Hear from GEO CEO, Marcus Walton, as he reflects on how hope alone is not a sufficient strategy for change to effectively prevent future racial atrocities and offers thoughts on what a responsive philanthropic strategy must involve.
For the last two months, grantmaking organizations have focused on triage as we’ve rushed to keep staff safe, to communicate with and support grantees, to reallocate, shift, and increase funding, and to balance former priorities with new demands of the pandemic. Now, the national, state, and local conversation is shifting to the highly complicated topic of “re-opening.” Funders are beginning to ask themselves: what’s next as we move from triage to transition? Do we consider returning to the workplace and, if so, how and when?
Like many other grantmakers, the CLIPF community mobilized quickly to support grantees and communities amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Within a few weeks, most had extended or renewed grants to current grantees, loosened or eliminated restrictions on funding, relaxed application and reporting requirements, redirected funds directly to Covid-related relief, joined (and hosted) pooled funds with colleagues, and partnered to provide relief directly to families. But changes don’t just happen without scaffolding and support. What do leaders need to be doing inside organizations to set the stage for these crucial shifts?
Hear from GEO CEO, Marcus Walton, as he reflects on the impact of the circumstances created by COVID-19 on him personally and how the GEO community is even more important during times of uncertainty.
GEO’s Capacity Building Champions, a community of GEO members who are passionate about stronger nonprofit partners, convened recently to discuss how grantmakers are adapting their capacity strengthening offerings to meet the needs of their grantee partners and communities during the COVID-19 crisis.
As a community of grantmakers advocating for philanthropy to put nonprofits and communities at the center of our work, we at GEO think the most important questions grantmakers should be asking center around how you can change your practices to be of greater service to your grantees and others serving communities during this time of crisis and beyond. However, these practices are not only needed during times of crisis. We can make permanent changes that shift more power to people working on the ground to strengthen communities.
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. The challenges that we are collectively facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are changing the face of our societies here at home and across the globe. We’re all doing things we never imagined doing, but we’re doing them in the interest of the greater good.
The Bridgespan Group shares key findings from their new report that examines how funders and practitioners can work together to drive field-level social change.
Last week, over 200 foundations signed a pledge calling upon philanthropy to adopt a more trust-based approach towards their nonprofit partners amidst the mounting uncertainty of COVID-19. Hear from GEO board members and members of the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project steering committee as they urge the sector to embrace this approach in long-term way.
