Introduction To Purpose Stories

At its best, what can philanthropy do that other sectors cannot? What different functions could foundations, especially community foundations, play? Hear from podcast guests as they make a case for experimentalism, civic action, democracy, transitional justice, and more.

Writing in Harvard Business Review, Valerie Keller defines purpose as “an aspirational reason for being which inspires and provides a call to action for an organization and its partners and stakeholders and provides benefit to local and global society.”

In Origin Stories, we explore the genesis of Western-style philanthropy, rooting its reason for being in a particular social and economic context -- that of agricultural surpluses in what is modern day Iraq.

In Money Stories, we look at the structure that history has handed down to us, and how that shapes purpose. We ask: what does the form institutional philanthropy has taken tell us about its function -- as a mechanism for redistributing wealth, for blunting the impact of wealth inequality, for blending altruism with self-interest, and/or for some other purposes?

In Purpose Stories we examine some of those other purposes, asking what it might look like to repurpose philanthropy towards alternative means & ends.

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  To explore the 'why,' 'what,' and 'for what' of repurposing
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  To make the link between purpose and the moral sphere
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  To consider how well the structure of philanthropy suits different purposes and get examples of how foundations have tweaked structure to close the gap
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  To prompt discussion around what sort of purposes are appropriate for different kinds of philanthropy
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  To understand how purpose is communicated

Understand what purpose is and what it is not, and how it can be transmitted.

What does the average community foundation have to say about purpose? Is it enough to determine what they stand for? And what are some other ways that philanthropic foundations have re-purposed themselves.

How do questions of purpose play out at the level of an institution or an individual organization? Let's have a look at two very different examples.

At its best, what can philanthropy do that other sectors cannot? What different functions could foundations play? Hear from guests as they make a case for experimentalism, civic action, mutuality, transitional justice, and more.

In the Purpose Stories podcast, you'll hear from:

PurposePhil worked with a team of emerging artists to interpret abstract concepts in each episode, producing cover art and a complementary piece.

When we consult different ways of looking at what wealth is, and how to share it, the notions of what we define as wealth begin to shift. The vase, which is usually perceived as a solid object, transforms into liquid, then steam, then travels back into the vase to begin its cycle anew.In this episode, I was drawn to how resources can be repurposed and thought about differently.Scott Burnham mentioned how water in Lima was repurposed to help residents, which struck me as profound symbolism - water is a fundamental need, a part of our bodies, and a resource. When we consult different ways of looking at what wealth is, and how to share it, the notions of what we define as wealth begin to shift. The vase, which is usually perceived as a solid object, transforms into liquid, then steam, then travels back into the vase to begin its cycle anew.

My home community is Nadleh Whut’en which translates to “the place where the salmon return”. Since time immemorial wealth and health for my community has looked like salmon. Every summer my people fish day and night to get enough food for the community. Once every member has enough salmon to last the winter, then we stop fishing. The wealth and health is seen from a community level, not an individual level. This is so ingrained in our culture that it is impossible for me to imagine someone from my community not sharing their catch. This is why I decided to depict two salmons to represent both health and wealth, and community and reciprocity.