This is a Story of Potential…
Fito Network ??
A diverse coalition of network leaders, facilitators and?funders for collective change.
Of quiet power ?? gathering beneath the surface, ready to awaken and reshape the future. ?
Of powerful voices ?? rising from the margins, waiting for the winds to carry their echoes far.
Of unlit fires ?? longing for the fuel to illuminate and transform entire systems.
Camera, Lights, Action! ??
The scene zooms in on a group of changemakers gathered in a garden, diverse voices blending ideas with hopeful eyes. ?
Then it zooms out ?? – across landscapes of activists, policymakers, movements – all connected by the same unshakable belief that change is possible, and necessary.
The energy is palpable – the unspoken sense that something important is happening here.
?? The Narrator Begins…
“We all know it: networks are key to systemic change – for shifting power, breaking silos, sparking innovation, and scaling ideas.
This is no secret.
But behind every network lies a challenge: resources, or the lack thereof.
Despite their undeniable power, most networks, movements, and indigenous and collaborative groups remain woefully underfunded.
?? We estimate that:
But this isn’t a story of what’s missing. This is a story of what’s possible.” ??
A New Scene Opens…
Three funders – Freya, Mo, and Raj – sit at a table in a cozy café at the margins of a philanthropy summit, surrounded by notebooks and funding reports.
?? Freya: "It’s strange, isn’t it? We all talk about wanting systemic change…but so much funding goes to isolated projects. Then we wonder why we don’t see lasting impact. "
?? Mo: "I know. It’s shocking. We’re pouring billions into projects that fail to address the root causes of inequality or nurture the conditions for sustainability.”
?? Raj: "It’s like we’re just putting Band-Aids on bigger problems."
Freya nods, thoughtfully.
?? Freya: "I’ve seen networks change entire fields when they have the resources they need."
?? Raj: "Absolutely. But most of the networks, despite doing incredible work, are doing it on a shoestring.”
?? Mo: "The funders doing it well – Small Foundation, BMW Foundation, Roddenberry Foundation – they get this. They see trust as a key ingredient in their funding model, and that’s what makes their support so effective."
?? Freya: “Imagine what could happen if we shifted even a small percentage of our budgets to fund more movements and networks."
Mo leans forward, intrigued.
?? Mo: "So how do we get others to see it? How do we make ‘funding networks’ the norm, not the exception? How do we change the way funders think about social impact?"
Freya smiles, a determined look in her eyes.
?? Scene Fades…Cut to New Scene…
Slow pan across the broad landscape of philanthropy.
The focus narrows on funders rewriting the rules to craft fresh approaches that fuel transformative change.
A sense of hope emerges…
?? Celebrating Pioneer Funders of Networks and Movements
The funding landscape needs to dramatically shift to support transformational change.
But, there are shining stars ?? – funders rising to the challenge, bravely experimenting with new models and techniques to support movements and networks.
These are not funders who just use words like systems change and networks – but who actively practice it through their funding strategies, experimenting with mechanisms that decentralize decisions, foster emergence, and prioritize relationships.
We want to recognize them:
And this story? It’s just getting started.
So many more exist: Skoll Foundation , Robert Bosch Stiftung , Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Small Foundation , BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt , Thousand Currents , Porticus , CLIMA Fund , Global Fund for Children , THE OMIDYAR GROUP LLC , Global Greengrants Fund , The Roddenberry Foundation …
View Our Open Funders List
The Fito Network’s Mission to Boost Funding for Networks
Over the past few years, the Fito Network has engaged hundreds of funders and network leaders in a wide diversity of activities focused on funding networks.
We have gained a deep understanding of the funding practices, needs, and ingredients necessary for philanthropy to shift – and lately have been pondering on how we can contribute to these shifts in a way that compliments and doesn’t duplicate existing efforts.
As a starting point, we see ourselves as offering safe spaces for funders to share questions and lessons learned, engaging stories that “make the case” for networks, and easy-to-use tools that “demystify” the practice of funding networks.
There’s one new initiative we’re very excited to be launching: the Philanthropy Card Game , an interactive tool for staff, teams and boards to assess their funding practices and learn how to amplify their social impact.
In addition, we’ve worked on a variety of other solutions that can be collaboratively implemented to address key needs in funding networks.
Here are some of those ideas:
?? Impact Measurement
Funder question: How can we measure complex systems change in networks and movements where impact is emergent and evolving, happens over the long-term, and is rooted in relationships?
Collective solution: An interactive compass that pools together diverse existing impact measurement tools, enabling funders and network leaders to easily navigate capturing and measuring their social change.
?? Making the Case to Boards
Funders question: How can we help trustees with limited time and connections to funded initiatives to better appreciate the value of investing in networks and movements?
Collective solution: A “virtual field trip” where board members can travel through compelling stories of networks contributing to systems change in education, climate, health, etc. – along with hard evidence of their impact.
?? Reaching Grassroots Communities
Funders question: How can we identify new high-impact grantees beyond the usual suspects, especially those representing marginalized movements and networks?
Collective solution: A collectively developed online “kaleidoscope” that funders can turn to view snapshots of grassroots networks and movements across fields (food, education, migration) in different parts of the world.
?? Network Sustainability
Funders question: How can networks sustain themselves after funding stops to avoid cuts in network initiatives and impact?
Collective solution: A digital “Network Resilience Canvas” with templates, income frameworks, and revenue models that leaders can customize and adapt to build long-term sustainability for their networks.
?? Funder Roles & Capacities
Funder question: How can we know when a network approach is right, find the right networks to match our investment goals, support network processes and infrastructure, and understand our roles as funders?
Collective solution: A “Funders’ Field Guide” that helps funders choose their own journey, each path highlighting approaches, tips, and models for funding networks – with connections to other funders to deepen learning.
?? Localizing Funding
Funders question: How can we decentralize decision-making of funding ?to grassroots communities, while still feeling our investments are having an impact?
Collective solution: A virtual role play where funders and communities practice decentralizing decisions together, learning how different choices impact project outcomes.
?? Participatory Learning
Funders question: How can we embed learning cultures across our ?partners to generate meaningful insights – without pulling from on-the-ground capacity to deliver work?
Collective solution: the Learning Playground, featuring a collection of interactive exercises, methods, and prompts help funders and networks build participatory learning cultures.
? What Do You Think?
How can Fito best contribute to shifting philanthropy so networks and movements around the world are well-funded?
Reply to this email and tell us!