Fliplanthropy S02E01: Scaling Up Spending Down (pt.1) Fliplanthropy

This is part I of our episode with Farhad Ebrahimi on sunsetting as a strategic intervention rather than simply a moral decision.

In this episode, Farhad Ebrahimi challenges us to stop fetishizing the act of spending down and start strategizing it. Moving beyond concepts, this webinar explores how to use sunsetting as a tool to de-risk radical giving, catalyze other institutional funders, and seed long-term economic power in movements. It’s time to decide: Are we here to manage scarcity, or to fund a world where we are no longer needed?

The Chorus Foundation did it. Now, Farhad is pulling back the curtain on why ‘spending down’ is one of the most potent (and misunderstood) tools in philanthropy. We dive into how to turn a simple tactic into a powerful strategy. This isn’t about charity; it’s about decommissioning power structures, so are you ready to get serious about what a just transition for philanthropy actually looks like?

About our speaker

Farhad Ebrahimi (he/him) is a Philanthropic Transformation Strategist with the Solidaire Network, bringing well over a decade of experience as an organizer, trainer, and strategist in the philanthropic sector. Prior to joining the Solidaire staff, Farhad’s primary role was as the Founder and President of the Chorus Foundation, which worked for a just transition to a regenerative economy in the United States, and which spent down its entire endowment in 2023. Besides being a co-founder and former board member of Solidaire, a member of the Center for Story-based Strategy’s trainer network; and a current board member of the Center for Economic Democracy, the National Committee For Responsive Philanthropy, and The Forge.