A Grantmaker’s Guide to Approaching Culture

Grantmaking that truly supports nonprofits and the communities they serve requires a deep understanding of organizational culture and its connection to nonprofit success. But how we initiate conversations about culture within our organizations, and how we make the connection to our external work, is not always clear.

Through individual reflection, peer coaching and small group discussion, this workshop will help you understand and begin to assess your current organizational culture and how it impacts your effectiveness and the success of your nonprofit partners. This workshop introduces GEO’s culture framework and offers the opportunity to explore a specific goal, challenge or opportunity through the lens of organizational culture. Beyond assessing and understanding your organizational culture, you’ll also identify several next steps you can take to shift unproductive culture or tend to productive elements of organizational culture.

In this session presented by GEO’s Amy Shields, Program Manager, and Stephanie Chan, Program Specialist, we’ll tackle the essential elements of shaping a productive culture. This workshop will help you:

• understand GEO’s culture framework and where your organizations fall on that continuum;
• develop a better understanding of your existing organizational culture;
• explore your current and ideal organizational cultures related to a specific organizational goal, challenge or opportunity; and
• identify next steps to support the culture necessary to address your key organizational goal, challenge or opportunity.

This workshop will be most beneficial if you have some responsibility for shaping organizational culture, are beginning to think intentionally about culture and want to shape culture in service of your organization’s mission and goals. Join us for this dynamic workshop to identify a path forward for creating a productive culture that supports nonprofit success.