BUYING AN ACTIVIST IDENTITY - REPRODUCING CLASS THROUGH SOCIAL-MOVEMENT PHILANTHROPY

Those who lack the financial means to organize for social change may t urn to elite funders, yet in doing so risk having their goals co-opted . Activist philanthropy minimizes this threat because ifs grant decisi ons are made by movement insiders. This structure leaves donors occupy ing a precarious position. Their money is essential, yet their class p osition is discrediting. The Crossroads Fund raises its money by integ rating donors as activists alongside community organizers. Even though community organizers have greater power inside the foundation, integr ating donors requires that community organizers defer to donors' wider class and racial privilege. By showing that securing funding from don ors hinges on legitimating their identify claims, this study bridges s ocial movement theories about resource mobilization and collective ide ntity formation.