Resources

We would like to know if there are other mid-sized foundations who have funded prize philanthropy projects who also have a limited geographic focus.

Member Story: Peery Foundation

When we learn with others, we are not simply conducting final program evaluations; we are regularly assessing ways to improve our work and finding ways to be smarter and more effective in achieving our goals. Learning together means collaborating with partners throughout the learning cycle, as identified by Innovation Network, which includes planning, collecting and analyzing data, and acting and improving our work in response to findings. When grantmakers join their partners in the learning journey, we acquire better information, which leads to better results.

Shifting from responsive grantmaking to strategic investments requires new skill sets, a new communications approach and new partnerships.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation takes an intentional approach to supporting networks within the field of ocean conservation by employing strategies that weave together organizations into networks and foster productive grantmaker-grantee relationships.

Capturing and documenting how and when to partner with others so staff have a clearer idea of the organization’s collaboration approach -- and what works.

Woods Fund Chicago, a member of the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, demonstrates that funding collaboratives can be successful when funders participate equally regardless of their financial contributions.

United Way of Washtenaw County believed nonprofits could achieve greater impact with more efficiency if local funders coordinated and streamlined the grantmaking process.

Sand Hill Foundation’s adaptability helped sustain a long-term funder–nonprofit collaborative even as leadership roles shifted, nonprofit capacities improved and funding partner staff turned over.

Supporting nonprofit collaboration by building funder collaborations.