The Myths of Philanthropy: What If We Change the Narratives That Govern the Philanthropic Sector?

“Many of the norms by which philanthropy operates perpetuate the very narratives our sector seeks to change. If funders aim to be adequate partners in large-scale systems transformation, it is imperative that we unravel the myths that dictate how our sector operates and, as we’ve seen, limit what is possible to achieve”. This piece is the introduction to a series of articles from a range of contributors, aimed at offering “new avenues for thinking about the consequential role funders can play as both resource stewards and agents of change,” so that people in the sector can best leverage the power of their position and “put into practice the narratives we need to prefigure the just and joyful world that we long for and deserve.”