Briefing No. 26
THE GREENWOOD PLACE ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021
Each year, we carry out a survey of our clients and our grantee partners and we publish the results. These survey results, together with case studies of our partners' work, form the heart of our Annual Report.
What we’re reading
On the Greenwood Place bedside table
‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer is an extraordinary book, bringing together the objectivity and rigour of science and the ancient wisdom of indigenous people. Her love for the complexity and interconnections of the natural world shines through on every page - as Wall Kimmerer says, “Alone is a word without meaning in the forest.”
PROXIMITY
After 15 months of isolation, we have been thinking a great deal about the central importance of relationship to good philanthropy. We were drawn back to Bryan Stevenson’s 2020 interview on the On Being podcast.
Stevenson believes that. ‘We cannot make progress in creating a more just society, healthier communities, if we allow ourselves to be disconnected from the people who are most vulnerable: from the poor, the neglected, the incarcerated, the condemned. If you’re trying to make policies in the criminal justice space but have never met someone who’s in a jail or prison, you haven’t been to a jail or prison, you’re going to fail.”
CLIMATE: A CLEAR-SIGHTED VIEW
Earth has warmed 1.09℃ since pre-industrial times and many changes such as sea-level rise and glacier melt are now virtually irreversible, according to the most sobering report yet by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Global surface temperature has warmed faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2,000 years.
And CO2 levels are rising faster than ever. About 85 percent of CO2 emissions are from burning fossil fuels. The remaining 15 percent are generated from land-use change, such as deforestation and degradation.
WE TRIED TO BE JOYFUL ENOUGH
As a child, Zarlasht Halaimzai, founder of the Refugee Trauma Initiative, fled Afghanistan with her family. When the family arrived in Britain, they thought they could begin a new life in safety, But the reality was very different.
LITTLE AMAL: A STORY OF A GIRL ON THE MOVE
Throughout history the movement of people has fuelled human progress, enriched culture and accelerated the acquisition of knowledge. The Walk is a celebration of migration and cultural diversity that tells the story of the contributions made by refugees and immigrants. It represents the refugee story as one of potential, success, respect, hospitality and kindness. Little Amal is a 3.5m tall puppet, making her way across Europe from Syria to Manchester right now. Join her this month at public events in Greece and Italy.
Upcoming Events
The Greenwood Place Community Learning Journey is in just a couple of weeks. We are excited to be spending time with many of our UK based community members - clients and grantees. If you’re joining us, thank you!
If you would like to talk to us about leaning in to support those impacted by current crisis, how to deal with the longer term social and economic fall-out of global pandemic, or the opportunities it presents to protect and restore our shared environment, please call us.
CAN WE HELP YOU?
Greenwood Place provides philanthropy support, advice and execution for a small group of strategic philanthropists. We take an entrepreneurial approach to tackling tough social and environmental problems. We work closely with our clients to find the places where they can make most difference, we support their learning and we partner with them to achieve real, lasting change.
The Greenwood is the place in Shakespeare's plays where characters go to grow, change and learn.