Scattering seeds: Two groups push for social-justice giving
Some of the ultra-rich are on board.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
September 1, 2026 | Read Time: 4 minutes
Asking the ultra-wealthy to quickly part with their fortunes for charity’s sake has never been easy. But a few organizations that are working to direct more dollars to social justice causes are doing just that. And some of the ultra-rich are on board.
Resource Generation works with progressive 18- to 35-year-olds who are among the top 10 percent of young U.S. wealth holders. Many of them have inherited their money, but some have earned it at jobs or through owning a business. It pushes them not only to give more money to those in need but to target ways to redistribute wealth to traditionally marginalized groups.
The organization, founded in a slightly different form 30 years ago, shows its 927 members how to use their wealth and privilege to support racial and economic justice groups working on issues like fighting for racial equity, affordable housing, and tenants’ rights. Its members have given a total of at least $500 million to these causes since 2016.
Members also help raise money. They corral other wealthy donors to give or lend their voices and connections to advocate for policy changes. Resource Generation also works with like-minded national organizations such as the Movement for Black Lives and the Center for Popular Democracy.
Those who sign its voluntary “redistribution” pledge are asked to commit to a financially secure but moderate standard of living and give most of their inherited wealth or excess income to social justice movements over time. The organization suggests pledgers begin to spend down their wealth by giving 10 percent of their assets or income annually. Others can pursue a more aggressive timetable — some giving away all of their inherited wealth.
“The young people who join, they can see the world is on fire, that the world is filled with pain and suffering, and also have the experience of having more than they need, and so they are feeling disparity and tension in that,” says Nora Leccese, the organization’s campaign director. “Generally, people who seek us out are dynastic inheritors who are sometimes inheriting from families and corporations who have made tremendous wealth off of the theft of land and of people.”
An end to extreme wealth?
Born out of the COVID pandemic and the social justice movement of 2020, the Crisis Charitable Commitment aims to get the very wealthy to give a larger percentage of their assets to charity.
“People need to think about how we make the ultra-rich less rich, and if we do that, then the world opens up to a lot of good things,” says Davis. “Whether you are a donor or a grantee, if we keep that as part of our agenda, then we can probably make it happen.
It was started by Alan Davis, a wealthy businessman and philanthropist who leads his family’s foundation, the Leonard and Sophie Davis Fund, to get rich donors to give big to social justice groups and to increase the payout from their foundations and donor-advised funds. Now, Davis says, he is focused on ending, or at the very least curtailing, extreme wealth.
At about 110 signers, Davis’s group of pledgers is smaller than similar organizations. Yet, like other such groups, these individuals have control over significant amounts of money. They are millionaires and billionaires. Some are directing family foundations with $50 million to $250 million in assets, and others use donor-advised funds that hold $50 million to $100 million.
Individuals promise to give away anywhere from about 1 to 8 percent of their wealth annually, depending on their net worth. Those with a foundation commit to give 6 to 10 percent of the value of their grant maker’s assets to charity each year, more than the minimum foundations are required by law to give away. Those who give through a donor-advised fund pledge to give 10 percent of the value of the fund’s assets annually. Pledgers are asked to self-report their giving each year.
Davis has not yet studied how much Crisis Charitable Commitment members have given to charity so far but may in the future. He also plans to advocate for policy changes that can address extreme wealth and the tax incentives that affect philanthropy.
“What is more important now is to change the charitable deduction, which serves primarily as a tax loophole, and instead take the deduction that is going to ultra-rich people and move that down so that the middle class can take advantage of and reverse this trend where the ultra-rich are basically controlling philanthropy,” Davis says.
