The speed and intensity of the unprecedented attacks on the nonprofit and public sectors unleashed in the first month of President Trump’s second administration has been staggering.

Funders must act quickly to stand by their grantees and the communities they support without falling into paralysis or reactive shifts, grounding decisions in feedback and input from the communities they serve. In moments of crisis, many of us have an understandable instinct to prioritize direct aid over seemingly more complex actions like listening to the community, but skipping this critical step can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities.

Listening as Headlights

If you are in a rush to drive a loved one to the hospital late at night, the most important thing is getting in the car, slamming on the accelerator, and getting to your destination as quickly as possible. But if you don’t take a few seconds to turn on your headlights, you’re driving blind — likely to run off the road or crash, delaying your arrival further or even indefinitely.

For responsive and effective philanthropy, listening to the communities at the heart of our work is turning on our headlights. Listening ensures we act with precision, helps us point our strategy in the right direction, and allows us to move faster and more directly by identifying what is actually important to the communities we aim to serve rather than making decisions based on assumptions. It lets us see the road rather than guess where we think it is.

Skipping out on listening isn’t just a missed opportunity, it’s a costly mistake. Failing to listen wastes time, money, and goodwill on efforts misaligned with a community’s real needs and priorities. Ultimately, high-quality listening efforts strengthen relationships with communities and grantees, building the legitimacy and trust necessary to ensure long-term resilience and impact beyond the current crisis.

Read the full article at the Center for Effective Philanthropy blog.