The Future of Philanthropy Lies in Narrative Power

Still above from PhillyCAM’s Telling Our Stories Panel & Exhibit” photo credit: PhillyCAM

A crisis can be an opportunity for growth. Tropicália, a significant art movement of the 20th century, emerged during a period of intense repression and brutality in the history of one country.  

The Tropicália Movement arose from the Brazilian Left’s struggles against the oppressive CIA-backed military regime from 1964 to 1985. The dictatorship suppressed freedom of speech across all sectors of society, from education to art. Artists, educators, and everyone in between faced harassment, imprisonment, or death for creating anti-regime works. To evade severe consequences, many resorted to self-censorship and found subtle ways to voice their dissent. Despite the repression, this era led to the production of significant works of film, literature, and music as Brazilians took to various creative forms to resist the violent political regime and seize opportunities for artistic and intellectual expression amidst the crisis.

Fast forward to 2025 in the United States, where civil society faces threats from the Trump administration. It’s easy to believe that a situation like 1960s Brazil could never happen here, but the past five years of national and global events remind us to expect the unexpected. Like many other institutions that feel pressured to comply with the administration, the philanthropic sector is at a critical crossroads. 

Foundations now have a choice: they can either voluntarily give up their power before being compelled to do so, or they can take this crisis as an opportunity to grow and expand their impact. In my role leading communications at Independence Public Media Foundation, which funds community-owned and -led media and internet projects in the Greater Philadelphia region, I see every day the power of storytelling in shaping narratives.

To be a strong and effective force for good during this sociopolitically volatile time, philanthropic organizations must continue to provide essential grant funding and engage in narrative shift strategies to uplift the stories and experiences of their grantees and the communities they serve.

How Philanthropy Can Lead Amid Threats to Civil Society

The Tropicália Movement thrived during the Brazilian dictatorship because it required artists to reimagine their work during severe censorship. As time went on, artists found ways to subtly counter the dictatorship’s narratives, which uplifted racist and classist views of economic progress and social mobility while normalizing repression and hiding government-sanctioned violence. The Tropicália Movement utilized art to subtly critique the regime and share narratives that empowered the people’s political agency.

Photo: Evandro Teixeira/Instituto Moreira Salles Collection

One notable work of the Tropicália movement was a photograph titled “Queda de um motociclista da FAB,” (FAB Motorcyclist fall, 1965) by Evandro Teixeira. Looking at this image in 2025, we see a man wearing a uniform captured in the middle of a fall to the ground with a motorcycle right behind him. However, for Brazilians 60 years ago, this image held a powerful meaning. The image of the Brazilian Air Force motorcyclist falling into the ground during a street protest demonstrated the foolishness and inherent weaknesses of the armed forces that backed the dictatorship, a reminder that this dictatorship wasn’t insurmountable.

Presently, in the U.S., we’re seeing and living through the consequences of creating single, dangerous narratives about people, institutions, initiatives, and movements. In philanthropy, supporting narrative shift has not traditionally been a charitable endeavor. Yet, every issue philanthropy supports is impacted—for better or for worse—by narratives that are being created and shared in the world, narratives around who is safe and “normal” versus who is threatening and out of control. These narratives have direct consequences for how groups of people are seen and treated at a personal, institutional, and policy level. 

The philanthropic sector must rein in our panic and reactiveness in light of the harmful narratives propagated by the current administration about the communities and causes we support. In the meantime, we can take our cues from the Tropicália Movement and develop effective counter-narrative strategies that are conveyed in clever and creative ways. One of a foundation’s key roles is to share meaningful information about its grantees’ work to help elevate the experiences and stories of communities that are under attack and facing threats of silence. By doing so, we help cultivate courage, belonging, and collective action within the nonprofit sector, making a positive impact on our communities. 

Leveraging Foundation Communications to Boldly Address Anti-DEI Narratives

A clear example of a harmful narrative disrupting our communities is the administration’s attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The narratives frame DEI as granting some people unfair advantages while erasing the well-documented structural disadvantages these communities face across sectors. As a result, DEI initiatives designed to address structural racism and inequity in workplaces, schools, and other areas are under attack. Many organizations, including foundations, are scaling back messaging and funding or staying silent instead of affirming the importance of equity for Black, Brown, disabled, working-class people, women, and others. The administration’s anti-DEI narrative seeks to politicize and weaponize these essential initiatives, which not only support marginalized communities but also create a society where everyone can thrive.

How can funders combat negative narratives that harm our society? One approach is through strategic storytelling that uplifts the importance of equity, inclusivity, and diversity of thought and experience for creating thriving and healthy communities. While narrative shift goes beyond foundation storytelling, funders can begin by developing a proactive narrative strategy rooted in their values and consistent in its commitment to marginalized communities, even when external pressures may tempt them to soften their language.

A Still from IPMF’s Short Documentary “G-Town Radio: for the Community, by the Community”

This approach can involve short written pieces, visual content, or audio storytelling that amplifies a grantee’s work. It also includes asset-framed stories about the communities our grantees serve or visuals that showcase the significant impact our grantees have within those communities. Engaging in intentional storytelling that uplifts our communities’ experiences helps illustrate why the issues we support, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, are essential for a thriving society.

What does this look like in practice? Here are a couple of examples of funders using captivating storytelling to uplift and transform narratives about the communities they support:

• The Mellon Foundation produces beautiful, online “magazine-style” stories on its website about its grantees. They categorize these stories under themes such as “Public Places, Public Stories,” and “Evolving Higher Education.” One piece highlights the “Mississippi Heritage Trust,” a Mellon grantee, which tells the rich history of a civil rights organizing headquarters turned museum. This human-interest story is compelling for any audience, particularly the general public, and elevates the history and experiences of the Black community in Mississippi. Additionally, I recommend the rich visual storytelling of grantee work displayed on the Mellon Foundation’s Instagram and their community-centered storytelling series titled “Can You Hear Me?” where everyday individuals share their thoughts on creativity, connection, and the roles that arts and humanities play in their daily lives.

• The Independence Public Media Foundation produces storytelling that highlights the efforts of our grantees to educate, inspire, and motivate action in our communities. Our storytelling is always guided by our core values: courage, equity, joy, belonging, and justice. One article illustrates how 2Puntos Platform— a hyperlocal newsroom—collaborates with community members to bring attention to issues affecting the Latinx community while also providing valuable resources to address those issues. We include these resources in our storytelling to promote ongoing discovery and engagement with the work of our grantees. Additionally, we’ve created short documentaries showcasing the resilience of everyday Philadelphians through stories of community members who engage with our grantee partners. One video focuses on G-Town Radio, a community radio station in Germantown. It features the station’s hosts engaging with community members who share about their contributions to Germantown (such as access to food, voter registration, etc).

During this period, foundations should not fade into the background; instead, they should actively collaborate with their grantee partners to amplify their stories and the experiences of the communities they support. These values-aligned stories should also be included in a long-term narrative strategy to counter harmful narratives that aim to erase and vilify the communities we serve. Visibility matters, and that’s why funders must amplify the stories and experiences of the communities they support.

The philanthropic sector has historically operated within a privileged “comfort zone,” which is now being challenged by the Trump administration. We are fortunate not to be living under the same conditions faced by most Brazilians during the 1960s to the 1980s. But we can draw inspiration from their resilience, as well as from the communities we support that have endured centuries of oppression, and use this crisis as an opportunity to grow more into our love for humanity by resisting the temptation to withdraw in fear and demonstrating that we are on the side of truth and justice.