A large part of philanthropic resources are committed to helping people from low-income and other marginalized communities by helping to alleviate the immediate crises they find themselves in. But the problems often remain. The impact of philanthropy is often constrained by concerns around the symptoms of poverty and injustice, missing in the process the factors that perpetuate them. ‘Social justice philanthropy’ looks at another approach: rather than focus on the effects of unjust treatment, good social justice grantmaking attempts to ultimately address the root causes and mechanisms that underlie it.

But what is social justice philanthropy really?

There is no one answer. We have found that the understanding of social justice philanthropy and grantmaking strategies used by practitioners are rooted in their local contexts and take on various forms. The answer to the question then lies in a family of practices and values, related by a series of similarities that set apart the philanthropic practice of social justice grantmakers from others.

On September 24,2012 the WINGS webinar series addresses the topic of risk, drawing from the experiences of industry professionals. One of the most celebrated aspects of philanthropy is the ability to take risks. The sector has resources to test innovative solutions other actors don't have, like opportunities to bring said innovations to scale with the help of governments.. But philanthropy is instead becoming more risk-averse. Do foundations take the necessary risks?

Presenters:Barry Knight (CENTRIS), Ambika Satkunanathan (Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust) and Tao Ze (China Foundation Center).

When:Monday, September 24th

8AM Sao Paulo / 11AM UTC / 12PM London / 1PM Johannesburg / 4:30PM Colombo-Mumbai / 7PM Beijing

Register here.