The Academy
Almost fifteen years ago, we received a mandate from our international partners: to promote across philanthropy more transformative, culturally competent, human-rights-focused, and social-justice-based partnerships with Global South communities. So in 2014, we created the Thousand Currents Academy.
Our vision is for the Academy to serve as a launchpad for the growing network of graduates to work in creative, collaborative, and courageous ways to boldly trust, listen, and shift resources to Global South movements.
Since 2014, we have hosted 15 Academies in the US and Europe with 259 graduates, and have collectively influenced over $10 billion in resources.
Apply today and learn more about the May 2025 Academy.
What can you expect from the Academy?
The Academy is a 3-4 day in-person, experiential training for social change agents who want to mobilize support and resources for global grassroots movements. Participants will:
- Gain an analysis of the social, political, economic crises from a Global South perspective, and a deeper understanding of the interconnected challenges we face
- Reflect on personal assumptions and challenges in grantmaking, build sector-wide relationships, and create a set of concrete learning goals to apply a solidarity-based framework to funding practices
- Engage with grassroots leaders as faculty, learning directly from their experiences and insights
- Experience first-hand the pedagogies of Global South movements, with hands-on activities like small group work, journaling, creative collaboration, and grounding exercises
Who should attend?
Our target audiences include:
- Staff of foundations, grantmaking organizations, and donor networks
- Trustees and Board Members of grantmaking organizations
- Family philanthropists and Individual high-net-wealth donors, especially next generation
- Philanthropic and financial advisors
What’s unique about the Thousand Currents Academy?
- Led by and co-facilitated with grassroots movement leaders, our curriculum is rooted in Global South, Indigenous and radical Black feminist traditions and knowledge.
- We offer innovative learning modalities that embrace openness and experimentation.
- The Academy is built on a 40-year history of tried and trusted grantmaking practices.
- Our curriculum arc accompanies participants through learning, shifting practices, and influencing peers in the sector.
What People Are Saying
“One of the main reasons I chose to do this particular Academy is because it’s being run by Thousand Currents. Thousand Currents has a reputation for a track record of working with global movements and that they are deeply aligned with them. So I wanted to learn about their practice and their experiences of working with them.”
Jenny Oppenheimer, Fondation CHANEL
“It was very important for me to come to an Academy, a training like this one, where I could learn firsthand from people doing this important work in different parts of the world and learn directly from them what’s working, what’s not working, what do they need from funders.”
Adriana Garcia, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Learn more about our 2025 Academy “Building Solidarity with Global Movements.”
Still have questions? Email Crystal Des-Ogugua, Thousand Currents’ Donor Education Manager.
