(By Tatiana Garavito)

Over the many years I’ve spent navigating both activist and philanthropic spaces, I’ve come to realise that philanthropy often serves as a band-aid solution. My colleagues at the foundations I work with wouldn’t necessarily frame it this way, and it’s certainly not their intention, but sadly, that’s often the reality.

The issue with band-aids is that they’re temporary—they address the immediate urgency but fail to tackle the root causes of the wound. Short-term emergency grants, project-based funding amongst others often miss the broader picture; they don’t engage with the ecosystems that sustain communities. This approach assumes that the system creating the wound can be “fixed,” and once patched up, it won’t cause further harm. But the system is broken far beyond what any quick fix can resolve. Fixing a broken system only makes it run more smoothly, without addressing its underlying flaws. The real issue, then, is the idea of the “fixing” itself—it focuses on maintaining the status quo instead of fostering transformative change. Short-term fixes might at least acknowledge their limitations, while long-term fixes, which keep the system running, divert us from the work of building true systemic alternatives.

There’s a deep connection between this short-term mindset and the long-term nature of philanthropic institutions—many are built for perpetuity. Ironically, although philanthropy is structured for the long term, much of what it funds is quick and reactive. These institutions rarely question the beginning or end of their purpose. If philanthropy recognised that its mission should not be to endlessly patch up broken systems but to challenge the conditions that make its existence necessary, we’d be having a very different conversation. Instead, philanthropy often rushes to find quick fixes to complex systemic issues, driven by urgency, perfectionism, and a lack of nuance. This approach overlooks the multifaceted crises we face, leaving deeper-rooted problems unaddressed.

The case for innovation and experimentation 

This sense of urgency—this drive to “fix” things quickly—has been one of the driving forces behind the Leap Collective, a radical philanthropic experiment we started a few years ago. We’re exploring a different path, one that doesn’t default to quick fixes but seeks to nurture long-term, systemic alternatives.

Philanthropy’s pressure to achieve and be quick leaves little room for innovation or experimentation. This is a significant loss because it’s precisely in the space of experimentation and risk-taking that real change can be conceived, nurtured, and practised. At Leap Collective, we aim to reclaim that space, encouraging bold experimentation and embracing the possibility of failure. Fear of failure often leads to risk-averse decision-making, stifling creativity and limiting the potential for transformative change. Rather than embracing failure as an opportunity to learn and grow, philanthropy often clings to familiar approaches that maintain the status quo, ensuring a “long-term cycle” in safe, predictable conditions.

Increasingly, philanthropy also falls into the trap of oversimplification, lacking the nuance required in both its analysis and its actions. In the pursuit of quick wins and measurable outcomes, complex issues are often reduced to one-size-fits-all solutions, overlooking the diverse needs and experiences of the communities they aim to serve. For example, currently most foundations concerned about the climate crisis fund false solutions—technological or market-based schemes promoted by fossil fuel companies and their economic and political allies. These approaches give the appearance of meaningful action but ultimately delay the policies that would genuinely challenge the power and profits of these industries. This reductionist approach also ignores the intricate and interconnected nature of social problems and silences the voices of those most affected. It places humans as the central heroes of the story, dismissing the diverse and ancestral knowledge that the earth itself holds. At Leap Collective, we are committed to unearthing these hidden complexities, painting new pictures that guide us toward more inclusive solutions for planet-wide challenges.

Reproducing the same dynamics 

At the heart of this rush lies the same multifaceted crises that sustain the White-supremacist, capitalist, and patriarchal system—a deep existential disconnect that compels us to seek easy answers to complex questions. In our hyperconnected world, we are bombarded with information, yet we often feel more disconnected from ourselves, each other, and the natural world than ever before. This alienation drives us to grasp for fixes that promise immediate relief, rather than grappling with the systemic issues that underlie our collective challenges.

To truly address the crises we face, Leap Collective believes we must confront the uncomfortable truths about the systems in which we live. These systems are not only deeply entrenched but also interconnected, shaping how we relate to one another and the world around us. Addressing these challenges means centering the voices of marginalised communities, fostering collaboration across sectors and disciplines, prioritising long-term systemic change over short-term gains, and celebrating experimentation and uncertainty. In essence, this is what Leap Collective strives for—a reimagining of philanthropy, one that moves beyond “good enough for now” and embraces the complex work of building and nurturing systems of care and repair. This journey requires confronting our own limitations, collectively challenging the status quo, and daring to imagine new possibilities for collective action and social transformation. Only by doing this can we address the root causes of the crises we face and create alternative futures rooted in care, liberation, and sustainability. 

How is LEAP innovating and experimenting 

In 2021, Leap recognised the need to shift philanthropy’s focus from broadly funding the climate movement to specifically supporting climate justice groups working at the intersections of climate and social justice. By early September of that year, we convened a group of around 20 climate justice activists in an online meeting to assess the state of the European Climate Justice movement. From this dialogue, it became clear that collective strategies were essential to create long-term systemic impact.

Collective abundance officially launched in October 2023 at the EDGE Funders Conference in Berlin, where the group presented their vision for deepening the role of philanthropy in the climate justice landscape. Since then, they have gained momentum, and halfway through 2024, they are well on their way to establishing a participatory process that strengthens organised, collective power at the frontlines of the climate crisis in Europe. This journey is driven by a commitment to reshape how resources are allocated to ensure that frontline communities are empowered to lead solutions to the crises that directly impact them.

Leap is also advancing several other experiments that are in progress and in need of support. One of these is a migrant justice initiative that has brought together activists from across Europe to reflect on internationalist strategies for addressing migration justice challenges. This experiment is exploring ideas such as a transnational legal aid network, the creation of a grassroots fund, employment opportunities for migrants in circular economies, and a grassroots coordination network.

In the coming months, this group will meet in person for the first time, an exciting milestone. We envision that their collective work will sharpen into a participatory, radical experiment that shifts power toward migrant communities and strengthens their ability to lead transformative strategies. 

Leap Collective holds space for the complexities and challenges that inevitably come with this reimagining of philanthropy and putting into practice, with this we value the process even more than the results.

The experiments we host are all about creating space for new emerging ideas on how to dismantle institutional philanthropy and the learnings that we and our ecosystem draw from it.

We are curious to learn from you or collectives and organisations you know if you have experiences to share in building new systems of care and repair. Please reach out if you are appalled by the way we reimagine philanthropy and feel like supporting this practice at hi(at)leapcollective(dot)org.