Companies understand that their customers have choices and will gravitate toward consistent quality. What if funders understood that as well? Grantees are just as vital to us as customers are to companies. What if we provided consistent quality to our grantee partners in a way that built value, loyalty and trust? If we did, we’d have grantee partners who were more willing to have honest conversations with us, go the extra mile with us, and even occasionally walk through fire with us when needed.

So how can Funders demonstrate consistent quality? It’s actually not that hard. Here are some simple ways ­– some of which you could implement immediately.

  1. Always return emails and voicemails in a timely fashion.
  2. Provide clear and consistent funding guidelines.
  3. Make funding decisions based on clear priorities and demonstrated results.
  4. Always walk your talk.
  5. Be transparent.

As funders, we’re not selling coffee or some other consumer good, but we are selling hope, belief, capacity and the concept that we can and should make the world a better place. If that’s not a calling worthy of consistent quality, then what is?

Read the full article about consistent quality in philanthropy by Kris Putnam-Walkerly at Putnam Consulting Group.