Changing the world shouldn’t be a spreadsheet.
Real change lives in the messy, beautiful, relational work of networks and movements.
But this is often hard to see, hard to explain—and even harder to fund.
It's time we "unstuck" philanthropy.
We're still fixed in old paradigms:
-
Individual heroes
-
Linear solutions
-
Top-down strategies
-
Short-term outcomes
To truly transform philanthropic norms, we must change our approach.
What is the Philanthropy Playground?
A collective of 22 low-lift, high-impact games that shift how we think, talk, and act in philanthropy.
Leveraging the power of play, these games help us:
♠︎ Surface tough-to-address elephants in the room
♠︎ Discover how systems change really works
♠︎ Reshape funding culture, strategy, and practice
Organized by 8 essential themes for networks & systems change
Relationships
Trust as the infrastructure of change
Power
Seriously sharing agency
Listening
Exchanging knowledge, “hearing” the system
Narratives
Shifting the story
Collaboration
From alignment to action
Inclusion
Prioritizing accountability and belonging
Complexity
Finding patterns in the unpredictable
Wellbeing
Designing for care, healing, and joy
The Philanthropy Playground is For...
-
Curious funders ready to experiment with new practices
-
Funder networks hungry for deeper reflection
-
Facilitators & strategists seeking interactive methods to nudge us forward
-
Network leaders & movement builders who want to help funders feel the why behind relational work
Co-created by...
40+ philanthropic leaders, influencers, and activists
There is a scent in philanthropy that we need to change, but we often don’t know where to start.
Sandra Ortiz Diaz
Presencing Institute
Philanthropy Playground Co-Designer
How to Use The Games
