Letting Go: The First Step to Greater Impact

About

Undoing the burden of paperwork

The most dynamic funders share a trait: They spend the majority of their time in the community or field learning about their issue, engaging knowledgeable people, attending community and policy meetings, matchmaking, advocating, and doing strategic nudging. 

Comparatively, these catalysts spend little time and energy on the paper-based process of grantmaking. And yet, they are prudent in their due diligence and compliance. 

How do these impactful, dynamic funders achieve this streamlined form of philanthropy, focusing their time and efforts outside of the office? 

More and more, funders recognize that nonprofits are spending too much time meeting their expectations. The labor and expense of fundraising, reporting and evaluation distracts from the work they were founded to do. 

Somehow, the operations of grantmaking has eclipsed the more engaging and fulfilling people-centered and learning-focused work of philanthropy. 

Streamlining: why it’s essential to catalytic leadership and impact

Over time, many grantmakers find themselves drowning in elaborate funding processes. Well-intended steps to responsibly steward resources and minimize risk accumulate over time. Gradually, paperwork and processes crowd out people, relationships, and time to learn, reflect and evolve.

In reality, the IRS requires very little for foundations making grants to public charities.

In fact, philanthropists have the unique freedom to take risks. They’re positioned to look across communities, able to take the long view, and are not beholden to customers, shareholders, or voters. Funders can test new ideas, commission research on urgent issues, mobilize coalitions, speak out and advocate. They can be daring and bold.

Join us to learn practical ways to re-focus your grantmaking process, and center learning, engagement, relationships and creativity in your work.

This workshop covers:

• Steps to reframe and transform your work from a process of reviewing, sorting and deciding on written applications, to a practice of learning, inviting conversations, nurturing relationships, and seeking ideas from grantee partners and community stakeholders.
• 10 ways to streamline your giving to free up time for transformational giving and reduce the burden on nonprofits. Examples include right-sizing, having conversations instead of requiring written reports, and asking for financial documents in the applicant’s own formats.
• Clarity on what you need to know to make grants decisions. Begin to ask, “What do we really need to know, and what can we stop asking for?”
• Three ways to get feedback from applicants and grantee partners on how long it takes to complete your application and reporting requirements. You’ll also learn how to use this information to streamline.
• Calculating the “net grant” to help you and your board understand the costs your processes impose on applicants and grantee partners.

Learn how streamlining and letting go can transform your day-to-day work and enable your foundation to have more impact, engage more deeply with your community, expand your circle of partners, advance equity, and achieve greater fulfillment in your philanthropy.

In this workshop, you will also:

• Gain perspectives from experienced funders whose practices are important to having impact and making change
• Learn what to let go. Cut through and free yourself from the philanthropic clutter to reclaim your agility, creativity and edge
• Meet in small groups for discussions and exercises to audit processes and ponder key questions to reduce your paperwork

This is the second program in Exponent Philanthropy’s Catalytic Leadership Academy. This three-hour workshop, presented in two sessions, prepares you to take initial steps to be a change agent in your foundation. The training also offers opportunities for connecting and community-building with your peers.