We’ll Stand by You: Understanding Community-Based Philanthropic Giving

The established academic conceptualization of philanthropy is the gifting of monetary resources to nonprofit organizations. The authors extend and broaden this understanding of philanthropy by examining a fuller spectrum of ways philanthropic givers support nonprofits. In this research, the authors sought out and partnered with experienced philanthropic givers and advisors, including foundation leaders, who prioritize supporting community-based nonprofits. Because community-based nonprofits are proximate to both the inequities in the communities they serve and promising solutions for addressing those inequities, research provides evidence that these nonprofits have the potential to transform communities and create positive impact. The authors found that their research partners’ philanthropic giving involves resourcing and building relationships with community-based nonprofits by offering them funding plus other forms of support, including the givers’ time, connections, and expertise. The authors build on these findings by constructing a broadened framework for philanthropy that integrates insights gleaned from their research partners and academic research on philanthropy. The authors explore the policy implications of community-based philanthropy and call on researchers in marketing to further investigate and advance knowledge about philanthropic giving.