Podcast Summary: What the Fundraising, Episode 264

How Collaboration Fuels Systemic Change with Rebecca Darwent

Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Mallory Erickson
Guest: Rebecca Darwent

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mallory Erickson sits down with Rebecca Darwent to dive deep into the role of collaborative funds in driving systemic change within philanthropy, especially as it relates to funding equity for communities of color and Black-led organizations. Rebecca brings her experience in philanthropy, social work, and as a co-founder of the Foundation for Black Communities to illustrate how shifting decision-making and resources empowers those most affected by systemic barriers. The conversation is both strategic and deeply personal, touching on the logistics of collaborative funding, the emotional labor of fundraising in marginalized communities, and practical advice for leaders seeking sustainable, community-led change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Defining Collaborative Funds

[02:25–05:46]

• What is a Collaborative Fund?
  • Pooled funds from a mix of donors: individuals, corporations, government, and more.
  • Facilitates multi-level collaboration between donors and grantees.
  • Designed for systems-level impact, typically moving at least $1 million per year, often much more.
  • Supported by fully-staffed organizations offering year-round partnership and field-wide convening.

Quote:
“A collaborative fund is an entity that pools resources from many different places... There’s multi-level collaboration. So that means that there is relationships happen on the ground with grant partners, but there’s also relationships happening with the funders and the people around the table who are giving the pooled resources.”
—Rebecca Darwent [04:34]

Rethinking Power and Decision-Making

[05:46–09:28]

• Shifting Decision-Making to the Community:
  • Many collaborative funds have leadership that reflects the populations they serve.
  • Compared to only 10% of US foundations, over 50% of collaborative fund leaders are women of color.
  • Emphasis on community-led models where local leaders not only decide where the money goes but also shape overall strategy.

Quote:
“The leadership of collaborative funds looks very different than traditional philanthropy. And when the leadership is different, the accountability to community is different.”
—Rebecca Darwent [09:28]

Addressing Systemic Funding Gaps

[09:09–12:33]

• The Foundation for Black Communities:
  • Created in response to the severe underfunding of Black-led organizations in Canada.
  • Saw less than $0.07 of every $100 from Canadian philanthropy go to Black-led groups.
  • Formed by both nonprofit leaders and grantmakers frustrated by the cycle of rejection and systemic barriers for Black organizations.

Challenges and Solutions:

• Lack of charitable status for many Black-led orgs limited access to funds.
• Bias and anti-Black racism embedded in funding structures.
• Built a new institution by and for Black leaders, centering Black self-determination and leadership.

Quote:
“There’s often a kind of like a trope that there’s not enough Black leaders or that there aren’t any ideas that are worthy of funding. And that’s absolutely not true on every single front.”
—Rebecca Darwent [13:02]

The Emotional Labor of Fundraising Under Structural Racism

[14:35–20:48]

• Host acknowledges the toll of repeated rejection and systemic bias.
• Rebecca describes the exhaustion and emotional strain:
  • Fundraising during COVID amid personal and community loss.
  • Facing disbelieving or patronizing funders.
  • The necessity of internal compassion and solidarity among fundraising teams.

Advice to Black Fundraisers and Leaders:

• “Honor yourself, be compassionate with yourself, be compassionate with your team members.”
• Recognize that negative funder reactions often reflect their limitations, not yours.
• Seek out partners who recognize and believe in your leadership.

Quote:
“This isn’t about our team and our ability to lead this work. It’s about other people’s ability to see Black leadership and to step into that fully... If you can, let it roll off your back, give yourself the time to be frustrated and disappointed and cry and shout and then find the partners who believe in you.”
—Rebecca Darwent [17:40]

• Results:
  • The Foundation has now raised over $225 million with diverse partnerships.

Building Trust and Navigating Relationships

[20:48–24:34]

• On Relationship-Building:
  • Engage with collaborative funds by building genuine relationships—attend programs, participate in community events, and connect with leaders.
  • Recognize that systemic barriers often coexist with a lack of relationships.
  • Trust takes time—don’t expect it up front with new partners.

Quote:
“I don’t think that trust is the entry point for the relationship. Trust is something that you look back on and you're like, oh, it was there... The moment you start talking about it, you don’t have it. Right?”
—Rebecca Darwent [22:01]

• Long-Term Perspective:
  • Take the long view; change happens over decades, not months.
  • Maintain hope and action even in the face of setbacks.

The Power of Hope and Taking the Long View

[24:34–25:40]

• Mallory ties in concepts of habit and behavior design:
  • Hope increases motivation and builds resilience for action.
  • Holding a long-term, hopeful perspective is both practical and empowering.

Notable Moments & Memorable Quotes

• Rebecca on the need for change:
  “It’s really an important time right now to find connection... and not do what philanthropy has a really bad habit of doing, which is to get stuck in conversation, but move to action and move to deploying capital.”
  [02:52]

• On the difference leadership makes:
  “When new people are at the table, when there’s diverse representation there, entirely new projects get funded that have never been funded before.”
  [10:33]

• Host’s reflection on hope:
  “If you hold on to that hope in action... then you get to write a different self-fulfilling prophecy.”
  —Mallory Erickson [24:34]

Resources & Where to Learn More

• Foundation for Black Communities: 4blackcommunities.org
• Connect with Rebecca Darwent: LinkedIn (“Rebecca Darwent”)
• Interested in collaborative funding? Visit Philanthropy Together

Key Takeaways

• Collaborative funds offer a strategic, community-centered alternative to traditional philanthropy, increasing impact through pooled resources and collective decision-making.
• Leadership diversity changes both accountability and outcomes—community-led models create space for new voices and bold projects.
• Systemic challenges like anti-Black racism manifest structurally; building new institutions from within communities creates resilience and new pathways.
• Fundraising while marginalized is profoundly emotional work—honor your own resilience, seek authentic partners, and take the long view.
• Hope and unwavering commitment are vital tools for creating change, even when progress feels slow.

This episode is essential listening for nonprofit leaders and fundraisers ready to reimagine power, relationships, and impact in the nonprofit sector.