GEL allowed us to build a strong foundation centered on relationships, which will set us up for success as we move forward in our organizing efforts. I appreciated the space to learn, share, and have fun without sacrificing any of the program’s core elements. I enjoyed listening to the various practices and approaches, as it gave me a lot to consider and bring back to my work.
Global Engagement Lab (GEL)
Global Engagement Lab’s 6th Cohort!
Organizing Within Philanthropy for Systemic Change
September 2026 – June 2027
There is a growing tension inside philanthropy. Many of us speak about justice, systems change, and solidarity, yet when conversations turn to power, capital, and risk, the ground becomes less steady. We sense the limits of traditional grantmaking, but changing institutional practice feels complex, political, and often personal. GEL 6 is for funders who recognize that tension and want to work through it collectively.
The Global Engagement Lab 6 is a nine month learning journey for progressive funders and grantmakers who want to move beyond values alignment and toward organized, strategic action. This is not a technical training on improving grant processes. It is a space to examine philanthropy itself as a site of power and to explore what it would mean to organize from within it.
GEL is grounded in a commitment to transforming philanthropy by divesting from extractive systems, redistributing resources more justly, and aligning more closely with social justice movement priorities.
Specifically, GEL 6 aims to:
- Support funders to reimagine their role as active agents of change within philanthropy, capable of organizing internally and collectively to shift institutional and sectoral practices.
- Build the knowledge, skills, and political clarity needed to engage with power, capital, and narrative as central terrains of systems change.
- Strengthen participants’ ability to apply organizing principles at the personal, organizational, and systemic levels.
- Move beyond technical grantmaking reflections toward sustained, strategic practices that align values to action and support Movement sovereignty and redistribution of wealth.
GEL 6 takes place at a time of significant shifts within philanthropy, including funding cuts, institutional restructuring, and growing questions about the role of philanthropy in systems of power. The program is designed to support participants in navigating this moment with clarity, strategy, and support.
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What does “organizing within philanthropy for systemic change” mean?
GEL is grounded in EDGE’s clear political orientation. EDGE Funders Alliance supports the broader global movement to dismantle extractive funding systems and align resources with the priorities and visions of social movements to drive systemic change and justice.
This reflects a long-term vision: a future beyond philanthropy. A future where the existence of philanthropy, as it stands today, is no longer necessary because systems of injustice and extraction have been transformed, and resources are in the hands of movements themselves. This includes moving toward greater movement sovereignty, where communities have the power and resources to sustain their work without dependence on traditional funding structures.
This vision is intentionally ambitious and long-term. It cannot be achieved within the scope of a 9-month program.GEL 6 holds this broader direction while focusing on what is possible within a shorter timeframe. It thinks through necessary short-term reform that can allow for revolutionary transformation. The program is designed as a space where participants translate this vision into organizing strategies within their own institutions and roles.
The cohort serves as a space for shared learning, mutual support, and exchange. Participants learn from one another’s experiences, challenges, and approaches, and may find opportunities for alignment, but this is not prescribed.
In this way, GEL sits between immediate action and long-term systemic change. It is a space for practice and experimentation, where participants begin to operationalize strategies that contribute, in concrete ways, to a broader, bold revolutionary vision.
Who is this for?
GEL 6 is intended for funders and grantmakers who already recognize the limits of traditional philanthropy and have some room to influence their institutions. It is for those willing to engage deeply with peers, grapple honestly with power, and experiment with new forms of collective action inside their organizations and ideally the sector.
This is not an introductory philanthropy course. It is a learning space for practitioners ready to treat philanthropy as political and who already have some ideas of shifts they hope to see in their institutions.
If you want to explore how to build power, expand your toolkit of organizing tactics, think honestly of your own and your organizations’ successes and failure in grantmaking, be grounded in bigger systemic change visions and build community with others on similar journeys, we invite you to apply!
Apply by May 4th. If you need more time, let us know.
What You Will Explore
GEL 6 is designed as a cohort journey grounded in four interconnected areas of inquiry.
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Personal Thresholds and Political Clarity
We begin with the individual, not for introspection alone, but because institutional change is shaped by personal thresholds. Participants reflect on their relationship to power, their motivations, and the tensions they navigate within their institutions, considering what they are willing to risk, what feels non-negotiable, and how comfort, fear, or loyalty influence decision-making. This reflection is grounded in political context and connected to practice.In this way, the personal becomes a site of clarity and action, strengthening participants’ ability to navigate complexity and organize within their institutions.
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Funder Organizing
Rather than seeing ourselves only as supporters of movements, we explore what it means to act as organizers within philanthropy. Participants engage organizing principles such as base building, shared analysis, collective strategy, and long term power building, and consider how these practices might be applied inside foundations and across networks. Participants will listen and learn from invited speakers as well as their peers. They will get to experiment with how to apply new tools and tactics to their own work.
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Systems Change, Capital and Narrative
GEL 6 will examine money and narrative as terrains of struggle, drawing from movement campaigns and strategies to better understand how capital can be organized, not simply distributed. Participants will touch on divestment strategies as an organizing approach to align values with practice. Participants will explore what is possible within their individual institutions and spend time thinking of the short, medium and long term.
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Time, Discipline and Resilience
This program will not romanticize organizing or claim that within 9-months participants will come out with a sector-wide campaign that will topple the section…we are much humbler than that!
Participants will be invited to reflect on endurance and the ebbs and flows of organizing. There will be room to reflect on long term strategy, institutional memory, leadership development, and collective care; recognizing that transformation requires discipline over time.
Over the course of the program, participants will:
- Clarify and deepen their understanding of a key challenge within their institution
- Develop strategies to shift practices, policies, or resource flows
- Test ideas and approaches within their organizational context
- Learn from peers navigating similar tensions across different geographies and institutions
- Build relationships that extend beyond the duration of the program
Some thematics the curriculum will delve into will include: philanthropic history & harm, what Movements have been asking philanthropy to do for decades, understanding “systemic change philanthropy”, divestment & the redistribution of wealth, organizing tools and strategies, case studies of funders who walked the talk and stories/visioning of what a future beyond philanthropy & with Movement sovereignty can look like.
This is not an exhaustive list & applications will help shape the program.
Pedagogical approach
GEL 6 is built on the understanding that personal, collective, and systemic transformation are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. Throughout the program, participants engage with three lenses, the personal, the institutional, and the sectoral, and explore how each shapes both their practice and the change they seek to advance.
GEL is not designed as an abstract learning space. Participants are expected to enter the program with a concrete challenge or tension they are navigating within their institution. The program supports participants in making sense of these challenges, situating them within broader systems of power, and developing strategies to act on them.
Reflective practice is embedded throughout the experience. Participants are invited to examine their own assumptions, limitations, and relationship to power, while also building meaningful relationships within the cohort. The aim is not only connection, but trust, a space where participants can think together, test ideas, and navigate challenges collectively over time. The in-person retreats play a central role in building this depth.
The curriculum is responsive to the needs of the cohort and grounded in the current realities of the sector. Workshops and retreat sessions are shaped by participants’ contexts, the obstacles they face, and the questions they bring. Participants are encouraged to engage with honesty and openness, and to grapple with both the personal and political dimensions of their work.
GEL functions as both a supportive and rigorous (& also fun!) learning environment, and as an organizing formation. Participants are expected to engage deeply, share experiences, and learn from one another as well as from movement practitioners. Throughout the program, participants are supported to develop and test strategies within their own institutions.
We see this process of collective inquiry as central to developing the clarity, discipline, and solidarity required to do the hard work of organizing within philanthropy and the slow work of systemic change.
In Relationship With Others
GEL exists within a broader ecosystem of funder organizing and political education spaces. We are not alone in this work, and we do not see it as a marketplace of competition. There are programs such as the Justice Funders Funder Organizing Institute and the Thousand Currents Academy that also support funders in deepening political alignment and accountability to movements. We respect and learn from these efforts.
Rather than competing, we see these spaces as complementary. Participants often benefit from engaging in more than one political education space over the course of their careers. We encourage funders to find the space that resonates most with their context and readiness.
What makes GEL 6 distinct
GEL 6 offers a politically grounded learning space that treats philanthropy as a critical site of organizing. It holds aspirations with realities, hope with grief, personal with collective and urgency with care.
At the very least, participants leave with:
- Greater clarity about their personal leverage and limits
- Practical insights into applying organizing principles within their philanthropic institutions
- Exposure to movement strategies rarely discussed in funder spaces
- A shared analytical framework with allies also interested in sector-wide influence
GEL 6 is designed for funders who understand that changing systems requires more than funding good work. It requires a level of allyship and solidarity where grantmakers see themselves as part of the movement and are willing to take risks, cede power, and use their privilege to support systems that are community-led, equitable, and rooted in long-term care rather than extraction.
General Structure
- In person retreat I: Will be held in September in Mexico. The final date will be based on the cohort’s availability.
- Workshops online: On selected topics relevant to the participants
- Monthly cohort check ins: For community building, and space for cohorts to ideate, share experiences, learnings&challenges
- In person retreat II: Will be held in 2027 (exact time and location TBC)
Please note that some activities might not be listed and might be added later, this is a general overview of key areas of work and roughly when they will be. Details may vary when work starts and can be shaped by participants.
| 2026 | |
|---|---|
| June | Welcome: GEL onboarding |
| July | Virtual check-ins to get to know the cohort and facilitators |
| August | Contributions to the first retreat’s agenda |
| September | First retreat in Mexico |
| October | Virtual Workshop |
| November | End of Year virtual check-in / group work / workshop |
| 2027 | |
| January | Virtual Workshop |
| February | Virtual Workshop |
| March | Virtual Workshop |
| April | Contributions to the second retreat’s agenda |
| May | Retreat 2 in either Morocco, Senegal or Kenya | EDGE Conference |
| June | Closing group reflections and next steps for the cohort engagement through EDGE |
Virtual meetings will be scheduled at 2pm UTC
PROGRAM FEES
Fees are discounted for EDGE members. If you would like to explore membership, reach out!
EDGE Members Rates:
- Solidarity Discounted Rate: $3,500 – This is for EDGE members with an annual budget of under US$1 million
- Full Cost: $5,000 – This is for EDGE members with an annual budget above US$1-2 million.
- Redistribution Rate: $6,500 – This is for EDGE members with an annual budget above US$2 million
Non-members Rates:
- Solidarity Discounted Rate: $4,000 – This is for organizations with an annual budget of under US$1 million
- Full Cost: $5,500 – This is for organizations with an annual budget above US$1-2 million.
- Redistribution Rate: $7,000– This is for organizations with an annual budget above US$2 million
Fees cover all expenses excluding flights.
Lead Facilitators
The program will be facilitated by Bridget Brehen and Hana ElSafoury, and will feature guest speakers from a range of global movements and philanthropic organizations. Additional speakers will be announced soon.
FAQ
GEL 6 is grounded in EDGE Funders Alliance’s broader mission to support movements working to dismantle extractive funding systems and align resources with their priorities.
This work is guided by a long-term vision of a future beyond philanthropy, where resources are no longer controlled by philanthropic institutions but are held and directed by movements themselves. While this vision is ambitious and long-term, GEL 6 focuses on what can be done within a shorter timeframe.
The program supports participants to take concrete steps within their institutions, including shifting grantmaking practices, redistributing resources, and challenging extractive norms. These changes may be incremental, but are understood as part of a broader process of transformation, where short-term reform contributes to longer-term systemic change.
GEL 6 serves as both an entry point and an organizing formation within EDGE. It supports participants to begin practicing organizing within philanthropy by developing and testing strategies to shift power, resources, and decision-making in their own contexts.
The program does not aim to produce a single collective outcome. Instead, it centers individual and institutional change, while the cohort provides a space for shared learning, support, and exchange.
In this way, GEL 6 connects immediate, practical action with a broader, long-term effort to transform philanthropy and ultimately move beyond it.
In GEL 6, personal transformation is not about self-improvement in isolation. It is about understanding how participants’ experiences, values, and positions within systems of power shape how they make decisions and act within their institutions.
Participants reflect on their relationship to power, what they are willing to risk or change, and the tensions they navigate in their work. This reflection is grounded in political context and directly connected to practice.
GEL 6 also recognizes the realities of burnout and pressure in the sector. Rather than separating care from the work, the program emphasizes practical forms of sustenance, including small, everyday practices of “micro-nourishment” that support continued engagement.
The goal is to strengthen clarity, alignment, and the ability to take action, making the personal a starting point for institutional and systemic change.
“I now have a new family — peers but also friends, who care about changing the system and understand how to support each other in doing it.” – GEL Participant
- A community! GEL graduates considently share that the community aspect of this program is what helps them to push their own edges as funder organizations both within their organizations and in the field.
- Participation in two in-person retreats and virtual group work with a cohort of deeply engaged funder organizers, social movement partners and facilitators from around the world.
- Opportunities to shape the future of systemic change philanthropy by curating content that will be widely disseminated to the field of philanthropy.
- An invaluable inside exploration of organizing tactics, mentored by movement leaders and a community of like-minded colleagues to help you put your learnings into practice.
- An opportunity to help inform EDGE’s strategies and programs, so we can better organize our wider philanthropic community.
“I’ve gained confidence, camaraderie, frameworks, resources, and support, which have already shifted my approach to my work, and have helped me open up really important conversations within my institution.” – GEL Participant
- GEL focuses both on theoretical frames and concrete examples of systemic alternatives from around the world, combining intellectual/academic, political/historical and cultural/personal education with practical skills building.
- It facilitates “deep dives” into Movement on the ground while experimenting with funding methods that meet the challenges of supporting systemic change.
- The GEL’s curriculum places emphasis on three tiers of transformation: personal, organizational, and field-wide transformations that are needed to enact a philanthropy for systemic change.
Two In-person Retreats
- Opening Retreat
- Closing Retreat
Virtual gatherings
- Monthly Check-ins
- Deep-dives with GEL advisor(s) and EDGE team
- Readings and resources
- Peer-to-peer support
Times for virtual meetings are usually at 2pm UTC.
Outside of the retreats cohort participants can expect to spend between 2-4 hours a month engaging with GEL programming.
Fees are discounted for EDGE members. If you would like to explore membership, reach out!
MEMBERS Solidarity Discounted Rate: $3,500 – This is for EDGE members with an annual budget of under US$1 million MEMBERS Full Cost: $5,000 – This is for EDGE members with an annual budget above US$1-2 million. MEMBERS Redistribution Rate: $6,500 – This is for EDGE members with an annual budget above US$2 million
NON-MEMBERS Solidarity Discounted Rate: $4,000 – This is for organizations with an annual budget of under US$1 million NON-MEMBERS Full Cost: $5,500 – This is for organizations with an annual budget above US$1-2 million. NON-MEMBERS Redistribution Rate: $7,000– This is for organizations with an annual budget above US$2 million
Fees cover all expenses excluding flights.
- Participants enter GEL6 with a concrete challenge or tension within their institution. Early in the program, they are supported to name and situate this challenge within broader systems of power.
- As the program progresses, they develop strategies to address it, drawing on organizing frameworks, peer learning, and movement insights.
- Over time, participants begin to test and refine these approaches within their institutions.
- By the end of the program, participants leave with greater clarity, a stronger sense of their role, and concrete shifts underway in their context.
Do you have any questions about the Global Engagement Lab? Feel free to reach out to Hana ElSafoury
Previous Participants
Previous GEL participants represented a wide range of philanthropic organizations including:
- Acento
- Amazon Watch
- American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
- Ariel Brooks Consulting
- Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
- Biodiversity Funders
- Black Harvest
- Black Led Movement Fund/Borealis Philanthropy
- Borealis Philanthropy
- Bosch Stiftung
- Brazil Fund for Human Rights (Fundo Brasil)
- CarEth Foundation
- CivSource Africa
- Clima Solutions
- Concordia University
- Consultant
- Cotyledon Fund
- CS Fund
- Dance Undercurrent
- Erneuerbare Freiheit
- European Cultural Foundation
- FemFund Poland
- Fenomenal Funds
- Fondation Terre Solidaire
- Ford Foundation
- Foundation for a Just Society (FJS)
- FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund
- Fund for Global Human Rights
- Fundacion Solon.
- Funder Learning and Action Co-Laboratory on Gender, Environment, and Climate Justice
- Fundo Brasil
- Fundo Casa
- Fundo Direitos Humanos
- GIFE
- Global Greengrants Fund
- Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
- Grassroots International
- Guerrilla Foundation
- Headwaters Foundation
- Hiland Capital
- Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP)
- Kindle Project
- Kresge Foundation
- Lankelly Chase Foundation
- Mama Cash
- Mellon Foundation
- Mott Philanthropic
- Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)
- Neo Philanthropy
- Newman’s Own Foundation
- Open Society Foundations
- Pacific Environment
- Peace and Security Funders Group
- People’s Support Froundation
- Philó Práticas Philantropicas + Movement for a Culture of Giving (Brazil)
- Prospera INWF
- Proteus Fund
- Prototype Fund/Open Knowledge Foundation Germany
- RAWA
- RIPESS
- Robert Bosch Stiftung
- Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF)
- SAGE Fund
- SDM Netherlands
- Sivil Toplum Destek
- Social Venture Partners International
- Steelworkers Humanity Fund (USW Canada)
- Thousand Currents
- True Costs Initiative
- Trust Africa
- Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
- University of London
- Voqal
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- WeGrand
- WhyHunger
- Women’s Fund Georgia
- WP Fund
- Young Feminist Fund