Leading with Trust
Trust-Based Philanthropy


Trust-based philanthropy flips the script on traditional philanthropy. With a core set of values rooted in advancing equity, shifting power, and building mutually accountable relationships, trust-based philanthropy seeks to demonstrate humility and collaboration in what we do and how we show up in all aspects of our work as grantmakers – our culture, structures, leadership and practices. Here’s what this looks like in our grantmaking:

We’re not getting it right all the time, and we encourage feedback from partners to help us do better. We measure the Foundation’s success as a trust-based funder by regularly surveying our grantees to learn how they perceive our processes and partnership.
Headwaters Foundation is a founding member of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project – check them out to learn more about values and practices that help democratize philanthropy.