Weekly Reads—October 13, 2023

Enjoy PEAK’s weekly roundup of timely insights from the grantmaking community and beyond.

“The framework of trust-based philanthropy offers a comprehensive approach to assessing and changing the culture, structure, leadership, and grantmaking practices of foundations to address the deep power inequities and create a sector grounded in power-aware relationships, transparency, and accountability. When aligned with a commitment and practice of applying a racial equity lens, trust-based philanthropy can provide a bridge to a new way of being for the philanthropic sector.” [more]
 Gabriela Alcade, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, for The Center for Effective Philanthropy

“By joining forces as funders, working through Fund for Shared Insight, and fully empowering the design team and facilitators, we sidestepped the disorder, short attention spans, and budget constraints of any one organization. I’ve learned that many of my philanthropic colleagues are more risk loving and progressive in how they’d like to move change as individuals than the current construct of their philanthropic organizations often allows.” [more]
Jessica Kiessel, Omidyar Network, for The Center for Effective Philanthropy

Gwyneth Tripp is back in the grantmaking test kitchen to “share a new menu of results and reflections from [Stupski Foundation’s] latest Grantee Perception Report (GPR) with the Center for Effective Philanthropy.” Tripp shared some of the foundation’s initial learnings from their 2020 GPR with PEAK last year. “Our work has evolved since our last survey in 2020, significantly informed by grantee partners’ honest and nuanced feedback,” Tripp writes. “The results are motivating us to continue to simplify our grantmaking processes; build learning and supportive partnerships; and clarify and communicate our vision, funding priorities, and spend down strategies.” [more]

“[Nonprofit Finance Fund’s] full cost video series provides nonprofits and funders another way to discover and deepen their understanding of full cost concepts. Join us as we dive into the six categories of full cost, see how full cost can advance racial equity, understand how nonprofits can use revenue to build and buy, and learn how to cover unfunded expenses with full cost.” [more]
Nonprofit Finance Fund