What does it take to provide this support beyond the grant in meaningful ways that will strengthen grantee organizations and effectively position them for success?

Desislava Taliokova is the executive director of the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF), a nonpartisan foundation working to strengthen Bulgaria’s private sector and related democratic institutions. Her colleagues Ivanka Tzankova and Ivo Bossev work on ABF’s Impact Assessment and Evaluation team. When the Foundation gathered feedback from its grantees through the Grantee Perception Report (GPR) in 2019, ABF ranked in the top 5 percent of CEP’s comparative dataset for the proportion of grantees that reported receiving intensive assistance patterns. ABF received similarly high ratings for grantees’ perceptions of the Foundation’s impact on grantees’ organizations, placing ABF in the top 10 percent of funders in CEP’s dataset.

When asked about how ABF approaches providing assistance beyond the grant, Taliokova, Tzankova, and Bossev point to several principles they have found to be effective.

  1. Understand Grantees’ Needs
  2. Develop Trust and Transparency
  3. Facilitate Network Development
  4. Support Intermediary Organizations
  5. Use Resources Creatively

Read the full article about non-monetary assistance by Charlotte Brugman at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.