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“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

By Mark Greer

The new administration is the latest threat in the rising tide of challenges to our collective pursuit of justice and equality. Hard-won programs that support racial equity, environmental stewardship, and inclusive hiring practices are under attack. Immigrants and asylum seekers face dehumanizing policies. Efforts to pull back from global climate commitments threaten our planet’s future, and social programs designed to offer marginalized communities a hand-up—not a handout—are being demonized. Philanthropy increased its commitments to equity in 2020 during the calls for justice post the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, but has since pulled back from those commitments, folding to political and social pressure.

In our work advising philanthropists, families, and foundations, we have witnessed firsthand what happens when people of means choose to align their wealth and influence with the pursuit of justice. As the Great Wealth Transfer unfolds—an estimated $84 trillion in assets changing hands over the coming decades, of which $12 trillion is expected to flow into charities—we are at a critical crossroads. Will these resources exacerbate inequality, or will they actively dismantle it?

Many of our clients have embraced the latter path, transforming their giving to be more justice-centered. They no longer view philanthropy as a simple act of benevolence but as a commitment to shared power—a way to elevate community leadership, invest in systemic change, and create tangible pathways for equity and opportunity. By refusing to be swayed by political or social pressure to scale back their efforts, they are seizing this historic moment to make philanthropy a force for justice, solidarity, and hope.

Why Justice-Centered Philanthropy Matters

It Fosters Deep Community Engagement
When high-net-wealth families work alongside grassroots organizations, local leaders, and everyday community members, philanthropy ceases to be a one-way transfer of funds. It becomes a partnership—one that amplifies community expertise, meets urgent needs, and fosters sustainable development. This collaboration leads to healthier, stronger communities where every person feels a stake in collective prosperity.
It Promotes Shared Power and Collective Action
Justice-centered donors don’t simply write checks; they share resources, decision-making power, and trust. This approach dismantles the traditional “top-down” philanthropic model, allowing communities to help shape funding strategies and solutions. By diversifying who sits at the table, high net-wealth changemakers can reach better, more inclusive outcomes that benefit everyone.
It Benefits All of Society
Equality and justice aren’t zero-sum propositions. When local economies thrive, education gaps close, and healthcare becomes accessible, the ripple effects bolster the entire social fabric. Businesses find stronger workforces, neighborhoods become safer, and civic participation flourishes. Justice-centered philanthropy is an investment in shared well-being, ensuring that the next generation inherits not only wealth but also a more just world.

A Collective Opportunity

With vast resources at their disposal, donors are positioned to be a catalyst for transformation. Justice-centered philanthropy isn't just about “doing good”—it’s about cultivating shared power and creating conditions where everyone can thrive. As more philanthropic dollars transfer into younger hands and new decision-makers, we have a singular opportunity to address long-standing inequities head-on.

Let’s commit, together, to bridge gaps—not widen them. Let’s choose solidarity over complacency. In doing so, we reinforce what history has shown time and time again: when you invest in justice, you invest in a future where everyone benefits.

Now is the moment to transform wealth into justice. May your leadership and generosity stand as a beacon that lights the way for others, ensuring that this pivotal wealth transfer champions not only financial growth but the growth of our shared humanity.

Practical Steps to Center Justice in Your Philanthropy

Listen and Learn

Engage with grassroots groups, community organizers, and local thought leaders.
Organize listening sessions or site visits to deepen your understanding of the issues you care about.

Align Resources with Values

Conduct a portfolio or grantmaking audit: Do your investments and grants genuinely reflect your equity commitment?
Integrate environmental, social, and governance standards or impact investing strategies where appropriate, ensuring your wealth builds justice rather than undercutting it.

Elevate Community Leadership

Invite community representatives to serve on advisory boards or grantmaking committees.
Develop multi-year funding strategies that give organizations the stability to innovate, scale, and collaborate over time.

Practice Solidarity, Not Charity

Move beyond one-time gifts. Provide unrestricted or flexible funding that enables frontline organizations to adapt and grow.
Amplify underrepresented voices in public forums, media campaigns, and policy conversations, using your influence to highlight critical issues.

Stay the Course Amid Pressure

Political tides shift. Resist calls to dilute your commitments or retreat from DEI, ESG, or equity-focused initiatives.
Remember Dr. King’s words: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” By holding firm in your dedication, you help bend that arc more swiftly toward equity for all.

Depending on the part of the country in which you live, it may not be obvious how central religious giving is to the philanthropic sector in the United States. Donors in parts of the country that are more religious, tend to give more, give more widely, and volunteer more. For example, Southern donors give roughly 5.2 percent of their discretionary income to charity—religious and secular—compared with donors in the Northeast, who give 4.0 percent. Churches, temples, mosques, and their non-profit supporting agencies deploy billions annually to aid people all around the world.

The value of generosity is a concept that has deep roots in many faiths. However, given that next month hosts the high holidays of the three Abrahamic faiths (Ramadan in Islam, Passover in Judaism, and Easter in Christianity), this blog post explores the role of giving in each of them.

For Muslims, giving is one of theFive Pillars of Islam. “Zakat” (meaning to grow in purity and is focused on charity or alms-giving) is an annual payment of 2.5 percent of one’s assets, considered by many as the minimum obligation of their religious giving. A majority of Muslims worldwide make their annual zakat payments as a central faith practice.

Above and beyond the required zakat, many Muslims make additional gifts (referred to broadly as “sadaqa”). Interestingly, the word shares the same root as the Jewish “tzedakah,” meaning justice. Muslim giving also focuses primarily on the poor. Of course, charitable giving is not just for the rich. For those with no money to give, the Prophet Muhammad considered even the simple act of smiling to be charity, a gift to another.

In Judaism, the Hebrew Scriptures refer to “tzedakah,” literally meaning justice. Tzedakah is considered a commandment and a moral obligation that all Jews should follow. The commitment to justice places a priority on their giving to help the poor. Beyond giving just time and money, rabbis even spoke of “gemilut chasadim,” literally meaning loving-kindness, or focusing on right relationship with one another as the prerogative of religious giving.

Even more broadly, an ancient Jewish phrase, “tikkun olam,” meaning to repair or heal the world, has been adopted by many religious and secular causes. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush all spoke to a vision of “tikkun olam” in their speeches.

Similarly, Christianity has considered giving a key religious practice. Many Christians still look to the Hebrew Bible and the tithe, which involves giving one-tenth of an individual’s income, as God’s commandment. In the New Testament, Jesus not only spoke of giving a tithe but challenged followers to give far beyond it.

For instance, in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus challenged the rich, young ruler to sell all his possessions. Pursuing those values, a long monastic tradition has seen men and women taking vows of poverty to give themselves to the work of their faith. Today, while the tithe might not be practiced by a majority of Christians, most understand the practice of giving as a central part of their faith, especially in December as a mark to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

When I think of my own background, I reflexively thought that our Catholic family didn’t have much connection to philanthropy. But upon reflection, I realize that we embodied the consistency, generosity, and intentionality that I counsel in my clients. I remember so clearly that moment every Sunday at Mass when the ushers would walk up and down the aisles with a basket at the end of a long pole that reached in front of every sitting congregant, quietly imploring them to make a deposit. Every week, my father’s jacket pocket contained an envelope, pre-filled out by the Parish, with a contribution inside that he dutifully added to the collection. My sister and I, anticipating this moment in the Mass, pestered our parents for loose change, or even sometimes a bill, to drop in when the basket passed in front of us. In that moment just after making my contribution, I felt grown-up, a part of something, and proud to be joining others in giving.

Those childhood feelings still inform how I give today, and I am not alone. Among Americans who give to any cause, 55 percent claim religious values as an important motivator for giving. The Discovery Process at Phila probes deeply into your values and how they inform your giving. And in this work, religion is not ignored. Regardless of the basis of your faith, most who grew up in a religious environment can speak to how the rituals, rules, and expectations have left their mark—for good or for ill. This exploration helps our clients reflect with intention and authenticity on what exactly informs the “why” of their giving.

Instead of simply giving as part of a routine, it is worthwhile to explore the role of faith and values in your philanthropy. Doing so can provide insight into, among other things, the type of organizations you might support, your expectations around impact, and how or if you decide to become more involved with their work. And it is worth remembering too that including your children in your giving ritual, no matter how simple, lays good seeds for a robust philanthropic future.

Having a greater understanding for and appreciation of the charitable mandate in so many faiths, we might see that we have more in common with each other than we might realize.

This post references statistics from The Chronicle of Philanthropy and uses descriptions of religions giving practices from The Conversation under the Creative Commons license.