In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S.; Section 2: Collective Giving Greatly Expands What Gets Funded, Dorothy A Johnson Center for Philanthropy, 2024

A study conducted by Dorothy A. Johnson Center for philanthropy that focuses on collective giving in the United States, highlighting the benefits of collective giving as well as how it encourages more people to give.

Buhles, Kelley. A Primer for Participatory Grantmaking. Nonprofit Quarterly, 2021.

A step by step guide for how to begin and maintain participatory grantmaking practices and share background information on where PGM came from.

Schnall, Marianne. The Power Of Sharing Power: New Report On Co-Leadership Offers Insight Into The Collaborative Leadership Model That’s Gaining Ground. Forbes, 2023.

Diving deeper into the idea of power sharing and what it really means and can look like for those in the grantmaking and nonprofit spaces. 

Find 4,000+ giving circles that are changing the world. Philanthropy Together, 2025.

Feel Inspired to give collectively? Check out this search tool to find a Giving Circle near you.

Gibson, Cynthia, and Jen Bokoff. Deciding Together: Shifting Power and Resources Through Participatory Grantmaking. Foundation Center, 2018.

Considered by many as the first comprehensive guide to participatory grantmaking. Sections are interspersed with visual diagrams. Also included are first-person insights from participants and potential challenges to look out for in the model

Gibson, Cynthia. Participatory Grantmaking: Has Its Time Come? Ford Foundation, The Share Fund Additional Resources THE SHARE FUND RESOURCE GUIDE • 4 1 2017,

A Ford Foundation-commissioned report with a landscape scan of how participatory processes are being integrated in philanthropy. Gibson also shares lessons from outside philanthropy that could be useful for families as they are implementing participatory grantmaking.

Paterson, Hannah. Grassroots Grantmaking: Embedding Participatory Approaches in Funding. Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, 2020, 

 A visually engaging report comprising learnings from a yearlong fellowship exploring global participatory processes. Paterson discusses decentering power, grassroots organizing, and relationship building.

Hauger, Tyler Dale. “Nothing About Us Without Us: Innovating Grantmaking Processes With Participatory Methodology.” Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 2022,

An academic-leaning paper discussing four modalities of innovation that participatory grantmaking offers. Hodgson, Jenny, and Anna Pond.

How Community Philanthropy Shifts Power: What Donors Can Do to Help Make That Happen. Grantcraft, 2018,

Examines the impacts of shifting power in community philanthropy from a donor perspective.

Lafayette Practice & FRIDA Young Feminist Fund. Letting the Movement Decide: FRIDA Grantmaking Report. Lafayette Practice & FRIDA Young Feminist Fund, 2022,

An assessment of FRIDA Young Feminist Fund’s impact over three grantmaking cycles. Includes a historical timeline of FRIDA’s work and interviews with FRIDA stakeholders.

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