Philanthropy Can Afford to Give More

Описание: There's $1.5 trillion sitting in American foundations right now. Add in donor-advised funds and the total climbs past $1.7 trillion. Most of it isn't moving. Meanwhile, the organizations on the front lines of housing, health, democracy, and climate are being told to do more with less.

In this episode, three leaders behind the Level Up campaign make the case that the 5% minimum payout rate — meant to be a floor — has become a ceiling. And they're doing something about it.

Aaron Dorfman (NCRP), Jodeen Olguín-Tayler (CHANGE Philanthropy), and Amanda Andere (Neighborhood Funders Group) break down the campaign asking foundations to increase their payout to at least 8% for two years, direct funds more equitably, and prove it with their tax filings.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] The $1.5 trillion on the sidelines
[02:03] Why 5% isn't enough for this moment
[06:15] How philanthropy responded to 2025 — and where it fell short
[13:50] What "give better" actually looks like
[17:24] Why Minneapolis was ready
[25:39] The billion-dollar imbalance between right and left
[29:24] Why Level Up requires proof, not just promises
[44:03] Foundations already leading the way
[49:28] What you can do right now

Notable Quotes

"We can't leave this capital on the sidelines." — Aaron Dorfman [02:30]

"I stopped putting funding into my son's college education fund because if we don't have a world that is effectively addressing climate, racialized violence… I'm not sure my eight year old is going to have the need for a college account." — Jodeen Olguín-Tayler [04:34]

"Whatever you thought you were doing during the civil rights movement — that is what you should be doing now." — Amanda Andere [51:15]

Resources & Links

Level Up Campaign — https://levelupphilanthropy.org/
NCRP — https://ncrp.org/
Neighborhood Funders Group — https://nfg.org/