One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from grantmakers after they complete a Grantee Perception Report (GPR) with CEP is, “How would you recommend sharing these findings back to our grantees?”  While we encourage all funders to, at the minimum, thank their grantees for taking the time to complete the GPR, there are a variety of ways funders can choose to do so. Some have chosen to email all grantees a thank you note; others have publicly published their GPR findings and their reflections. Taking this step to close the loop with grantees not only signals respect for the time they took to offer feedback, but fosters transparency that can improve communication in the funder-grantee relationship.

In this post, I’d like to share three principles we recommend to funders who are looking to close that loop, and hear directly from a funder who presented the findings of their GPR to their grantees, enacting each of these principles.

I recently worked with the fantastic team at Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation who took a unique approach to sharing their GPR results back with their grant partners. The Foundation invited their grantees, who they call grant partners, to CEP’s presentation of their GPR results, and hosted a discussion after the presentation. The Fisher Foundation found that in addition to the benefits of closing the feedback loop, it was an opportunity to more deeply understand their results, gather more feedback from their partners, and build stronger relationships.

Principle 1:  Internally Align on Key Takeaways
Before crafting a response to grantees, funders should first take the time align on what the GPR findings mean for the organization.

Principle 2: Get Clear on Your Purpose
Knowing how to share the results of your GPR back to your grantees is knowing what your purpose for sharing is.

Principle 3: Commit to a Culture of Listening and Action
The GPR should be one part of a larger practice of listening and acting on what you hear from your grantees.

Read the full article about closing the feedback loop by Kristy Luk and Cynthia Rowell at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.