Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking

If foundations are truly public service institutions, why is the public so often unaware of the work we do? Is that something that we, as a sector, want to change? And what is your role, as emerging philanthropic leaders, in demystifying and democratizing philanthropy? We'll take a brief look back at some philanthropic history and then focus our conversation on how we, as philanthropic leaders, can address the challenges and opportunities we face, at both the organizational and personal level, and what our shared philanthropic future might look like.

During this session, we will provide an overview of philanthropic frameworks, board engagement, emerging philanthropic trends, proposal review practices and adaptations during crises, best practices for facilitating strong proposals and developing partnerships with other funders. We will use case examples of grants covering general operations, disasters, recovery, and resilience.

During this session, we will provide an overview of philanthropic frameworks, board engagement, emerging philanthropic trends, proposal review practices and adaptations during crises, best practices for facilitating strong proposals and developing partnerships with other funders. We will use case examples of grants covering general operations, disasters, recovery, and resilience.

Lasting community change calls upon funders to cultivate healthy relationships with nonprofit partners – we are stronger together. This session will explore how we can build more authentic relationships with grantees to strengthen the work and impact of our nonprofit partners and advance our collective goals. We will consider why trust-based relationships matter, the importance of addressing power dynamics, the core values that drive strong relationships, and some key moments ripe for relationship-building. We will also hear directly from nonprofit leaders about their experiences navigating the sometimes-delicate terrain between funder and grantee.

Do you find that reading financial statements causes your eyes to glaze over or your stomach to knot? This participatory workshop is designed to provide practical hands-on experience and resources to understand nonprofit financial materials from a programmatic perspective. Participants will discover what the rows and columns of numbers and other components reveal about an organization’s strengths, priorities, management, and challenges. We will discuss both audited financial statements and IRS 990 tax returns. In addition, there will be a small group activity.

How do you remain grounded as a grantmaker and balance your personal and professional values? This session will provide participants with an opportunity to hear from seasoned grantmakers in the field about some of the professional challenges they have faced as well as the tools and strategies they have used to overcome them.

Many common practices in philanthropy continue to drive inequity and sustain power imbalances in the communities they are trying to serve. In this session, participants will learn about the historical context of inequity in grantmaking and discuss strategies and examples of how they can center equity in their work regardless of their role in an organization. Additionally, participants will be able to reflect and draw on the experiences of other philanthropic peers and together envision what an equity-centered philanthropic sector would look like.

Philanthropy operates within a complex, interconnected civic landscape—working alongside business, government, nonprofit institutions, and academia. Of all these actors, government entities have the most resources on any given issue than all of private philanthropy combined. Moreover, public policy, politics, and advocacy have simultaneously earned a bleak image of ineffectiveness and corruption, or a comedic cynical view of government. Reality, however, paints a vastly different picture. Through this interactive session, learn the rules of engagement for effectively moving your foundations’ agenda – in service of community -- forward. We will explore the fundamentals of advocacy and its critical function in advancing the goals of philanthropy in public policy through a discussion of the importance of public policy, communicating your policy preferences, and collaborating with government.

This interactive workshop is focused on developing and strengthening your personal and professional leadership skills in the context of dynamic change. Tapping into your inner potential to become adaptable, resilient, and more effective leaders by aligning your values with your ambitions. You will be introduced to best practices in developing greater self-awareness, self-reflection and social capital-- all through a multicultural approach.