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Decolonizing Wealth: How To Fix Philanthropy

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,
Amanda Magnus
Published November 27, 2018 at 12:27 PM EST
Cover of the book, Decolonizing Wealth, by Edgar Vilanueva
Courtesy of Edgar Vilanueva
Cover of the book, Decolonizing Wealth, by Edgar Vilanueva

Today marks ‘Giving Tuesday,’ a day that encourages Americans to stop the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping and instead donate money or time to their community. But where exactly does this money go? And does philanthropy mostly serve the wealthy and the white? Author and grant investment director Edgar Villanueva argues that many philanthropic foundations or corporate giving programs may do more harm than good.

 Host Frank Stasio speaks with author and grant investment director Edgar Villanueva about his new book "Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance."

Villanueva worked for years as a philanthropist for the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and the Marguerite Casey Foundation. Those experiences gave him a front-row seat to the old-boy networks, the savior complexes, and the internalized oppression in the industry.

In his book “Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom To Heal Divides and Restore Balance” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers/2018), Villanueva demonstrates how philanthropic efforts reinforce institutional racism. He joins host Frank Stasio to break down what is wrong with giving today and what can be done to fix it. 

Copyright 2018 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Amanda Magnus
Amanda Magnus grew up in Maryland and went to high school in Baltimore. She became interested in radio after an elective course in the NYU journalism department. She got her start at Sirius XM Satellite Radio, but she knew public radio was for her when she interned at WNYC. She later moved to Madison, where she worked at Wisconsin Public Radio for six years. In her time there, she helped create an afternoon drive news magazine show, called Central Time. She also produced several series, including one on Native American life in Wisconsin. She spends her free time running, hiking, and roller skating. She also loves scary movies.
See stories by Amanda Magnus