Catherine Cho Yoo

Capacity-building grants are key to helping nonprofits scale their community impact. Yet, when grants rely too heavily on metrics, they can overlook real community needs—creating a mismatch between funders and grantees, especially for Black and Indigenous-led organizations. This blog post from Exponent Philanthropy's Hannah Smith—Manager, Editorial and Publications—underscores the importance of making capacity-building grants more flexible, particularly for organizations led by Black and Indigenous people. At Foundant, we’re grateful to see these crucial discussions becoming more commonplace and encourage even more dialogue around equitable philanthropy in the future. Learn more at: https://okt.to/cEsTr5 #capacitybuilding #foundantforphilanthropy #capacitybuildinggrants

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The National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG) and 21/64 have partnered to explore the ways that consultants and advisors help foundations and donors achieve their goals, and how consultants and advisors can better serve the needs of their clients. If you are a donor, grantmaking foundation staff or trustee, consultant to grantmakers, or philanthropic advisor who works with donors, this survey is for you! It will take no longer than 15 minutes. Learn more and take the survey: https://lnkd.in/drfkGKgv

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Today, we're sharing the last installment of our five-part series on #narrativechange insights. The past three years of investment, partnerships, and research have given us an early assessment of ways both Funders and Practitioners can engage in narrative change and power building with an equity lens. Here's what we've learned: Practitioners & Content Creators — Lean into Participatory Storytelling as a skill & tool to enhance grant/ funding proposals and build community voice/power — Look for ways to create storytelling opportunities for community leaders/orgs who otherwise might not have the space/platform — Leverage public figures and social media to engage target audiences who can be activated in a movement for equity. Funders & Philanthropists — Resource NPOs & Media Professionals to work together to share issue-based stories that resonate with local audiences — Leverage relationships with research-based institutions and impact data from other Funders and make available to NPOs looking to convene/scale — Shift foundation policy to provide general operating support with pro-bono strategic comms capacity building & technical assistance. If you haven't already, please review our recent posts to learn about the other key insights in our #narrativechange series. We'll be sharing our full narrative primer soon. #EquityinAction #NarrativeChange #WRF #RelentlessPursuit

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💼 Funders' role in advancing systems change is shifting from being at the center of social change efforts to being a facilitator👩🏽‍🏫, connector🤝, and learner📚 in a larger ecosystem of actors working to create lasting, systems-level change. 💡 Learn more about the changing role of funders in advancing systems change and how they can better fund ecosystems or support ecosystems in their strategy ➡ https://lnkd.in/dDTEQMwb

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NEW CEP RESEARCH provides insight into grantee experiences with intermediary funders, revealing that intermediary organizations are "not a silver bullet" for philanthropy. Read Bridging the Gap: Grantee Perspectives on Intermediary Funders: https://lnkd.in/eQ7zHDp8 #research #report #news #philanthropy #giving #news #updates #newresearch #reading #nonprofits #perspectives

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“By developing a futures culture, philanthropy can stay open and flexible and expand its toolbox with new, non-linear strategies and practices to embrace complexity and uncertainty as a feature of our times” Our latest publication, “Futures Philanthropy: Anticipation for the Common Good”, explores how and why philanthropy could play a role in fostering anticipation for the common good and what anticipation looks like when it is put in the service of society and common interests. Download your copy here! #FuturesPhilanthropy https://bit.ly/4dmtNN8

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Interested in discovering how philanthropy can harness the future-thinking? 📖 In their latest publication, Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association and Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies chart a new pathway for philanthropic organisations to embrace the future as an extensive realm of possibilities ✨ The long-term nature of today's challenges requires us to rethink our way of working, moving from short-term plan to flexibility and innovation. Current practices must evolve to anticipate the common good, enabling communities to thrive towards the future 🔝 Dive into the report to discover how Mercator Foundation Switzerland, Assifero, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have already implemented a future-thinking strategy. The 3 toolkits provided will also support organisations to start this journey, beginning with introspection and moving into action. https://t.ly/mlaeh #philanthropy #futurethinking #challenges #communities #giving

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In a time when democracy faces unprecedented challenges, the State Infrastructure Fund is a beacon of hope, channeling donor dollars and optimism into safeguarding democratic processes across the United States. Our latest article on Inside Philanthropy explores how this fund is strategically mobilizing resources to support state-level initiatives that protect and strengthen democracy. #SarahHenry reports: How the State Infrastructure Fund is addressing threats to democracy Strategic initiatives supported by the fund at the state level The role of donor collaboration in driving impactful change Tagging The Overbrook Foundation CENTER FOR CIVIC POLICY John P. and Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation #DemocracyProtection #SocialImpact #StateInfrastructureFund #CivicEngagement #DemocraticResilience #DonorCollaboration #VotingRights #FairElections #DemocraticProcesses #PoliticalInfrastructure #DefendDemocracy #PhilanthropicImpact #InsidePhilanthropy #Philanthropy

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The AAPI Civic Engagement Fund is one of the largest collaborative funds mobilizing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in civic engagement and movement building for systems change. Launched in 2013, the Fund supports grantmaking, capacity-building, and research. 💡 Only 20 cents out of every $100 philanthropic dollars (0.2%) is designated for AAPI communities, despite Asian Americans being the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the U.S., increasing by 81% between 2000-2019. Asian Americans make up 6.1% of all eligible voters. Several EGA member foundations, including the MacArthur Foundation, Surdna Foundation, THE JPB FOUNDATION, and Unbound Philanthropy, support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund in strengthening a multiracial democracy by driving AAPI civic engagement and resourcing AAPI-led nonprofits. 🗳️Learn more about the Fund: https://lnkd.in/eb7kzfMt #AANHPIHeritageMonth

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ICYMI: Our new Community Engaged Grantmaking guide offers a structured approach to democratizing philanthropy by outlining a spectrum of community engagement — from informing communities of grantmaking opportunities to community-driven decision-making through democratic participation. In this guide, we explore five distinct models of community engagement that help donors and foundations ensure that the voices of those most impacted by social challenges are central to the grantmaking process. We also share real-world case studies, such as how the Shift Health Accelerator Collaborative Fund and other leading organizations are already advancing equity and community involvement in their work. Read the full guide: https://lnkd.in/g7zdtSyx #participatorygrantmaking #communityengagedgrantmaking #Philanthropy #SocialImpact #alltogetherbold #ChangePhilanthropyBoldly

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Site visits can be a game-changer in philanthropy, offering funders a firsthand look at the impact of their support and the challenges faced by the communities they serve. Our latest article on Inside Philanthropy explores how these visits not only deepen understanding but also inspire more strategic and effective giving. Brian Byrd, Guest Contributor reports: The benefits of site visits for both funders and grantees How firsthand experiences can lead to more impactful philanthropy Examples of transformative moments during site visits Tagging Adirondack Foundation #SiteVisits #SocialImpact #CommunityEngagement #StrategicGiving #EffectivePhilanthropy #InformedGiving #ImpactfulPhilanthropy #EmpatheticGrantmaking #NonprofitSupport #RelationshipBuilding #StrategicPhilanthropy #WitnessTheImpact #InsidePhilanthropy #Philanthropy

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New in The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Many of us are invested in protecting our democracy. But how do we know which interventions work, and how do we relay that to the right people? Public Agenda President Andrew Seligsohn lays out the path forward. Read his full piece here: https://lnkd.in/dXMtCnpa

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Check out Coming Together, Not Apart, the latest report from the Council on Foundations exploring how philanthropy supports efforts that bridge divides and bring people together across lines of difference. The report also explores the challenges in funding this work amid toxic polarization and heightened divisions. 🔗 Download the full report for actionable insights and strategies: https://lnkd.in/dt9Pdj_p #Pluralism #Belonging #HumanConnection #Philanthropy #SocialImpact #EinhornCollaborative Jonathan Gruber

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As a proud member of National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers (NNCG), we recommend participating in this ten-minute survey to inform the 2024 Philanthropy Benchmark Survey: Insights on the Role of Consultants and Advisors in Advancing Giving. Link to survey here: https://lnkd.in/ggYjtX-H The results will help assess the practice of philanthropy by understanding the behavior and attitudes of grantmakers and the consultants and advisors who serve them. #philanthropy #funding #grantmakers

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"The role of the funder in strategy implementation is not to be prescriptive about specific solutions, but rather to be a partner and a deep listener with grantees and community partners on what is most needed and when." "Systems change funders understand that those closest to the problem have the deepest knowledge of solutions, and frequently focus on building community power." "Funders can be helpful connectors and bring together different actors who hold different parts of the solution, and to provide resources quickly where they are most needed." A new article from FSG outlines the benefits of adopting a "community-driven", ecosystem approach to philanthropy. https://lnkd.in/dDTEQMwb

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There are a number of innovation barriers maintaining the status quo in philanthropy that we’ve commonly seen throughout our 16 years of increasing impact in philanthropy. The last video in our series talks about how foundation strategic focus is often too general and lacking sufficient definition to drive specific change. It introduces a more effective human-centered process that ensures strategy defines the ideal levers for change that are viable for the foundation and its capabilities; and aligned with the purpose of the organization. You can also watch our short video series about innovation in philanthropy now: https://lnkd.in/g_EHYjQi

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💭 Have you explored our resource "A Trust-Based Framework for Learning & Evaluation in Philanthropy?" This short guide created in collaboration with the Center for Evaluation Innovation rethinks metric-focused, project-specific impact evaluation to instead make space for learning — learning for accountability, decision-making, and long-term impact. We hope many funders will continue to join us in building a more trust-based and equitable approach to learning and evaluation across the sector.   Download the guide ➡ https://bit.ly/3UNC0BJ

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