Seeded by Generosity

Our Story

The Kinship Earth Flow Fund's origins trace back to Susan Davis Moora, known as the "Godmother of Social Investing." 

Over four decades ago, Susan conceived the KINS Innovation Networks and the KINS Method. KINS stands for Key Influencer Network Strategy, and Susan developed it to cultivate self-organized, collaborative, and action-oriented networks of leaders. With this model, she united industry leaders who pooled their knowledge and resources to forward movements and social impact initiatives. These networks blossomed, showcasing the impact of generosity and conscious collaboration.

In the late 1980s, Susan's journey intersected with Stephen Gomes, Ph.D., who, inspired by her ethos, chose to transition from corporate endeavors to dedicating his life to planetary regeneration and Susan’s philosophy of generosity. 

Years later, in 2021, when thinking back on the enduring value of Susan's work, Stephen proposed to Susan the idea of revitalizing the KINS Innovation Networks, and using her KINS methodology to foster collaboration amongst alumni around identifying solutions to the challenges the world was facing. 

Wholeheartedly embracing this vision, Susan, her husband Walter Moora, and Stephen, breathed life into Kinship Earth. 

Lauren Archer was onboarded as Executive Director in 2021 to rekindle the spirit of the network. She focused on bringing together the network’s alumni and spotlighting their impactful work as a part of a resource center of educational videos and events.

Marion Rockefeller Weber's philanthropic approach became a part of Kinship Earth's story when she funded Susan's project to clean up a toxic waste site in Ecuador in 2009, benefiting the local community as people were getting sick from the dump.

Later, in 2022, Marion donated to Kinship Earth to support Susan and her team with fostering collaboration amongst the network’s alumni around Kinship Earth’s mission: To cultivate a world where generosity, interconnectedness, and reverence for nature guide our actions towards a more regenerative and equitable future for all.

After reconnecting with alumni, featuring their work, and exploring the many pathways to forwarding Kinship Earth’s mission, the leadership team decided to embrace “Flow Funding” as Kinship Earth’s new direction and philanthropic approach. 

The Flow Funding approach involves deploying funds through a network of change makers, chosen for their acts of service and deep engagement with grassroots initiatives.  

These local heroes distribute the funds they receive to whomever they trust to be the next step in utilizing them for the greatest possible impact on our collective future.

Syd Harvey Griffith was onboarded in January of 2024 as the new Executive Director to further Susan and Marion’s initiatives and approaches to giving, rooted in trust, power-sharing, and generosity. 

This Spring of 2024, Kinship Earth is launching its Flow Fund, which will include facilitating the flow of funds from donors directly to Ambassadors, per the IRS' 2024 gift tax exemption, as well as distributing funds to a network of aligned 501c3 practicing this approach to philanthropy today.