Philanthropy Stories & Updates
Magic Cabinet has a unique take on participatory grantmaking, inviting small cohorts of grantees to share flexible, capacity-building funds. Magic Cabinet’s leadership explains how it works in a report by Wendy Paris of Inside Philanthropy.
In this blog series, we’ll dive into each of the engagement phases described above our continuous learnings, and how Magic Cabinet works tirelessly to ensure and improve our process so that communities are the loudest voice in shaping their own future.
This report summarizes Magic Cabinet’s research and engagement in funding Solano County nonprofit organizations. In addition, we highlight opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for future philanthropic initiatives in Solano county as well as a framework for engagement for alike regions.
Magic Cabinet was founded as a learning organization. We did not want to make something for nonprofits – we wanted to build it with them. Together and over ten years, we experimented, with the aim to develop a new type of philanthropic partnership.
Just as the original magic cabinet sparked Ken's career of creation, he founded Magic Cabinet to be that same spark for others. So with a little bit of coin, and the help of everyone’s self-made do-hickey--let's work together to create a just and equitable world.
Stop asking your grantees if they’re making an impact on your mission. Instead, ask yourself how you can become a nonprofit partner, not their director.