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Person

Jason Franklin

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

Left-of-center Philanthropist
Political Party:

Democratic Party
Residence:

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Jason Franklin is a co-founder of the left-of-center Solidaire Network. 1 Franklin has spent over twenty years engaged with left-progressive philanthropy. 2

He has been on the board or worked as an advisor to left-of-center organizations including Democracy Alliance, WINGS: Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support, 3 the Proteus Action League, 4 the Threshold Foundation, 5 Bolder Giving, 6 Proteus Fund, 7 North Star Fund, Resource Generation, 8 the Social Justice Philanthropy Collaborative, 9 One for Democracy, Movement Voter Project, 10 Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)’s Give OUT Day, and others. 11

Left-of-center billionaire Melinda Gates has credited Franklin’s work as inspiration for the billionaire Giving Pledge. 12 Franklin’s private firm, Ktisis Capital, advises donors how to mobilize resources to advance the critical race theory-influenced concepts of “racial, social, economic, and environmental justice.” 13

Franklin worked in the White House Office of National AIDS Policy during the Clinton administration. 14 15

Career

Jason Franklin has spent over twenty years engaged in left-progressive philanthropy 16 and has said that he spends all of his time—daytime, evening and weekends—thinking about how he can move money for social change.” 17 Franklin focuses on “human rights and equity issues,” 18 says investment in critical race theory-influenced social justice and economic justice movements are “really critical globally,” 19 and has said it is critical to invest in “black movement justice work.” 20 His work focuses on “deploying financial resources to support movements for justice,” including critical race theory-influenced racial, social, and environmental justice causes. 21

Franklin  hosts the podcast, 10 Minutes on Democracy with Jason Franklin for the left-of-center One for Democracy. 22 The podcast’s topics have included  the critical race theory-inspired concept of racial justice, Biden administration policy priorities, climate policy, gun policy, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and others. 23 24

Left-of-center billionaire Melinda Gates has credited Franklin’s work as inspiration for the billionaire Giving Pledge. 25

Franklin is the founder of the left-of-center philanthropic firm Ktisis Capital, which serves as a strategic advisor to a “mix of progressive individual donors, families, foundations, and philanthropic collaboratives.” 26

He has also worked in the White House Office of National AIDS Policy during the Clinton administration, 27 28 at the 21st Century School Fund, in the Rockefeller Foundation’s Next Generation Leadership Network, at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, 29 30 and as a fellow at the Edmund Hillary Fellowship. 31

Nonprofit Work

Jason Franklin has co-founded or sat on the board of numerous left-of-center and left-progressive lobbying nonprofits to amplify, rather than compete with, charitable educational nonprofits. 32 He supports targeted giving on “women’s issues and climate issues” 33 and has delivered more than 150 works and speeches about philanthropy. 34

Franklin is a co-founder of the left-of-center Solidaire Network, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)’s Give OUT Day, 35 New York Social Justice PAC, the Funding Queerly giving circle, Social Justice Funders Collaborative, Progressive Public Foundations Project, Oregon Students Supporting Education, and the Multnomah Youth Commission. 36

Franklin supported Solidaire Network’s investment in the left-of-center racial advocacy group Movement for Black Lives 37 and stood by the left-of-center Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)’s support of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has been suspected of supporting political Islamist movements throughout its history. 38 39

He is on the board of the left-of-center Democracy Alliance, WINGS: Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support, 40 and the Proteus Action League. 41 Franklin is the treasurer of the Threshold Foundation 42 and the executive director of Bolder Giving. 43

He was previously the chair of the board of directors of the left-of-center Proteus Fund  44 and the Michigan Alliance 45 and has been on the board of directors of the left-of-center North Star Fund, Resource Generation, 46 the Social Justice Philanthropy Collaborative, 47 WiserGiving, One for Democracy, and the Smithsonian’s Philanthropy Initiative Working Group. 48

Franklin is a senior advisor supporting high capacity donors at the left-wing funding organization Movement Voter Project. During the 2020 election cycle, he advised over $29 million to electoral and left-of-center movement work. 49 In 2018 while working with the Movement Voter Project, he advised 41 groups, including the left-of-center North Dakota Native Vote. 50

He is also a strategic advisor for the Peterffy Foundation, an advisor for the Donors of Color network, and an advisory board member of the Chartered Advisors in Philanthropy Program Amplifier, Our LGBT Fund, 51 and Wealth for the Common Good. 52

In June 2015, Franklin was appointed as the W.K. Kellogg Community Philanthropy Chair at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 53 This role was established by a $1.5 million-dollar donation from the left-of-center W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 54

Ktisis Capital

In 2015, Jason Franklin founded Ktisis Captial. The firm advises individual donors, families, foundations, and philanthropic collaboratives to mobilize resources to advance the critical race theory-influenced concepts of “racial, social, economic, and environmental justice.”  55 56 Ktisis Capital is committed to “justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) as core to the organization” and works to advance communities it identifies as “most marginalized by historic and current systems and structures of oppression which impacts minorities and women. 57 Ktisis Capital also works on human rights issues as identified by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Labor Organization (ILO). 58

Political Positions

Jason Franklin called the Trump administration’s policies of deregulation, tax reform, etc. “daunting.” 59 He said that foundations and donors committed to “social justice” needed to take advantage of outrage giving to build for the future. 60 He expressed the view that it was philanthropy’s job during the Trump administration to follow the lead of left-progressive “resistance movement leaders” to donate and step up for “racial, social, environmental, and economic justice for years to come. 61

Franklin supports the “For the People Act,” which would federalize election administration in the United States. He has called for people with wealth to support policies regarding democracy, climate change, and criminal justice 62 and shared tweets from the Lincoln Project opposing the re-election of President Donald Trump on his Twitter. 63 During the 2020 election cycle, Franklin also participated in the Democratic-aligned super PAC Defeat By Tweet’s fundraising campaigns, in which he automatically contributed at least $0.10 to Defeat By Tweet’s anti-Trump campaign each time then-President Trump posted on Twitter. 64

Political Donations

Jason Franklin has made numerous Federal Election Commission (FEC)-reportable donations to Democratic Party candidates, PACs, and campaign committees. He has contributed to left-of-center Defeat by Tweet, It Starts Today, ActBlue, People’s Action Power, Progressive Women’s Alliance of West Michigan; the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, the Ohio Democratic Party, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and the Democratic Party of Michigan; the unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); the unsuccessful congressional campaigns of U.S. Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-MI), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), and Alex Morse (D-MI); the U.S. Senate campaign of Charles Booker (D-KY); and others. 65

Personal Information

Jason Franklin holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, a master of science in nonprofit management and urban policy from the left-progressive The New School, and a Ph.D. in public administration from New York University. 66 He resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 67

References

  1. “Tweet.” Twitter. May 16, 2014. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/FundingChange/status/839493931251400704?cxt=HHwWgICwtYvSvaYXAAAA.
  2.  “A leading voice of new philanthropy.” Jason Franklin Webpage. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.jasonfranklin.org/.
  3. “A leading voice of new philanthropy.” Jason Franklin Webpage. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.jasonfranklin.org/.
  4. “Board of Directors.” Proteus Action League. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/proteus-fund/.
  5. [1] “Threshold Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133028214/202023039349301002/full.
  6. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  7. “Celebrating 25 Years.” Proteus Fund. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.ncfp.org/people/jason-franklin/.
  8. Davis, Emily. “Meet Next Gen Philanthropist, Jason Franklin!” Bolder Giving. March 27, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.boldergiving.org/news.php?article=Meet-Next-Gen-Philanthropist-Jason-Franklin_97.
  9. Davis, Emily. “Meet Next Gen Philanthropist, Jason Franklin!” Bolder Giving. March 27, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.boldergiving.org/news.php?article=Meet-Next-Gen-Philanthropist-Jason-Franklin_97.
  10. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  11.  [1] “Tweet.” Twitter. May 16, 2014. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/FundingChange/status/839493931251400704?cxt=HHwWgICwtYvSvaYXAAAA.
  12. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  13.  “10 Minutes on Democracy.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://ktisiscapital.com/10-min-dem-podcast.
  14. “Jason Franklin.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklinjason/details/experience/.
  15. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  16. “A leading voice of new philanthropy.” Jason Franklin Webpage. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.jasonfranklin.org/.
  17. The Editors.” The Young and the Restless: The Top 20 Philanthropists Under 40.” Observer. April 1, 2015. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619d129124f0437430b37cc7/t/619d34ac98f3787d1c667a20/1637692589164/512_Franklin_OBSERVER.pdf.
  18. Davis, Emily. “Meet Next Gen Philanthropist, Jason Franklin!” Bolder Giving. March 27, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.boldergiving.org/news.php?article=Meet-Next-Gen-Philanthropist-Jason-Franklin_97.
  19. Williams, Wendy. “A Time To Give.” PRObono Australia. May 29, 2017. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2017/05/a-time-to-give/.
  20. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted August 5, 2020. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/FundingChange/status/1291120823617687552?cxt=HHwWgMC83Yzj_eojAAAA.
  21. “Bio, Affiliations and Picture Options for Jason Franklin, PhD.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619d129124f0437430b37cc7/t/619d1b67efa9927e09221054/1637686121458/Speaker%27s+Kit+-+Dr.+Jason+Franklin.pdf.
  22. “10 Minutes on Democracy with Jason Franklin.” Stitcher. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.stitcher.com/show/10-min-dem-with-jason-franklin.
  23. “March 30: Vaccine Rollout, the Biden Infrastructure Package, Racial Justice, and More!” Stitcher. March 30, 2022. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.stitcher.com/show/10-min-dem-with-jason-franklin/episode/march-30-vaccine-rollout-the-biden-infrastructure-package-racial-justice-and-more-82883356.
  24. “April 20: COVID and voting rights, GOP wave of Anti-trans legislation, Biden administration policy demands and more!” Stitcher. April 20, 2021. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.stitcher.com/show/10-min-dem-with-jason-franklin/episode/april-20-covid-and-voting-rights-gop-wave-of-anti-trans-legislation-biden-administration-policy-demands-and-more-83336418.
  25. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  26. “A leading voice of new philanthropy.” Jason Franklin Webpage. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.jasonfranklin.org/.
  27. “Jason Franklin.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklinjason/details/experience/.
  28. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  29. “Jason Franklin.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklinjason/details/experience/.
  30. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  31. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  32. Rojc, Philip. “High-Touch: How a Progressive Intermediary is Evolving With the Times.” Inside Philanthropy. November 14, 2019. Accessed March 31, 2022. http://insidephilanthropy.com/home/2019/11/14/high-touch-how-a-progressive-intermediary-is-evolving-with-the-times.
  33. Borzykowski, Bryan. “When It’s Time for Giving, Some People Circle Around.” New York Times. November 17, 2018. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619d129124f0437430b37cc7/t/619d2ca118b50e606960cd4d/1637690530361/922_Franklin_NY-TIMES.pdf.
  34.  University Communications. “Johnson Center names new W.K. Kellogg Chair.” Grand Valley State University Forum. April 13, 2015. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/22C74362-091D-313E-BB6F7FC60974CE65/forum_39-28.pdf.
  35. “Tweet.” Twitter. May 16, 2014. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/FundingChange/status/839493931251400704?cxt=HHwWgICwtYvSvaYXAAAA.
  36. “Bio, Affiliations and Picture Options for Jason Franklin, PhD.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619d129124f0437430b37cc7/t/619d1b67efa9927e09221054/1637686121458/Speaker%27s+Kit+-+Dr.+Jason+Franklin.pdf.
  37. Williams, Wendy. “A Time To Give.” PRObono Australia. May 29, 2017. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2017/05/a-time-to-give/.
  38. Svirsky, Meira. “Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) – Nat’l Headquarters.” The Clarion Project. January 17, 2013. Accessed November 20, 2017. https://clarionproject.org/council-islamic-relations-cair/.
  39. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted March 8 2017. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/FundingChange/status/839493931251400704?cxt=HHwWgICwtYvSvaYXAAAA.
  40. “A leading voice of new philanthropy.” Jason Franklin Webpage. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.jasonfranklin.org/.
  41. “Board of Directors.” Proteus Action League. Accessed March 31, 2022. http://www.proteusactionleague.org/staff-and-board.
  42. Threshold Foundation.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133028214/202023039349301002/full.
  43. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  44. “Celebrating 25 Years.” Proteus Fund. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.ncfp.org/people/jason-franklin/.
  45. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  46. Davis, Emily. “Meet Next Gen Philanthropist, Jason Franklin!” Bolder Giving. March 27, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.boldergiving.org/news.php?article=Meet-Next-Gen-Philanthropist-Jason-Franklin_97.
  47. Davis, Emily. “Meet Next Gen Philanthropist, Jason Franklin!” Bolder Giving. March 27, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.boldergiving.org/news.php?article=Meet-Next-Gen-Philanthropist-Jason-Franklin_97.
  48. “CFU United 2018 Featured Speakers.” CF United. 2018. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.cfunitedconference.org/2018-featured-speakers/.
  49. “Jason Franklin.” Movement Voter Project. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://movement.vote/team/jason-franklin/.
  50.  Franklin, Jason PhD. “Amplifying the Impact of Outrage Giving. National Center for Responsive Philanthropy. February 7, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2022. https://www.ncrp.org/publication/responsive-philanthropy-winter-2018/amplifying-impact-outrage-giving.
  51. Knight, Madina. “Lifetime of Philanthropy.” Edmund Hillary Fellowship. October 17, 2019. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://stories.ehf.org/a-lifetime-of-philanthropy-554e2603c98c.
  52. Davis, Emily. “Meet Next Gen Philanthropist, Jason Franklin!” Bolder Giving. March 27, 2011. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.boldergiving.org/news.php?article=Meet-Next-Gen-Philanthropist-Jason-Franklin_97.
  53. “Jason Franklin.” National Center for Family Philanthropy. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.ncfp.org/people/jason-franklin/.
  54.  University Communications. “Johnson Center names new W.K. Kellogg Chair.” Grand Valley State University Forum. April 13, 2015. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/22C74362-091D-313E-BB6F7FC60974CE65/forum_39-28.pdf.
  55. “Values and Culture.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.edgefunders.org/diversity-equity-inclusion-funder-spotlight/.
  56. “10 Minutes on Democracy.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://ktisiscapital.com/10-min-dem-podcast.
  57. “Values and Culture.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.edgefunders.org/diversity-equity-inclusion-funder-spotlight/.
  58. “Values and Culture.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.edgefunders.org/diversity-equity-inclusion-funder-spotlight/.
  59. Franklin, Jason PhD. “Amplifying the Impact of Outrage Giving.” National Center for Responsive Philanthropy. February 7, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2022. https://www.ncrp.org/publication/responsive-philanthropy-winter-2018/amplifying-impact-outrage-giving.
  60. Franklin, Jason PhD. “Amplifying the Impact of Outrage Giving.” National Center for Responsive Philanthropy. February 7, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2022. https://www.ncrp.org/publication/responsive-philanthropy-winter-2018/amplifying-impact-outrage-giving.
  61. Franklin, Jason PhD. “Amplifying the Impact of Outrage Giving.” National Center for Responsive Giving. February 7, 2018. Accessed April 1, 2022. https://www.ncrp.org/publication/responsive-philanthropy-winter-2018/amplifying-impact-outrage-giving.
  62. Theis, Michael. “New Effort Seeks to get 500 Wealthy Americans to Give at least 1% of their Net Worth to Charities that Strengthen Democracy.” Philanthropy. May 13, 2021. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/new-effort-seeks-to-get-500-wealthy-americans-to-give-at-least-1-of-net-worth-to-charities-that-strengthen-democracy.
  63. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 11, 2020. https://twitter.com/fundingchange
  64. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 22, 2020. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://twitter.com/FundingChange/status/1286037596725030912?cxt=HHwWgMC9ia2Y9tgjAAAA.
  65. “Jason Franklin.” Federal Election Commission Individual Contributions. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=jason%20franklin
  66. [1] “Jason Franklin.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 31, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklinjason/.
  67. [1] “Jason Franklin.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 1, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/franklinjason/#education.

Connected Organizations

  1. Proteus Fund (Non-profit)
    Chair
  2. Rockefeller Foundation (Non-profit)
    Executive Director of Next Generation Leadership Network
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