From grants to governance: Leveraging technology and organization tools for community led funding

This interactive workshop will explore emerging models for community-led resource management and allocation through examining three real-world case studies of Commons Governance Organizations (CGOs). Showcasing the work of IndigiDAO (an Indigenous-led social entrepreneurial organization), Big Green DAO (a grassroots-led participatory fund focused on supporting regenerative farmers and other small-scale growers and food systems operators), and the Schmidt Family Foundation’s Funding Lab for Open Agroecological Technologies (FLOAT), this session offers a deep dive into how new technologies and organizational structures can be leveraged to drive equitable resource allocation and community-led innovation. This workshop will explore the most recent FLOAT funding round along with a new Toolkit for CGOs, giving participants an opportunity to learn about the benefits and challenges of Commons Governed Organizations and how they can be a powerful model for collaborative, transformational finance.