By Steina Bjorgvinsdottir, Executive Director, Funder Safeguarding Collaborative

Philanthropy invests billions of dollars annually to address pressing social issues. However, the positive impact of these contributions can be undermined when organizations fail to prioritize the safety and well-being of the people they serve. Funders in the United States can address this risk by promoting safeguarding—proactive measures taken to prevent all forms of harm, abuse, and exploitation to all individuals who interact with funders and the organizations they support.

In well documented cases of international aid organizations operating in Haiti, weak safeguarding measures led to the sexual exploitation of the very people those groups exist to serve. Those cases sparked awareness among many funders of their role in incentivizing safety and their obligations when failures occur at grantee organizations.

The Funder Safeguarding Collaborative (FSC)—fiscally sponsored and co-founded by Global Fund for Children—works to create organizational practices and cultures in support of safeguarding. This article will highlight findings from a recent FSC report analyzing the challenges its U.S. members face in promoting safeguarding, opportunities, and promising practices.

 

Addressing power imbalances and structural inequities

A critical aspect of promoting safeguarding is acknowledging and addressing the power imbalances within the philanthropic sector as well as the structural inequities that often place marginalized populations at greater risk of harm.

In recent years, there has been increasing attention on the need for funders to shift power to grantees. Safeguarding must be part of this conversation, ensuring that vulnerable populations are not only protected from harm but also empowered to advocate for their own safety and well-being. Funders have a responsibility to ensure that their safeguarding measures do not replicate harmful systems, such as mandatory reporting requirements that disproportionately impact BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities.

 

Challenges in promoting safeguarding practices

The safeguarding landscape in the U.S. is complex, with inconsistent regulations and varying levels of understanding across states and sectors. Key challenges funders face in promoting safeguarding include:

1. Lack of clear communication around safeguarding: Many organizations equate safeguarding solely with mandatory child abuse reporting, missing the broader scope of responsibilities. Those responsibilities range from ensuring the safety and well-being of foundation and grantee staff working in difficult environments, protecting the privacy of grantees and program participants, and creating a culture of safeguarding within an organization to prevent harm from occurring in the first place.
2. Inconsistent legal and regulatory framework: While federal laws such as the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act provide guidelines for child protection, safeguarding practices for other vulnerable groups and in broader contexts are less defined. At the state level, regulations can vary significantly, creating further complexity for organizations operating across multiple jurisdictions.
3. Limited incentives for implementing measures: With little perceived benefit in prioritizing safeguarding and no clear incentives from funders or regulatory bodies, grantees may prioritize other programmatic outcomes, especially in a restrictive funding environment.
4. Capacity-building and resource gaps: Many organizations lack the resources or expertise to implement comprehensive safeguarding measures. Training staff and volunteers, developing policies, and establishing incident reporting systems all require significant investment, which is often not prioritized in funding allocations.

 

Opportunities for promoting safeguarding practices

Despite these challenges, there are numerous opportunities for funders to advance safeguarding by shaping the practices of grantee organizations. By embedding safeguarding into grant requirements, providing resources, and fostering a culture of safety, philanthropy can play a crucial role in preventing harm and ensuring that their work contributes to positive, sustainable change.

Here are three ways funders can proactively promote safeguarding:

1. Incentivize safeguarding through funding requirements: By providing additional funding, recognition, or capacity-building opportunities for nonprofits that demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding, funders can incentivize grantees to prioritize these efforts.
2. Build organizational capacity: Funders can support grantees by offering resources such as discounted background checks, safeguarding training, and technical assistance in developing policies and procedures to protect vulnerable populations effectively.
3. Promote best practices through knowledge sharing: Funders can facilitate knowledge sharing and peer learning so funders and grantees can learn from one another and collectively improve safeguarding practices.

Safeguarding is not a peripheral concern for philanthropy; it is central to ensuring that the work of funders and the organizations they support has a lasting, positive impact. By incentivizing safeguarding, building capacity, and fostering a culture of safety and transparency, funders can help create a safer, more equitable world.

 

First published in Candid. | February 19, 2025

Keeping people safe isn’t just a moral obligation—it’s a fundamental responsibility for organizations working with communities worldwide. But when it comes to philanthropy, how can funders play an active role in ensuring that safeguarding is embedded in their work? The Funder Safeguarding Collaborative (FSC) is on a mission to answer that question. In a recent LabStorm, we explored how FSC can better equip funders to promote safe, ethical, and accountable grant-making that prioritizes community well-being.

About the Funder Safeguarding Collaborative

Founded in 2021, the Funder Safeguarding Collaborative (FSC) was created by Comic Relief, Global Fund for Children, The National Lottery Community Fund, Oak Foundation, and Porticus to help grantmakers integrate safeguarding principles into their funding practices. Housed within the Global Fund for Children, FSC supports a growing global network of funders, including 22 U.S.-based foundations, in building a world where organizational cultures and practices actively prevent harm.

FSC defines safeguarding as the measures taken to prevent and respond to all forms of harm, abuse, and exploitation for anyone who interacts with a funder or grantee organization. However, in the U.S., “safeguarding” is not commonly understood, making it challenging for FSC to engage funders and nonprofits in adopting these critical practices.

The Challenge

FSC came to this LabStorm with a central question: How can U.S.-based funders be incentivized to embed safeguarding into their grant-making and operational strategies? Key challenges included:

• A lack of common understanding of safeguarding in the U.S. Many organizations equate safeguarding with risk management rather than a proactive commitment to preventing harm.
• Limited incentives for funders to prioritize safeguarding. Unlike in the UK, where regulatory frameworks drive compliance, U.S. funders lack clear external pressures to adopt safeguarding measures.
• Ensuring safeguarding efforts align with trust-based philanthropy. How can funders uphold safeguarding without it feeling imperialistic or overly bureaucratic for grantees?

Key Discussions

1. Reframing Safeguarding for a U.S. Context

One of the biggest barriers FSC faces is terminology. In the U.S., “safeguarding” is often misunderstood or associated with data protection or security measures. Participants explored alternative ways to frame safeguarding in ways that resonate with U.S.-based funders:

• “Keeping People Safe” was suggested as a more accessible phrase that plainly describes the purpose of safeguarding efforts.
• “Abuse Prevention” has been effective for some organizations in opening conversations about risk and accountability.
• “Psychological Safety” was highlighted as an entry point, as many organizations already have internal discussions about workplace well-being and harm prevention.

The group agreed that while safeguarding is a global concept, its language and framing must be adapted to encourage broader adoption in the U.S. philanthropic sector.

2. Creating Incentives for U.S. Funders and Grantees

Since safeguarding is not a formal requirement for U.S. funders, organizations need compelling reasons to prioritize it. The group explored three major incentive structures:

• Mission and Value Alignment: Positioning safeguarding as an integral part of impact-driven philanthropy can motivate funders to see it as a core component of ethical funding.
• Risk Management: Safeguarding can be framed as a proactive strategy to reduce legal and reputational risks, appealing to funders concerned with long-term sustainability.
• Operational Efficiency: Embedding safeguarding across DEI, HR, and operations teams can streamline policies, avoiding duplication and improving internal coordination.

3. Aligning Safeguarding with Trust-Based Philanthropy

One of the biggest concerns raised was whether funders introducing safeguarding requirements for their grantee partners could feel like a top-down, prescriptive process—which runs counter to trust-based philanthropy. Participants explored ways to balance accountability with grantee autonomy:

• Strengths-Based Approaches: Rather than imposing rigid safeguarding requirements and enforcing compliance, funders can work alongside grantees to elevate existing good practices that reflect community understandings of safety  and cultural contexts.
• Flexible Implementation: Some funders have successfully adopted a developmental approach, where organizations work toward safeguarding benchmarks over time rather than facing immediate compliance demands.
• Integrating Safeguarding into Learning Cohorts: Establishing peer networks where grantees can exchange ideas and co-design solutions makes safeguarding feel collaborative rather than enforced.

By shifting from compliance-driven safeguarding to a grantee-led, co-created model, funders can build mutual trust while still prioritizing safety and accountability.

Key Takeaways

1. Language matters. Adapting safeguarding terminology for a U.S. audience—such as using “Keeping People Safe” or “Abuse Prevention”—can improve understanding and buy-in.
2. Funders need clear incentives. Mission and value alignment, risk management, and operational efficiency can motivate funders to integrate safeguarding into their strategies.
3. Safeguarding must align with trust-based philanthropy. Funders should ensure they focus on existing good practice and local understandings of safeguarding to ensure safeguarding practices are practical, equitable, and culturally responsive.

Conclusion

This LabStorm with the Funder Safeguarding Collaborative underscored the critical role of funders in creating safer, more accountable philanthropic practices. By reframing safeguarding, building stronger incentives, and ensuring a co-creative approach, FSC is working to embed safety and well-being into the heart of philanthropy.

 

First published in Feedback Labs | March 24, 2025