The budget is set, the philanthropic goals are identified, the plan for finding funding opportunities is ready to be implemented. Yet many funders still feel uncertain at this point. Might there be a way to be more strategic, to reach beyond “the usual suspects,” to achieve even greater impact? Funders who find themselves asking these kinds of questions may be operating in a bit of a vacuum and are probably starting the journey up the TPI Philanthropic Curve in the evolution of strategic philanthropy.

I’d like to offer three simple tactics for building strong information channels to establish a better base on which to assess and manage your giving. Even for those with limited time, these approaches can offer a way to get started or to move further along in your learning.

  1. Connect with other funders with shared goals, or with regional or national philanthropy associations. Nearly every broad category of philanthropy or type of funder has an organization dedicated to building community and sharing knowledge.
  2. Access resources from trusted sources. Several organizations serve the funder community with objective and comprehensive resources.
  3. Listen to and learn from your grantees and others with deep knowledge connected to your philanthropic goals. This sounds obvious, but sometimes the greatest wealth of knowledge literally is sitting right in front of a funder. Funders who seek lasting impact on the issues and in the communities they care about find ways to engage deeply with their grantees and others in an effort to tap into valuable perspectives and knowledge.

Read the full article about establishing information channels in philanthropy by Leslie Pine at The Philanthropic Initiative.