Why are we running this project?
The Robert Bosch Stiftung is supporting Leap to advance power sharing and systems thinking within philanthropy in Europe. We are keen to support participatory practices in how decisions around grants are made and provide opportunities for our target groups to become more involved in these decisions. We are also supporting Leap in order for us to learn from this process ourselves and become better at providing funding to address inequalities.
How does the project work?
Leap facilitates and hosts the participatory development of so-called experiments to create models of processes that renegotiate power and move philanthropic funds towards systems change initiatives. Leap aims to gather funders and practitioners in collective sensemaking and strategic visioning on not only the “what” but the “how” of philanthropic systems. The collective holds safe spaces for funders and practitioners to meet on equal footing with mutual benefit for both sides and geared towards the redistribution of funds in order to restore balance and abolish extractive and oppressive systems.
Climate Justice Working Group
The Climate Justice Working Group was one of the first experiments Leap initiated, bringing together activists and funders in a participatory process to nurture climate justice work in Europe. A working group of 10+ activists and 2 funders was formed. Following initial discussions about the lack of clarity about what climate justice actually means and how it is embodied in practice, the working group mapped and consulted over 100 European climate justice grassroots initiatives. They developed a concept for a participatory regranting fund named Collective Abundance, which launched officially in October 2023.