Case Study: The Conductor's Circle

The Conductor Circle- Reconstructing Philanthropy

Case Study: The Conductor's Circle

In the aftermath of the 2020 racial justice uprisings, Denver’s philanthropic community found itself at a crossroads: continue funding business-as-usual, or invest in a radically different model- one that placed power, process, and healing directly in the hands of the communities they were serving.

Enter The Conductor Circle, a bold initiative powered by TruNorth Foundation (then Righteous Rage Institute) in partnership with over 20 individual donors and funders, including the Colorado Health Foundation and Rose Community Foundation. Inspired by the abolitionist networks of the Underground Railroad, the Conductor Circle offered a new path forward: instead of participatory grantmaking that still relied on institutional frameworks, developing new systems of community-led, community-rooted decision-making and healing.

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The Vision: Follow-ship in Philanthropy

Traditional philanthropy often runs the risk of reinforcing saviorism and power imbalances, by allocating resources to underserved communities without assigning agency to them. The Conductor Circle challenged this norm by asking donors to relinquish control and trust Denver's Afro-Indigenous community members to lead the process.

TruNorth's Facilitation Process:
Instead of proposal scoring and selection committees, TruNorth facilitated a healing-centered community visioning process that engaged:

150 participants at a community vision board party
40+ interviews and focus groups
A Council of Elders and a Circle of Seven trusted Black leaders

The overwhelming message? Healing was the foundation.

What the Community Asked For

Through an iterative, culturally grounded process, the community identified six key areas for investment:

Safe spaces for vulnerability, healing, and love
Creation of our own narrative around health and wellness
Reviving rituals, celebrations, and rites of passage
Tangible, life-changing experiences to disrupt trauma cycles
Reconnection to purpose through ancestral concepts (Sankofa, Ubuntu)
Formation of a Council of Elders for community guidance

The Work in Action

TruNorth mobilized resources immediately to seed a city-wide healing movement. Within a year, TruNorth was able to implement a series of programs designed to support, educate, and economically empower members of the community at various levels:

Black People Breathe 90-Day Challenge

2-day healing retreat with 120 participants
Weekly breathwork, yoga, meditation, and healing sessions
Access to 20+ Black healers and cultural practitioners

Healing the Mother Within

A 45-day challenge and retreat centering Black women and mothers
Black Educators Heal, To Heal a Black Man, and Youth-In-The-City
Specialized retreats and ongoing healing programs for each group

Seven Generations Black Initiative

A multi-year, community-designed roadmap for investing in intergenerational health and leadership

Grantmaking Reimagined

The Conductor Circle did not just fund programs — it funded infrastructure for long-term transformation:

Grants to healers and wellness practitioners
Stipends for transportation, childcare, and accessibility
Opportunities for participants to “vote with their feet” by choosing which services they valued most
Full decision-making authority held by a community-led Council of Elders

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What Happens When Communities Decide

By the close of the first year:

Over 140 Black residents participated in immersive healing retreats
Over 80 engaged in extended programming and 1-on-1 healing
20+ Black healers, facilitators, and organizations received funding
5-10 new leaders emerged with proposals for year-two investments
Donor circles witnessed a transformative model in action — one where their dollars seeded liberation, not dependence

Investing in Local Power: Organizations We Resourced

Apprentice of Peace
Compassionate Counseling
Euda K Best
Ibeji Healing Arts
Moss North Therapy
Mya Therapy
Shadow Integration Coaching