For staff at Liberation Ecosystems, participation in the Grassroots Fund’s Food Systems Resilience Shared Gifting Cohort was more than a grant cycle—it was a laboratory for reimagining philanthropy and building community.
The Shared Gifting Cohort is a grantmaking model in which participants collaboratively share and distribute funding while building relationships, learning from one another, and fostering equity-centered decision-making. This model emphasizes shared learning and solidarity rather than competition or traditional top-down grantmaking. Liberation Ecosystems has been a part of The Grassroots Fund’s pilot of the shared gifting model over the last three years. Liberation Ecosystems is a non-profit with a level hierarchy, and staff Samantha Langevin and Jennifer Morton were their representatives in the FSRF cohort. We had an opportunity to connect with Samantha to learn more about her cohort experience.
One of Samantha’s biggest takeaways was learning how funders in the region are re-imagining community-led philanthropy. “It has been enormously helpful to see how foundations like Grassroots Fund, with resources and connections, are working to support new models for resourcing grassroots organizations in collaborative and relational ways,” she reflected. These lessons have already extended beyond the cohort—Samantha has advised other funders considering similar models, pointing to this experience as proof of what’s possible.
Equally transformative was the regional group within the cohort. Their local meet-up, like their group gathering at the Kearsarge Food Hub, deepened bonds and revealed opportunities for collaboration across various approaches to food justice. “One of the most satisfying parts of the last year has been our smaller regional group. It feels like we can really help each other,” she said.
The cohort’s funding structure also stood out. The base grants—ample, flexible, and accompanied by simple reporting—made it possible for Liberation Ecosystems to fully participate. “A $15,000 base grant makes it possible for your organization to commit and to show up,” Samantha emphasized. Combined with end-of-year participatory grants, the support became a meaningful part of her organization’s budget, while also modeling a more just and accessible way of funding.
Looking back, Samantha sees the cohort’s impact in three areas: the financial stability it provided, the alternative philanthropy practices it demonstrated, and the regional and cross-state relationships it facilitated. “Sometimes you don’t know what’s possible until you’re part of it,” she said. For Samantha and Liberation Ecosystems, the cohort has illuminated new possibilities for food systems change in Vermont and across New England.
