An elder told Edgar Villanueva that the medicine that had chosen him was money. One sentence — and it turned an angry, burned-out program officer into the person rewriting how philanthropy thinks about wealth.

Edgar is the founder and CEO of the Decolonizing Wealth Project and the author of Decolonizing Wealth, now in its second edition. His work has helped move nearly $1 billion toward the communities that need it most. 🩵

Joining us as guest co-host is Lindsey Fuller, Executive Director of The Teaching Well.

In this episode, you'll hear:

Why reparative philanthropy starts with a question most institutions refuse to ask: where did this money come from in the first place?
The one shift any leader can make today: do your own work around money, before you ask anyone else for theirs
How Liberated Capital moved $30 million to Black and Indigenous organizations with a $25/month entry point and no gatekeepers

You'll walk away with a different starting point for every funder conversation you have. 🩵

Episode Highlights:

(3:38) Growing up between the haves and the have-nots
(8:26) Behind the curtain: what he saw as a young program officer
(10:24) The ice cream party problem
(14:30) The elder, the medicine, and the book that changed everything
(20:16) Reparative philanthropy: where did this money come from?
(24:45) No wealth exists without harm
(29:04) The one shift you can make today
(33:09) Beyond self-care: why leaders have to dig deeper
(37:34) Liberated Capital: a donor community for "whosoever will"

Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/742

Join us at The Spread!

Givebutter's biggest innovation event of the year is here — The Spread, built entirely around co-creating with nonprofits like yours. 💛

We Are For Good is joining forces with GB to host in-person hackathon meetups on Friday, Oct. 2, in New York, Seattle, LA, Denver, and Indianapolis, so you can build alongside other nonprofits in the community.

Learn more and save your free spot today.

//

Join the We Are For Good Community—completely free.
Join fellow changemakers, share takeaways from this working session, and keep collaborating in a space built for connection, inspiration, and real impact: www.weareforgoodcommunity.com

Say hi 👋
LinkedIn / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Twitter

742. Money Is Medicine: Decolonizing Wealth and the Future of Philanthropy - Edgar Villanueva

We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

742. Money Is Medicine: Decolonizing Wealth and the Future of Philanthropy - Edgar Villanueva