Grantmaking Effectiveness
We’re committed to helping philanthropies act as powerfully and effectively as possible to achieve the change we all want to see in our education systems.
Philanthropy helps fuel innovation in the social sector by supporting bold leaders, enabling creative approaches and building greater capacity that can lead to widespread change. And grantmakers bring more than just working capital; they have a unique ability to take risks, convene stakeholders, focus attention on problems and evaluate and identify what works.
But effective grantmaking that actually makes an impact—by changing the lives of students—doesn’t come easily. Even the largest foundations struggle with uneven and unpredictable grantee capacity, differing levels of system bureaucracy and the ever-shifting political winds.
Our Approach
Key leaders on our team have served as education grantmakers themselves and understand well the unique challenges and opportunities of giving away money strategically and thoughtfully. We believe grantmaking in education yields results when funders are disciplined, focused, knowledgeable and find ways to leverage their efforts. We apply these tenets to our work with grantmakers, linking our understanding of their work to our knowledge about the education sector.
Our services include:
- Developing new grantmaking strategies and “logic models” that specify how specific actions lead to desired outcomes—and thus link resources to results
- Building knowledge of the problem to solve, by researching expert opinion and best practices in education, understanding the goals of other funders, and seeking out honest criticism and feedback about past approaches
- Seeking out the best grantmaking opportunities that match the funders’ goals, interests and resources
- Refining and sharpening an existing strategy already underway
- Helping funders assess their results and identify course correction and new approaches.