“We Can’t 5% Our Way Out of This” — with Brenda Solórzano, The California Endowment
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What does it look like when a major foundation decides that a crisis calls for more than business as usual? Bold but smart!This episode offers amazing insights and inspiration from Brenda Solórzano, President and CEO of The California Endowment. Brenda shares about how philanthropy can respond when nonprofits face rising demand, shrinking resources, and mounting pressure. She discusses how The California Endowment decided to substantially increase its spending, eliminate grantee reporting requirements, accelerate resource flows, and experiment! She explains why the Endowment signed the Level Up pledge and how it's spending the additional funds.
For funders and nonprofit leaders alike, this conversation offers practical ideas for moving from risk-aversion toward responsive partnership. Solórzano discusses what it takes to build trust between foundations and nonprofits; why multi-year funding alone isn't enough; how funders can create relationships where grantees feel safe talking honestly about burnout; and why philanthropy may need to rethink payout. perpetuity, and the business model of foundations. She also makes the case that, rather than simply trying to preserve existing systems, funders can help communities build what comes next.
For a Guest Bio, please click here: https://candid.org/authors/brenda-solorzano/
Key Links to Resources:
Featured Guest & Institution Links:
The California Endowment: https://www.calendow.org
The California Endowment: Increased Spending: https://www.calendow.org/tce-board-approves-increased-spending/
Level Up & CHANGE Philanthropy Links:
Level Up Campaign: https://levelupphilanthropy.org/
CHANGE Philanthropy: https://changephilanthropy.org
CHANGE Philanthropy / Our Work: https://changephilanthropy.org/elementor-397/
Trust-Based Philanthropy Links:
The California Endowment’s Go! Gifts: https://www.calendow.org/gogifts/
Headwaters Foundation of Montana’s Go Grants: https://www.headwatersmt.org/what-we-fund/go-grants/
Trust-Based Philanthropy Project: https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org
CHANGE Philanthropy Member Organizations Links:
Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP): https://aapip.org
ABFE - A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities: https://www.abfe.org
Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy: https://www.epip.org
Funders for LGBTQ Issues: https://lgbtfunders.org
Hispanics in Philanthropy: https://hipfunds.org
Native Americans in Philanthropy: https://nativephilanthropy.org
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy: https://ncrp.org
Neighborhood Funders Group: https://nfg.org
Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity: https://racialequity.org
Women’s Funding Network: https://www.womensfundingnetwork.org
Fund the People Links:
Fund the People website: https://fundthepeople.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Fund the People Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/fund-the-people
Join the FTP Podcast Premium community over on Patreon for extended episodes, bonus content, and more: http://patreon.com/fundthepeople
Relevant FTP Podcast Episodes Links:
Level Up: Helping Funders Give More, Faster with Jodeen Olguin-Tayler, CHANGE Philanthropy (S10:E01 published 09/09/26) https://www.podpage.com/fund-the-people-a-podcast-with-rusty-stahl/level-up-helping-funders-give-more-faster-with-jodeen-olguin-tayler-change-philanthropy/
Meet the Moment: A Call to Action for Funders with Shaady Salehi, Trust-Based Philanthropy Project (S07:E17 published 04/02/25): https://fundthepeople.org/meet-the-moment/
MacArthur President Chooses Courage, Not Quiet with John Palfrey, MacArthur Foundation (S07:E27 published 06/11/25): https://fundthepeople.org/palfrey
Do Funders Understand the Nonprofit Burnout Crisis? with Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Center for Effective Philanthropy (S07:E01 published): https://fundthepeople.org/funders-understand
