The Future of Philanthropy: 'The South Isn'T 50 Years Behind; It'S 50 Years Ahead.'

credit: Flickr

The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation has given out more than $100 million to fight poverty in the South, but it's not just in the region.

The foundation is one of the biggest funders of social and economic justice in the South, and its president tells KMSG that there's a "real opportunity for philanthropy in the South, particularly in this moment of challenge and change."

She says it's important for philanthropic organizations to work with leaders in the fight for racial equity and power-building, and to make long-term connections with organizations that are "authentically engaging in freedom work."

The foundation has been active in the South for decades, and it's not alone.

Others are starting to get involved through affinity groups, like Grantmakers for Southern Progress.

"Many of us in philanthropy come from this background, so we get a chance to think about the full spectrum of the work,"Flozell Daniels says.

"I think one of the biggest misconceptions I struggled with when I was on the other side, and we talk about this a lot in philanthropy, is that the definition of 'capacity' is frequently incongruent with what actually materializes into life-changing outcomes," he says.

"To be clear, more money means more capacity and we [foundation

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