Origins of SLOW
The SLOW Food Movement: An Inspiration ​
​ The idea of SLOW Philanthropy has its roots in the SLOW Food movement, which was born in reaction to the growth and influence of fast food on local cuisine and agriculture. The SLOW Food movement has now become global, and you can see evidence of it in farm to table restaurants, eating seasonally, knowing where food comes from and caring about how it was treated before it arrived. People no longer want to eat the same food in Rome, Washington, and Japan; they do not want a homogenous global cuisine that is cheap but ultimately bland, tasteless, and bad for your health. One size does not fit all when it comes to food, and we believe it is true for Philanthropy.
From Fast Food to Philanthropy: The Journey Toward a New Kind of Giving
In the global philanthropic sector, many large organizations have become much like the fast-food sector, seeking to roll out a global menu of solutions to address local problems with varying degrees of success. We have also seen how smaller philanthropic organizations have struggled to be sustainable, make a lasting impact, and connect with others. In our own experience, the philanthropic journey can often be a lonely one in a sector that can be more competitive than collaborative.
So we asked ourselves: if the philanthropic sector truly seeks to contribute to the public good, what could ethical, sustainable, and meaningful philanthropy look like? The SLOW Philanthropy framework is our attempt to define what we believe the best philanthropic activities are. We believe that if philanthropic organizations dedicate themselves to being sustainable, local, open, and welcoming, they will be able to better equip the communities they serve with the tools the latter need to empower themselves.