What is it?


Flow Funding infuses trust, discovery and adventure into the funding process. It can be an innovative form of philanthropy which encourages money to flow spontaneously through the hands of new funders.

Through Flow Funding, the number of philanthropists increase in the world by empowering social innovators, healers and visionaries to give away money. The concept of Flow Funding stemmed from a quest to democratize philanthropy and explore innovative ways to give away money.

Learn about the history and process of Flow Funding:

The purpose of this web site is to celebrate past Flow Funders, educate new Flow Funders about the history and outreach of Flow Funding and inspire traditional funders to find new ways to extend generosity that feels free, imaginative, healing, and effective.

 

How Does Flow Funding Work?


Donors become Flow Fund Initiators and entrust their money to social visionaries called Flow Funders.

No one can apply to be a Flow Funder, rather they are chosen because of their visionary and healing gifts, their professional and life experiences, and their generosity of spirit. Usually new Flow Funders have never been philanthropists.


A Flow Fund Initiator chooses flow funders to give away money because they:

  • want their money to reach people and projects they could never find on their own.
  • prefer their money to flow to people who are outside the normal structures of proposal-based grantmaking.
  • know that social innovators, visionaries and grassroots activists can recognize situations where a financial gift could have a transformative effect on people’s lives.
  • choose to give money within a framework of gift-giving, rather than proposals and evaluations.
  • believe in a more democratic form of philanthropy in which not only wealthy people have the power to decide how money is distributed.
  • hope to experience community rather than isolation in their philanthropic work.


Once a Flow Funder has been chosen, they then disperse funds of their own initiative. The gift moves spontaneously as needs and opportunities arise. There is no application process, so no one is approached for money.
 
Flow Funding allows spontaneity and intuition in the process of philanthropy, which in turn nurtures the intention to be of service, a sense of adventure, and generosity.    

Once a group of Flow Funders has been created and organized with its own name, purpose and guidelines, they report back to each other, as well as to the Flow Fund Initiator, and meet occasionally to learn from each others’ experience.

Some examples of Flow Funding Groups are: The Flow Fund Circle, Beyond Boundaries, The Tipping Point Network, and The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers Flow Fund.

 

Five Reasons to Consider Flow Funding:

  • Join the growing movement to democratize philanthropy and share gifting funds with new funders
     
  • Broaden and diversify areas of focus and see funds reach people and projects that could never have been found without the new perspectives of Flow Funders

  • Increase grass roots funding grants and capillary philanthropy

  • Take a sabbatical from proposal-based philanthropy

  • Be part of a learning community where the process of being a philanthropist is valued as much as the projects funded

 

Next > Why do it?