mandyvandeven.bsky.social
@mandyvandeven.bsky.social
Nuance seeker. Systems thinker. Connector. Alchemist. Caring provocateur. // linktr.ee/mandyvandeven
Where I weave: Philanthropy. Narrative infrastructure. Racial justice. Feminist apocrypha. Movement journalism. Literature. Philosophy. Tech.
Where I weave: Philanthropy. Narrative infrastructure. Racial justice. Feminist apocrypha. Movement journalism. Literature. Philosophy. Tech.
"When experts on narrative power building are centered in funding discussions and decisions, the practice of grantmaking can look radically different from what we see today...
nonprofitquarterly.org/how-to-fund-...
nonprofitquarterly.org/how-to-fund-...
How to Fund Like a Narrative Strategist | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
Adopting funding frameworks designed by narrative strategists can build the movement infrastructure that makes progress toward a liberatory future possible.
nonprofitquarterly.org
November 20, 2025 at 8:57 AM
"When experts on narrative power building are centered in funding discussions and decisions, the practice of grantmaking can look radically different from what we see today...
nonprofitquarterly.org/how-to-fund-...
nonprofitquarterly.org/how-to-fund-...
Reposted by mandyvandeven.bsky.social
How to Fund Like a Narrative Strategist nonprofitquarterly.org/how-to-fund-... @mandyvandeven.bsky.social
How to Fund Like a Narrative Strategist | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.
Adopting funding frameworks designed by narrative strategists can build the movement infrastructure that makes progress toward a liberatory future possible.
nonprofitquarterly.org
November 19, 2025 at 4:37 PM
How to Fund Like a Narrative Strategist nonprofitquarterly.org/how-to-fund-... @mandyvandeven.bsky.social
What becomes possible when philanthropy adopts the narratives we need to build the world we long for?
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
July 26, 2025 at 6:20 AM
What becomes possible when philanthropy adopts the narratives we need to build the world we long for?
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
“People often think about funder collaboration in terms of formal structures for pooling funds. While formal approaches can bring significant benefits in some cases, they are not always needed. All forms of connectivity play an important part in fostering an effective funding ecosystem...
June 27, 2025 at 4:46 AM
“People often think about funder collaboration in terms of formal structures for pooling funds. While formal approaches can bring significant benefits in some cases, they are not always needed. All forms of connectivity play an important part in fostering an effective funding ecosystem...
“As any labor leader knows, where there is a common set of workplace complaints, there is an opportunity for worker organizing — and though it may not be their first inclination to say so, funders are workers...
cep.org/blog/belabor...
cep.org/blog/belabor...
Belaboring the Change: What If Funder Organizing Learned from Worker Power Building? | The Center for Effective Philanthropy
The authors argue that worker organizing within grantmaking organizations offers a path to improving funder relationships with movements.
cep.org
June 21, 2025 at 4:27 AM
“As any labor leader knows, where there is a common set of workplace complaints, there is an opportunity for worker organizing — and though it may not be their first inclination to say so, funders are workers...
cep.org/blog/belabor...
cep.org/blog/belabor...
“Philanthropy must be understood as deeply intertwined within political, economic, and cultural structures, and we must acknowledge how charitable giving often serves to sanitize the ill effects of these systems...
cep.org/blog/the-fut...
cep.org/blog/the-fut...
The Future is Ours to Make: What If Solidarity Was the Blueprint for Philanthropy? | The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Vanessa Thomas argues that philanthropy must operate within a framework that is rooted in repair and meaningful solidarity with movements.
cep.org
June 18, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“Philanthropy must be understood as deeply intertwined within political, economic, and cultural structures, and we must acknowledge how charitable giving often serves to sanitize the ill effects of these systems...
cep.org/blog/the-fut...
cep.org/blog/the-fut...
Join me to talk about philanthropy, resourcing narrative power, and building movement infrastructure at the launch of Liberation Stories: Building Narrative Power for 21st Century Social Movements.
www.linkedin.com/events/73387...
www.linkedin.com/events/73387...
June 12, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Join me to talk about philanthropy, resourcing narrative power, and building movement infrastructure at the launch of Liberation Stories: Building Narrative Power for 21st Century Social Movements.
www.linkedin.com/events/73387...
www.linkedin.com/events/73387...
"Our working relationships and friendship over the years have honored the uniqueness of our paths. We value each other’s expertise and networks and know the power of aligning our collective energies to flow together, to turn the tide, and to nurture new possibilities...
cep.org/blog/solidar...
cep.org/blog/solidar...
Solidarity Leadership: What If Philanthropy Encouraged Collaboration Rather Than Competition? | The Center for Effective Philanthropy
What would happen if funders prioritized collaboration - amongst themselves and nonprofit partners - over competition?
cep.org
June 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM
"Our working relationships and friendship over the years have honored the uniqueness of our paths. We value each other’s expertise and networks and know the power of aligning our collective energies to flow together, to turn the tide, and to nurture new possibilities...
cep.org/blog/solidar...
cep.org/blog/solidar...
“Profound narrative shifts do not happen in a straightforward or linear fashion, and the work is limited by philanthropy’s demands for prescriptive logic models, reductionist metrics, and time-bound impacts...
cep.org/blog/change-...
cep.org/blog/change-...
Change is a Process: What If Philanthropy Had the Courage to Take Its Cues From Nature? | The Center for Effective Philanthropy
What if philanthropy chose to behave more like nature, relying on community knowledge to move resources where they are most needed?
cep.org
May 29, 2025 at 11:23 AM
“Profound narrative shifts do not happen in a straightforward or linear fashion, and the work is limited by philanthropy’s demands for prescriptive logic models, reductionist metrics, and time-bound impacts...
cep.org/blog/change-...
cep.org/blog/change-...
At a time when progressive philanthropy is eager to understand how to resource the narrative strategies we need, Shanelle Matthews and Marzena Zukowska have gifted the sector with a compilation of insights and experiences from 62 experts that serves as a critical guide for who and what to fund.
May 24, 2025 at 6:54 AM
At a time when progressive philanthropy is eager to understand how to resource the narrative strategies we need, Shanelle Matthews and Marzena Zukowska have gifted the sector with a compilation of insights and experiences from 62 experts that serves as a critical guide for who and what to fund.
What happens when you extend the invitation to step toward the future we desire and deserve…
www.philanthropy.com/article/what...
www.philanthropy.com/article/what...
April 30, 2025 at 10:20 AM
What happens when you extend the invitation to step toward the future we desire and deserve…
www.philanthropy.com/article/what...
www.philanthropy.com/article/what...
In "The Myths of Philanthropy" series, Dimple Abichandani asks: What if we moved from perpetuity to purpose?
cep.org/blog/spendin...
cep.org/blog/spendin...
Spending Stories: What If We Moved from Perpetuity to Purpose? | The Center for Effective Philanthropy
There is an emerging narrative to guide foundation spending in this moment — one centered on the purpose of philanthropy more broadly.
cep.org
April 25, 2025 at 11:23 AM
In "The Myths of Philanthropy" series, Dimple Abichandani asks: What if we moved from perpetuity to purpose?
cep.org/blog/spendin...
cep.org/blog/spendin...
ICYMI: Elemental launched The Myths of Philanthropy, a transnational partnership with Center for Effective Philanthropy (US), Association of Charitable Foundations (UK), and VITA (Italy) to examine the narratives that shape how the sector operates—and how to change them.
mailchi.mp/0b144df1a007...
mailchi.mp/0b144df1a007...
April 23, 2025 at 12:02 PM
ICYMI: Elemental launched The Myths of Philanthropy, a transnational partnership with Center for Effective Philanthropy (US), Association of Charitable Foundations (UK), and VITA (Italy) to examine the narratives that shape how the sector operates—and how to change them.
mailchi.mp/0b144df1a007...
mailchi.mp/0b144df1a007...
In "The Myths of Philanthropy" series, Louisa Mann asks: What if what we inherited doesn’t have to be the legacy we leave?
cep.org/blog/positio...
cep.org/blog/positio...
Positioning and Repositioning: What if What We Inherited Doesn’t Have to Be the Legacy We Leave? | The Center for Effective Philanthropy
The wealth management system that undergirds philanthropy can be reimagined, adapted, and evolved to facilitate change.
cep.org
April 18, 2025 at 5:12 AM
In "The Myths of Philanthropy" series, Louisa Mann asks: What if what we inherited doesn’t have to be the legacy we leave?
cep.org/blog/positio...
cep.org/blog/positio...
In "The Myths of Philanthropy" series, Lisa Pilar Cowan asks: What if philanthropy wasn’t about giving away money, but returning it?
cep.org/blog/a-path-...
cep.org/blog/a-path-...
A Path to Repair: What if Philanthropy Wasn’t About Giving Away Money, but Returning It? | The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Lisa Pilar Cowan offers a fundamental reframing of philanthropy as returning what was stolen, rather than giving funds out of generosity.
cep.org
April 13, 2025 at 8:19 AM
In "The Myths of Philanthropy" series, Lisa Pilar Cowan asks: What if philanthropy wasn’t about giving away money, but returning it?
cep.org/blog/a-path-...
cep.org/blog/a-path-...
Like it or not, the philanthropic sector is on the precipice of radical change.
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
April 10, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Like it or not, the philanthropic sector is on the precipice of radical change.
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
cep.org/blog/the-myt...
"Nowadays, lots of people seem to think you can optimize morality. Optimizing makes being human feel less risky. It provides a sense of control. But trying to make ourselves into robots means giving up something extravagantly precious: our humanity."
February 1, 2025 at 6:02 AM
"Nowadays, lots of people seem to think you can optimize morality. Optimizing makes being human feel less risky. It provides a sense of control. But trying to make ourselves into robots means giving up something extravagantly precious: our humanity."
"Funding is the primary incentive structure that makes and remakes the current American Left ecosystem today. It determines which work gets funded (or defunded), how, where, to what scale, on what timeline. If the money backing that work is unstrategic, the work itself will also be unstrategic."
This is a long really important and insightful read on the relationship between philanthropy and power on the left.
Thankfully, it goes way beyond the silly debate about "groups" and the Dem Party to engage in substantive questions of basebuildling and strategy.
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
Thankfully, it goes way beyond the silly debate about "groups" and the Dem Party to engage in substantive questions of basebuildling and strategy.
www.thenation.com/article/soci...
Left Organizing Is in Crisis. Philanthropy Is a Major Reason Why.
Progressive philanthropy lacks good strategy, so too many of our organizations are hollow—and that left us unable to prevent a second Trump term.
www.thenation.com
January 17, 2025 at 10:44 AM
"Funding is the primary incentive structure that makes and remakes the current American Left ecosystem today. It determines which work gets funded (or defunded), how, where, to what scale, on what timeline. If the money backing that work is unstrategic, the work itself will also be unstrategic."
Elemental seeks to connect and align the ecosystem of narrative funders, develop a common set of knowledge and practice for resourcing narrative infrastructure, and facilitate funding experiments that build narrative power.
December 15, 2024 at 8:32 AM
Elemental seeks to connect and align the ecosystem of narrative funders, develop a common set of knowledge and practice for resourcing narrative infrastructure, and facilitate funding experiments that build narrative power.
"The imaginations of those who created institutional philanthropy a century ago are limiting our collective potential in the present day. The sector’s design flaws are reflected in the shortcomings of how civil society and movements operate...
November 27, 2024 at 1:09 AM
"The imaginations of those who created institutional philanthropy a century ago are limiting our collective potential in the present day. The sector’s design flaws are reflected in the shortcomings of how civil society and movements operate...
We have the mandate to (re)imagine and live into the world we desire and deserve. You with me?
November 16, 2024 at 10:53 AM
We have the mandate to (re)imagine and live into the world we desire and deserve. You with me?
When we unpack the ways faulty logics have created habits that don’t serve us, it opens the possibility to adopt different logics and behaviours that allow us to imagine and live into the world we want.
www.funderscollaborativehub.org.uk/blogs/how-ca...
www.funderscollaborativehub.org.uk/blogs/how-ca...
August 25, 2024 at 5:29 AM
When we unpack the ways faulty logics have created habits that don’t serve us, it opens the possibility to adopt different logics and behaviours that allow us to imagine and live into the world we want.
www.funderscollaborativehub.org.uk/blogs/how-ca...
www.funderscollaborativehub.org.uk/blogs/how-ca...
We operate with a scarcity mindset because we have been conditioned to think small. And when we think from a place of smallness, we limit what is possible for ourselves and each other.
August 23, 2024 at 5:16 AM
We operate with a scarcity mindset because we have been conditioned to think small. And when we think from a place of smallness, we limit what is possible for ourselves and each other.