Buying an activist identity: Reproducing class through social movement philanthropy

This paper explores how social movement philanthropy, while aiming to empower marginalized groups, can inadvertently reproduce class distinctions. Through case studies of the Haymarket People’s Fund and Crossroads Fund within the Funding Exchange, it analyzes the dynamics between elite funders and community organizers. The study reveals how securing funding often hinges on legitimating donors’ identity claims, highlighting an implicit form of symbolic domination. It bridges theories of resource mobilization and collective identity formation, demonstrating how financial dependence can influence power relations and perpetuate class structures.