Who We Are

Katz-Krantz Family Philanthropies (formerly Katz Family Philanthropies) is an informal entity funded by the personal giving and donor advised funds of Donald B. Katz (Don) and Rebecca S. Krantz (Becca), of Madison Wisconsin.  Money for our giving comes originally from wealth Don inherited from his father, Irwin “Irv” Katz (1919-2015), z”l, may his memory be for a blessing. We shared some of Irv’s story, and our motivations for giving, when we were awarded the 2011 Outstanding Individual Philanthropist Award of the Madison Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Through the CORE collaboration we do local grant making, provide scholarships, and offer programming at the intersection of inner and outer change. CORE’s lead staff person is Julie Andersen. Julie helped us craft our overall vision, mission, and theory of change, and guides, facilitates, and coordinates much of our local work. Julie is deeply connected in the local community, enabling us to live our relational values more fully.

Why We Act: Our Vision

We envision a beloved community of caring connection across difference, where we mutually support one another and the interdependent flourishing of all.

What We Do: Our Mission

Through funding and relationships we spread and deepen core practices for social transformation to heal individuals, communities, and the world.

How We’ll Get There: Our Theory of Change

We believe that the work of transformation towards the beloved community is most effective when it embraces the deep interconnection between inner and outer liberation. Hearts and minds, behaviors and practices, structures and systems must all be engaged for sustainable change. By supporting and connecting individuals and groups committed to this kind of transformational change, we help build an ecosystem of leaders, strengthen a collective field of practice, and create the conditions for a wider shift in culture and social structures.

We believe that practice is essential for both inner and outer change, and for their integration. We must practice new ways of being that are healthier and more just than our individual and collective unconscious habits and patterns, to become the change we want to see.

  1. The essential inner work of individual healing and self-transformation requires effective individual practices to become more aware, joyful, and compassionate.
  2. Both the inner work of personal healing and the outer work of healing the world are enhanced when done in a supportive community of practice. Such communities work best when grounded in group practices that are inclusive, energizing and transformational.
  3. In order for the outer work of systemic social, political, and cultural change to bring about the beloved community — to be truly transformational rather than replicating existing oppressive structures — its leaders, organizations, and movements must engage new ways of organizing based in transformative group practices, and must incorporate the lessons learned from inner work, particularly grounding their collective work in love and compassion rather than fear and anger.

All three of these areas (inner work, outer work, and the group work at their intersection) benefit from core practices which build strengths that people and teams can apply in many contexts.

What We Fund

KKFP grant making is by invitation only in order to keep overhead as low as possible and direct more money into the community. We fund political organizing, community organizing, local transformational efforts at the intersection of inner and outer work, national transformational work at the intersection of inner and outer change, inner transformation work, and service and other organizations and projects we are affiliated with.