The Palestine Exception: Interrogating Philanthropy's (Non) Response to Genocide | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice.

"Our participation in the editorial advisory committee was premised on bringing Global Majority (Global South) perspectives, viewpoints, and narratives to the publication, so our decision was not easy. Ultimately, however, we decided to sacrifice influence through this platform because we could no longer legitimize an institution with such a deeply flawed approach to an era-defining issue."

"The lack of critical philanthropic intervention to meet the dire humanitarian needs in Palestine over two years of war is not merely a failure of one aspect of the sector. It is, rather, a failure of the system and the sum of all its parts. Here we wish to explore and examine more broadly our sector's lack of meaningful response at this moment in history, which demands scrutiny and a harsh reckoning."

"We must address the stark contradictions of a sector meant to be dedicated to equality and justice yet failing in its fundamental duty of care. Throughout our careers, we have both been dedicated to challenging issues of power and privilege in the institutionalized philanthropic system, the complicity of the system in retaining rather than transforming the status quo. In reality, philanthropic "transformations," presented as deep change, are often depoliticized and diluted, only yielding shallow impact."

Two members of Alliance Magazine's editorial advisory committee resigned in June 2025 to protest the publication's position of neutrality regarding the ongoing Israeli genocide in Palestine. The resignation responded to perceived Palestine exceptionalism in coverage and a failure to hold philanthropy accountable for complicity. The decision sacrificed influence to avoid legitimizing an institution with a deeply flawed approach. The lack of critical philanthropic intervention over two years of war reflects a systemic failure across the sector. Philanthropic "transformations" are often depoliticized and diluted, producing shallow impact and falling short of obligations to equality, justice, and duty of care.

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