Myths of Philanthropy #2: Presumed Expertise, with élysse marcellin & Tesmerelna Atsbeha

Send us Fan MailFor the second episode in our "Myths of Philanthropy" series, we are joined by élysse marcellin (Whose Knowledge?) and Tesmeralna Atsbeha (philanthropic strategist & advisor, formerly Wellspring Philanthropic Fund) to discuss presumed knowledge. Including:Why do we equate wealth with expertise across a broad range of domains, and why is this a mistake? Do we also make judgements about those who do not have money (i.e. that they have less knowledge or less capacity to absorb funding)?To what extent does the way in which a wealthy donor has made their money inform and shape their view about the role of philanthropy and how to practice it?How can donors approach their philanthropy with a suitable degree of humility?Are those who work in foundations also guilty of equating their position in relation to wealth with expertise in addressing issues? How can we get out of this mindset?Does this require understanding and re-evaluating our own attitudes to money?Does prioritisation of certain kinds of knowledge act as a barrier in philanthropy? How is this reflected in grant application processes, funding decisions etc?What role does language play in marginalising certain forms of knowledge (especially indigenous knowledge)?What does it look like for a philanthropic organisation to demonstrate that it genuinely values a wide range of different forms of knowledge?Further Resources: élysse's "Myths of Philanthropy" essay (with Cassie Denbow and Anasuya Sengupta), If You Know You Know: What If Philanthropy is Mistaking Wealth for Expertise?Tesmerelna's "Myths of Philanthropy essay", Reconsidering Our Relationship to Power: What If Philanthropy’s Greatest Resource Isn’t Financial but Relational Capital?Liberatory Archives and Memory, a project by Whose knowledge?WPM articles, "Three currencies that are more important than money for philanthropy" and "Language Barriers"