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SUMMARY:Movement-Aligned Funding Learning Community - Shifting Organizational Practices
DESCRIPTION:In this quarter’s Movement Aligned Funding Learning Community\, we will explore how funders can navigate internal dynamics and shift organizational practices to be more responsive and accountable to grantees and community partners. Several SAFSF members will share ways they have re-examined funding approaches and implemented changes based on community feedback. Following the speakers’ shares\, we will break into small groups to discuss strategies for gathering feedback\, navigating internal barriers to change\, and implementing more movement-led funding approaches. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nContext\n\n\n\nSystems change requires a deliberate shift in power. In a landscape where the industrial\, consolidated\, and corporate food system is well-funded\, deeply entrenched\, and politically coordinated\, community-led movements must be equally robust—supported with consistent resources\, strong social infrastructure\, and long-term investment. \n\n\n\nShifting power means centering and following the leadership of those most affected by injustice—Black\, Indigenous\, and People of Color; immigrants; workers; 2SLGBTQIA+ people; women; disabled\, low-income\, poor\, and other urban and rural marginalized communities. Movements for food justice and food sovereignty need sustained investment in the organizing\, coalition-building\, and leadership development that enable communities to build and wield power over time. \n\n\n\nThis requires resources that are distributed nationally\, regionally\, and locally to support base building\, advocacy\, and community-led interventions across local\, state\, Tribal\, and national scales. Social and structural change is only possible when communities have the time\, infrastructure\, and capacity to organize—not just react. \n\n\n\nFunders play a critical role in supporting this work. To be “movement-aligned\,” funders must adapt practices and priorities to the values and leadership of frontline communities. This includes trusting community governance\, supporting grassroots leadership\, sharing decision-making power\, and shifting traditional funder prerogatives—even when it is uncomfortable. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWho Is This For?\n\n\n\nThis quarterly\, peer-led Learning Community is open to all SAFSF members. It is a space for honest dialogue\, where funders can share practices\, mistakes\, uncertainties\, and lessons learned with a shared intention of improving accountability to the communities most impacted by food system injustice. \n\n\n\nWe will read short pieces together and periodically invite movement leaders to ground the conversation. However\, this is not a curriculum-based or exhaustive learning space\, and we recognize that funders must seek learning directly\, in non-extractive ways\, from grassroots organizations and frontline leaders beyond this setting. Rather\, this Learning Community is designed to help funders learn about the principles and mechanics of movement building and do the internal work to be an effective ally.  \n\n\n\nAll SAFSF members are welcome\, and we especially encourage funders who are newer to movement-building or movement-aligned grantmaking or investing to participate. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhy a Funder-Only Learning Community on Movement-Aligned Funding?\n\n\n\nThis space is intentionally designed for funders because: \n\n\n\n\nFunders need a place to build internal discipline and accountability without placing additional burdens on movement leaders to constantly educate them.\n\n\n\nFunders must examine their own power\, habits\, and practices—work that often requires internal organizing and strategy alignment.\n\n\n\nFunders need to be prepared before meaningfully engaging with movement partners\, so that conversations with frontline leaders are not extractive\, repetitive\, or centering funder needs.\n\n\n\nThis learning community complements—not replaces—direct engagement with movement organizations. The core purpose is to strengthen funders’ readiness to show up better in those relationships.\n\n\n\n\nOur intention is to help funders transform their practices to be accountable partners in multiracial\, frontline-led movements\, not to create a bubble where funders only talk to funders. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLearning Community Goals\n\n\n\n\nLearn about principles of long-term movement building for systems change from experienced practitioners and through the examination of successful examples in food systems context.\n\n\n\nBetter understand investment needs and funding practices that center the leadership of impacted communities\, support movement building\, and community-led food systems transformation.\n\n\n\nLearn and exchange best practices to increase frontline and grassroots organizations’ capacity (e.g.\, time\, financial resources\, communications infrastructure) so they can build leadership and power within the broader movement ecosystem.\n\n\n\nExplore the importance of organizing across the capital spectrum and across different issue areas (e.g.\, health\, food\, climate\, environment) in alignment with frontline communities of color and movement organizations.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBackground and Details \n\n\n\n\nThe idea for this new Learning Community came from two SAFSF Members — Chicago Food Policy Action Council and Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems — and follows a networking session with both funders and practitioners at the SAFSF Forum in 2025. \n\n\n\n\n\nCalls will not be recorded to facilitate more transparent conversations. \n\n\n\n\n\nPre-meeting reading materials will be shared in advance. \n\n\n\n\n\nWe highly encourage you to attend all sessions in the series to stay connected with your colleagues and incorporate learnings into your work throughout the year\, but you are welcome to join at any point. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis is a SAFSF member-only series. If you are interested in exploring membership\, please contact our membership team. \n\n\n\n\n\n\nTo register for this learning community\, you must be logged in and a member of SAFSF. \nPlease log in or register for an account.
URL:https://www.agandfoodfunders.org/event/movement-aligned-funding-learning-community-2/
CATEGORIES:Learning Community,Member Only
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