for changing the world domination of the market to a decent, humane and sustainable world. Other session topics included evaluating social change philanthropy, women’s rights, social movements in Brazil and democratic grantmaking were also valuable.

For more information, please visit www.gwob.net or www.internationaldonors.org, or contact John Harvey, Grantmakers Without Borders at gwob@att.net or 617/794-2253.

NNG’s conference kicked off with a poignant and motivating screening of Democracy Now’s film on the state of US Media. Amy Goodman then took the podium to a standing ovation and continued a discussion on the current social, economic and political context facing social change efforts.

Throughout the three-day conference, the staff and board members of NNG reminded participants of the conference’s goals i) getting a better sense of the economic impact on funding and the challenges members are facing; ii) how to be even more strategic with even less resources; and iii) Bush’s administration and what it means for the work of members.

Also included was a “workshop on the road” format that took participants on site visits to discuss among other topics US border policies, border-related environmental concerns and the impact of US and Mexican border policies on Indigenous peoples. The sessions included strategy workshops on building capacity, building power in communities of color, confronting trade and globalization, reform and ownership strategies for media diversity and media mobilization, developing the electorate for the 2004 Presidential elections, and more. Other discussions included a plenary with local speakers on Arizona’s clean elections and the panel Daring to be Powerful: A Grantmakers’ Agenda for Social Justice, a talk-show format with funders discussing the influence philanthropists have and their individual histories in building power for justice.

For more information on the National Network of Grantmakers visit their website www.nng.org.