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PEAK Grantmaking
In 2021, PEAK Grantmaking unveiled a strategic framework. We identified four anchors by which to define our goals and guide our work in the years ahead.

From Grants Management Professional to Change Agent for Equitable Practices

Our members stand at a critical nexus point within philanthropic institutions, poised to lead change within their organizations and for the field. Grants management and operations staff remain at the core of our community; however, that community now includes a myriad of roles.

We will support and empower our expanding network in raising their voices as change-management practitioners to influence shifts in grantmaking practices. We will continue to support role-specific grants management skills while expanding the knowledge base of our members to include more “generalist” skills in philanthropy—advancing their competencies around best practices in grantmaking practices including the ties to finance, investments, philanthropy technologies, equity, and organizational development—while also positioning them for strategic decision-making roles, career advancement, and more.

Emergent Learning Community as Core Philosophy​

Our peer networking structure positions us well to create an emergent learning community around our Principles work—shifting from a traditional, linear learning environment toward a more adaptive learning process that is continuously evolving based on the complexity of the issue and the experience of participants. This ensures that we capture lessons learned and new practices to either embed them in current guidance or create new guidance and programs for the community and field.

New Models for Growth​ and Sustainability

We are committed to developing new revenue development models that include expanding organizational memberships in key areas including corporate, community, family, and small- to mid-sized foundations; and ensuring that large-asset institutions are gaining value through membership.

This also includes developing a new, customized member-services model that allows us to more deeply engage with members who are ready to embed equitable grantmaking practice changes. Members will be able to request technical assistance and advice as they build their bandwidth to fully embrace the ways that equity can and should be embedded throughout their operations.

Strategic Partnerships Extend Reach and Influence

Our engagement in strategic partnerships with other nonprofits, funders, and key constituents extends our reach and influence. This will help accelerate and advance learning—showcasing the expertise and experience of our partners within our member community, demonstrate thoughtful alignments and collaborative thought leadership, and center our grants community as change leaders for the sector.

For years, there has been an aspiration to work more cohesively with other philanthropy-focused organizations, but old nonprofit business models and competition have sometimes hindered our progress. PEAK is on a path to launch a cooperative model with like-minded partners that drops old scripts and co-designs collaborations that will transform philanthropy.