Giving Compass' Take:
- Here are five grantmaking practices that nonprofit organizations could adopt that are more community-centered and collaborative.
- In what ways can foundations and nonprofits work together to build best practices that work for all types of organizations? How can foundations work to adopt power-sharing approaches?
- Read more about power-sharing through grantmaking.
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The Iowa West Racing Association (IWRA) was created when Iowa passed laws requiring gaming licenses to be either held or sponsored by nonprofit organizations. Traditionally, the Iowa West Foundation disbursed its funding in discrete organizational grants. But practice has shifted at the Iowa West Foundation in recent years.
Prodded in part by a national call by nine nonprofit leaders to philanthropy to adopt grantmaking practices that are more actively supportive and respectful, Iowa West Foundation CEO Pete Tulipana outlined some of the ways the foundation has sought to become more responsive to community needs. In his op-ed, Tulipana outlines some of the key steps that his foundation has taken since 2015:
- Focus on building capacity.
- Multi-year operational support.
- Listening sessions to guide strategic planning.
- Commitment to joint evaluation and learning.
- Support for community organizing.
All of this, of course, is self-reported, but Tulipana acknowledges that the foundation’s shift in practice is still in its early stages and confidence that the foundation will continue to progress in its efforts.
Read the full article about nonprofits adopting grant-making practices by Steve Dubb at Nonprofit Quarterly.