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ABOUT GEO

Program & Initiatives

GEO offers a wealth of programs, initiatives and resources to support courageous grantmakers in their work to transform philanthropic culture and practice.

Conferences

GEO conferences are highly valued opportunities for grantmakers to come together to build connections, learn, and explore common challenges and solutions.

Peer Communities

GEO members participate in cohorts, role-based communities and other networks to share insights, learning, and experiences as they work to advance racial equity and transform philanthropy.

Peer Learning

In webinars, workshops and other remote and in-person gatherings, GEO members tap into the wisdom and experiences of peers on the same journey to support thriving nonprofits and communities.

Volunteering

We seek volunteers from the GEO community to help inform key parts of our work including opportunities to participate in conference planning through joining our Program or Host Committees or helping to inform future GEO publications through a focus group or peer review process.

Resource Library

This section features webinars, workshops, and other resources that are designed to support courageous grantmakers in their work to transform philanthropic culture and practice. 

Explore Resource library

GEO List

GEO’s member-only, moderated listserv provides grantmakers with the opportunity to put urgent questions in front of peers, learn from each other, and lift up solutions to common challenges. 

Membership

Publications

GEO publications are a go-to resource for grantmakers seeking innovative ideas and tools, real-world examples from peers, and other guidance and inspiration for transforming philanthropic culture and practice.  

publications

Featured Short Form Content

Annual Report 2021

In this report, we are excited to share examples that illustrate some…

  • Annual Report

Annual Report 2018-2020

Across the philanthropic sector, the last several years have been a clear…

  • Annual Report

Year in Review 2017

The power of our community is undeniable when we look at the…

  • Annual Report

Making Meaningful Change

GEO frequently hears that grantmakers, no matter their role, want to make…

  • Publication

Year in Review 2016

In 2016, we prioritized finding new ways to build connections with each…

  • Case Study

Is Grantmaking Getting Smarter?

Grantmakers recognize the value of supporting effective, well-led organizations - strong organizations…

  • Publication

Learn and Let Learn

This publication explores how learning communities can be powerful tools in creating…

  • Publication

On The Money

This publication highlights the financial challenges nonprofits face and the ways in…

  • Guide

Excerpt: Knowledge Gaps

An excerpt from GEO’s upcoming publication, On the Money: The Key Financial…

  • Publication

Annual Report 2008

GEO's 2008 Annual Report covers ten years of smarter grantmaking, stronger nonprofits…

  • Annual Report

Learning for Results

This publication explores what it means to be a "learning organization;" how…

  • Publication

GEO Perspectives

GEO’s blog Perspectives provides members with the latest news, member stories and learnings about how our members are supporting thriving nonprofits and communities.

News & Stories

Two Steps Forward

Suprotik Stotz-Ghosh reflects on how grantmakers can generate meaningful results in response…

  • Perspectives Piece

My Journey to GEO

Throughout my career, I have committed myself to service. First, as a…

  • Perspectives Piece

Perspective Matters

After three years of working to expand the bench of evaluators, the…

  • Perspectives Piece

Get on the Balcony

In September 2018, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations released "Get on the Balcony:…

  • Perspectives Piece

Cross-post: The Search

After the 2017 Unity Summit, AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy) invited…

  • Perspectives Piece

What we know for sure

Often unprecedented circumstances seem to necessitate bigger or radically different strategies. But…

  • Perspectives Piece

Focus and Hope

Now is the opportunity for foundations to gain a clarity that has…

  • Perspectives Piece

Embracing Discomfort

We need to face the structural and systemic causes of racial disparity…

  • Perspectives Piece

The CIA Made Me Do It

I recently ran across a historical document that surprisingly holds many parallels…

  • Perspectives Piece

Upcoming Events

New Member Orientation

Join our next member orientation to learn about community benefits and discover…

  • Member Orientation

2025 Member Orientation

Join our next member orientation to learn about community benefits and discover…

  • Member Orientation

2025 Member Orientation

Join our next member orientation to learn about community benefits and discover…

  • Member Orientation

2025 Learning Conference

Save the Date for GEO’s 2025 Learning Conference, hosted in partnership with…

  • Conferences

2025 Member Orientation

Join our next member orientation to learn about community benefits and discover…

  • Member Orientation

2025 Member Orientation

Join our next member orientation to learn about community benefits and discover…

  • Member Orientation

What We Care About

Capacity Building

Philanthropy’s greatest contribution to achieving racial equity and an inclusive society is through investing in the leadership and capacity of nonprofits and communities to advance equity-centered change.

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Change Leadership

Transforming philanthropy starts with building and fostering supportive and inclusive organizational environments where people feel empowered to work individually and collectively to lead change.

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Collaboration

Transforming philanthropy requires an unrelenting focus on community-centered collaboration. We build relationships, learn in partnership and resist individualism.

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Community-Driven Philanthropy

We strive to build positive and powerful relationships between philanthropy and nonprofits and communities. Community-driven philanthropy is about building trust, centering community voices and experiences, and shifting power to those that historically have been ignored and othered.

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Culture

Grantmakers who are effectively working in service of nonprofits and communities create and sustain organizational cultures founded on several core elements, including a commitment to racial equity.

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Flexible, Reliable Funding

Flexible, reliable funding—such as general operating support, multiyear grants, and funds that cover indirect costs—is a necessary expression of trust in nonprofits and communities to shape the futures they seek.

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Learning & Evaluation

When grantmakers focus on learning for improvement, we use evaluation and learning to generate information and insights that help us better understand both how we are doing in our work and how to improve. Above all, we ensure that learning and evaluation activities are in service of nonprofit and community goals.

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Systems Change

Systems change grantmaking addresses the complexity of interconnected issues affecting communities. Systems change often focuses on structures, policies and processes, but these are only some of the ways to change systems. Other ways include shifting resources, values, power, mindsets, infrastructure and many more.

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Stay Connected

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