The Money


The size of many grants, and the strings attached to them, often don’t align with the results grantmakers are asking of their grantees.  In fact, research by GEO and others has shown that many of the ways grantmakers provide financial support to grantees are actually counterproductive and can detract from nonprofits’ ability to have an impact.

  • Grantmakers provide a median of just 20 percent of their grant dollars to general operating support.
  • The median grant size for all foundations is just $20,000.
     

GEO seeks to improve the ways in which grantmakers financially support grantees—including providing longer-term, unrestricted funding as well as exploring new tools such as collaborative funds, emergency loans or access to credit and other forms of mission related investing.

 

Recommended Resources 

On the Money
This publication highlights the financial challenges nonprofits face and the ways in which grantmakers are both improving the situation as well as perpetuating the problem.
+ download PDF
+ executive summary
+ discussion guide

 

   
Money Matters: The True Cost of Running Nonprofits The size of many grants, and the strings attached to them, often dont align with the results grantmakers are asking of their grantees. Research shows that many of the ways grantmakers provide financial support to grantees are actually counterproductive. In this video, nonprofit executives talk about the struggle involved in keeping their organizations adequately funded.
   

Smarter Grantmaking in Challenging Economic Times 
As grantmakers look ahead to make tough decisions for 2010 and beyond, this publication offers recommendations and examples that we hope provide some useful insights for foundation leaders.
+ download PDF

 A collection of resources and examples of GEO members showing steady leadership in addressing the economic crisis.
+ more

   

General Operating Support 
A GEO Action Guide
GEO
+ download PDF
+ executive summary PDF

   
Assessing the Impact; 
General Operating Support Vol. 2:
A GEO Action Guide
GEO
+ download PDF
+ executive summary PDF
   
Money Matters Conference 2008
Conference Resources


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