Trust-Based Philanthropy Relies On Open Conversations

PEAK Insight Journal
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Trust-based-philanthropy

Giving Compass’ Take:

• PEAK Insight Journal spoke with John Esterle, the Co-Director of The Whitman Institute, about his organization’s philosophy of trust-based grantmaking.

• What might other donors learn from The Whitman Institute’s emphasis on trust? What role does transparency play?

• Read about how to build more trust between foundations and the American South.

PEAK INSIGHT JOURNAL (PIJ): How does The Whitman Institute think about grant reporting?

JOHN ESTERLE: All of our funding is unrestricted (much of it multi-year) and we do not require formal written reports. Our approach to reporting is that it is primarily about learning and happens organically through conversations with those we support.  These can range from one or two meetings/calls per year to more frequent contacts depending on our relationship with them and what is happening with their work.  We do not require that grantees have a relationship with us but rather it’s an invitation, depending on what makes sense for them and is supportive. If grantees have written reports for other funders they are willing to share with us, we are happy to read them.  And, even though we don’t require them, some of our grantees like submitting a written report to us annually to share their thoughts and learnings from the year.

This approach aligns with our trust-based approach to philanthropy. Nonprofits are drowning in paperwork and we don’t want to add to that burden for them.  Our approach is relational and dialogic and so that makes sense to us as the primary way we learn about our grantees work.

Learning and benchmarking are key steps towards becoming an impact giver. If you are interested in giving with impact on Impact Philanthropy take a look at these selections from Giving Compass.

  • This article is deemed a must-read by one or more of our expert collaborators.
    Click here for more.
    Can We Improve STEM Self-esteem in Kids?

    Math self-concepts, stereotypes, and self-esteem deeply influence kids' interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) which accounts for their STEM self-esteem. All of these impact student learning and have been shown to predict standardized test achievement, future course enrollment, and a student’s chosen career path. The Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) at the University of Washington is uncovering scientific evidence needed to assist parents, educators, and policymakers to develop scalable, cost-effective interventions during our children’s most formative years. We were fascinated to find that elementary school children have unconscious thoughts about whether or not they are a math person. They're already beginning to develop an implicit identity of ‘math is for me’ or ‘math is not for me’ at an early age." The STEM self-esteem gender gap starts at and early age The gender gap in STEM engagement and STEM self-esteem is large and persistent. Cultural stereotypes influence gender disproportions in STEM achievement. These gaps begin early—young girls report less interest and self-confidence in technology compared to boys in elementary school. In brief, I-LABS is finding that children’s views about themselves and who is good at STEM mirror current American cultural stereotypes. The sources of these stereotypes, however, and their influence early in the STEM pipeline have not yet been sufficiently studied. Dr. Dario Cvencek, research scientist at I-LABS, is currently leading studies focused on the idea that the elementary school period is a critical time that begins to shape children’s interests, motivation, and skills in STEM. Dr. Cvencek’s research zeroes in on the mechanisms of transfer of information within the family and school environment, and the ways in which this is tied to students’ actual math achievement in the classroom and their future career interests in STEM. Developing a method to test STEM self-esteem in kids Dr. Cvencek has developed a patented, first-in-the-world method for examining students’ and teachers’ beliefs and biases that function at an unconscious or implicit level: the Child Implicit Association Test (IAT). The Child IAT is a precise measurement tool that allows us to distinguish among four kinds of ‘non-academic’ beliefs that influence early interest in math: stereotypes, attitudes, identities, and self-esteem. It is also a powerful diagnostic tool: the Child IAT generates computerized measures that can identify students who may be at risk for lower academic performance, reduce teachers’ own biases, and evaluate the effectiveness of teaching practices. The Child IAT is easy to carry out – it takes less than 10 minutes and is simple for teachers to use. It is suitable for children ages 4-10 years old and no minimum reading level is required. They're already beginning to develop an implicit identity of ‘math is for me’ or ‘math is not for me’ at a surprisingly early age. These self-concepts matter because they are correlated with actual behavior, such as math achievement in the classroom." says Dr. Cvencek. It is of profound importance to understand how family, peers, teachers, and society-at-large influence children’s beliefs and attitudes about STEM. Creating Learning Mindsets could also make schools work for all. Implementing intervention programs in schools would facilitate more positive feelings about math, greater self-confidence in students, and diffuse negative biases, both conscious and unconscious. It would level the playing field by providing all students with the opportunity to strive for their full potential. ________ Original contribution from Dan Johnson, Advancement Officer at I-LABS,  the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington

PIJ: Talk a bit about how these conversations happen and how you use what you learn.

JE: Our grantee conversations happen either in person or on the phone with our co-executive directors — myself and/or Pia Infante.  We prefer in person when possible, either at our respective offices or over coffee or lunch.  Sometimes we initiate the conversations and sometimes they do.  It varies from grantee to grantee.

For us, these conversations inform both our understanding about the work of our grantee partners (both their successes and their challenges) and our sense of how we can be of help to them.

Especially with our multi-year partners, our conversations give us ideas about how we can best be of support beyond the check – and they give us a better sense of how to talk about their work with our board and other funders. The benefits are that it invites a more authentic learning and dialogue process with our partners and frees up their time to concentrate on their mission. What we hear from our grantee partners is that they deeply appreciate this approach.

Read the full interview with The Whitman Institute’s John Esterle about trust-based grantmaking by Jessica Bearman and Elizabeth Myrick at PEAK Insight Journal.

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