Are you serious about system change?

Let’s debunk a few biases and unleash the transformative power of Philanthropy Infrastructure Organisations (PIOs)

Seeing the forest for the trees
Imagine walking through an ancient forest. Each tree stands tall and proud, yet its life and health are inextricably linked to an invisible web: the soil, the mycorrhizal networks, the streams, the wind, the sunlight and the countless organisms that make up the ecosystem. The forest thrives not because of any single tree, but because of the relationships and flows that connect them all.

Philanthropy Infrastructure Organisations (PIOs) – the networks, associations, platforms, field advocacy actors – including Philea – the national associations, WINGS, ECFI, Impact Europe, Ariadne are the mycorrhizal networks of our sector. They connect, translate and nurture the soil where seeds of change take root. Yet, their vital role is undervalued in a world obsessed with individual attribution, short-term impact and KPIs.

The paradox of invisibility: Why PIOs are undervalued
PIOs are the backbone of philanthropy’s collective intelligence, resilience, adaptability and systemic impact. But their work is rarely celebrated in annual reports, panels, or press releases. Why?

1. The tyranny of linear metrics

Metrics transplanted from businesses prioritise what can be counted: grants, projects, beneficiaries. These reward short-term, direct outputs. PIOs, however, create systemic, long-term, often invisible impact. Donella Meadows warned of the “optimisation trap” of linear causality – a fixation on isolated, quantifiable interventions that ignore complex shifts in relationships, power, idea and mindsets. By measuring only what is visible, we miss the iceberg underneath the water and the vast currents below the surface.

2. The ego of attribution

Philanthropy values branded success: logos on projects, names on buildings. But PIOs work behind the scenes, enabling others. They lead “from behind”, catalysing collective impact, not individual attribution. Their value is when the collective achievement is more than the sum of its parts.

3. The solipsism of philanthropy

Philanthropy should tackle what markets and governments haven’t. Yet, “strategic philanthropy” often clings to pre-set, linear solutions. Many foundations remain in silos, detached from the ecosystem they claim to influence. They can survive in isolation, unlike other non-profits or public donors, considering collaboration optional.

But transformative philanthropy knows better. It unlocks more than financial capital – it leverages strategic freedom and agility. These foundations can take risks, innovate and, far from being mere “buffer funders”, centre the future in political and social action. They understand system change requires co-creation, shared learnings and collective genius.

Yet infrastructure, which benefits all, is often neglected – subject to the “Free Rider” problem, leaving it underfunded and fragile. Embracing collaboration means reshaping power dynamics with grantees and truly investing in PIOs.

4. The poverty of imagination

We lack the language and frameworks to understand systems. Trained to think linearly and in silos, we miss the ecosystem. This limits our capacity to value the “invisible infrastructure”.

To address this, PIOs have created impact frameworks like the 5Cs framework (Capacity – Capability – Connection – Credibility – Catalysing) developed by WINGS, Philea and Inspire. But while technically robust, frameworks alone won’t shift mindsets. We also need a new shared “grammar”, a deeper narrative. Metaphors help: mycorrhizal networks, islands of coherence or permaculture soil – all evoke vitality more than “infrastructure”, which can feel sterile. Philea made a bold step by putting philanthropy organisations and infrastructure actors on equal footing, shifting from service-providers roles to ecosystem architects.

A world in crisis: Why infrastructure matters more than ever
The last five years – the  climate crisis, pandemics, democratic backsliding, rising inequality – reveal the limits of business as usual. These systemic challenges need social imagination, collective intelligence and long-term collaboration. PIOs are uniquely equipped to meet this moment.

As shown in work by Alliance Magazine, Propel Philanthropy and WINGS series and WINGS Lift Up Philanthropy and the Philanthropy Transformation Initiative, PIOs are designing responses to our “polycrisis”.

Consider the climate crisis. No single foundation can “solve” climate change. But infrastructure enables the acceleration of learning processes, the engagement of a vast “moveable middle” of non-environmental funders and strengthens the connective tissue for collaboration and scaling, not only up, but also out and deep, of solutions. This is the essence of #PhilanthropyForClimate: invisible but indispensable work.

The untapped potential of PIOs
To fully unleash PIOs’ value, we must stop seeing them as cost centres and recognise them as agents of change – catalysts, developers, enablers, accelerators and multipliers. Alarmingly, regressive actors – anti-democratic, anti-gender, xenophobic, climate-denying – already understand this and invest heavily in their own infrastructures.

It is a grave mistake to divide “real philanthropic work” from the “network work”. Membership fees are not overheads – they are stakes in a shared future. Even issue-focused foundations must invest in systemic change and those who enable it.

PIOs foster trust, reciprocity, shared purpose and learning. They shift philanthropy from isolated projects to interconnected processes. They help funders to map systems, identify leverage points and collaborate for greater impact. They challenge the cult of the individual. True change arises not from lone heroes, but from transformative partnerships built on humility and interdependence, not on transactional relationships.

A new paradigm: Infrastructure as catalyst
The status quo is no match for today’s complexity. We need a paradigm rooted in system thinking, adaptability and collective wisdom. PIOs are stewards of this shift – laboratories of innovation, guardians of collective memory, architects of shared futures. But they cannot succeed if trapped in project-restricted grants. They need core support and trust.

Philanthropy must redefine impact: valuing the quality of relationships, trust and learning as much as outputs. Like a permaculture farmer who invests in the soil, funders must nurture the sector’s roots: data, leadership, advocacy and reflective spaces.

We must learn to see systems, not just symptoms. This means funding sensemaking, strategy and mapping – not just direct services such as in old-style trade associations and exclusive clubs. PIOs thrive when treated as partners, not service providers. Funders must share power and invest in co-creation. We need better narratives – stories that illuminate the invisible, honour the quiet connectors and call others into this job.

A call to action
System change is central in all reports Philea has published. But if we are serious about it, we must back PIOs with the resources their role demands.

Today’s dominant funding model – characterised by short-term, project-restricted grants with rigid deliverables – is misaligned with infrastructure’s long-term, adaptive nature. Boards must be educated, theories of change updated and systems-level work valued. Infrastructure is not overhead – it’s the essential space where new approaches are tested and scaled. Strategic investment here catalyses collaboration, learning and action. Its greatest value lies in trust-based, purpose-driven relationships. This requires shifting from contracts to partnerships.

Philanthropy stands at a crossroads. PIOs are our best hope for navigating this inflection point. By reframing infrastructures as catalysts, we unlock impact at scale. The journey requires courage – from both PIOs and funders – to challenge conventional metrics, embrace complexity, invest in transformative partnerships. But the reward is great: a philanthropic ecosystem with the adaptive capacity, collaborative intelligence and systemic awareness to address the complex, intersectional challenges of our time.

Our futures will not be shaped by lone organisations but by the transformative power of the systems we build together.

Everyone is a changemaker.