Updated January 2018
An eighth principle was added to this document in January 2018: "Ensure the personal safety, dignity, and equality of all people". Read more about this addition...
Where is the line between strong philanthropic leadership & abusing power? What are funders’ responsibilities for ensuring civility & communal cohesion?
Recent years have witnessed a degradation of public discourse in the Jewish world. Actions taken by funders, even with the best of intentions, sometimes exacerbate fractures in the community. Seeing this increasing polarization and incivility, a diverse group of Jewish funders came together under the auspices of Jewish Funders Network to discuss how Jewish funders can align Jewish philanthropy to Jewish values in the service of a vibrant and respectful Jewish community. The principles below are the fruits of those deliberations. Initially prompted by concerns of civility in discourse, the guidelines also extend to issues of honorable conduct more broadly.
These principles are intended to spark reflection, conversation, and policy change among Jewish funders. Outlining broad standards of conduct, they can help funders frame the right questions to ask themselves and their fellow funders as they navigate complicated questions about power and ethics in relating to grantees and to their wider communities. Ultimately, we hope these principles will empower Jewish funders to inaugurate a new era of good citizenship in Jewish philanthropy.
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