After 25 years of working to transform philanthropy to meet the evolving needs of nonprofits and communities, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations continues to build deep relationships with grantmakers and push the sector through purposeful programming with varying intensities, commitments, modalities and learning agendas. We keep asking ourselves the fundamental question: What will it take for philanthropic institutions to change?
Whether it be a fundamental shift in community-driven strategy or a revamp of operating values and norms, GEO has created programs to support grantmakers in the journey to question current practice, approach work with a learning mindset, engage in peer-to-peer learning, and manage change within complex organizations. The GEO Breakthrough Partnership is another approach to supporting grantmakers and creating long-term change in the sector.
The GEO Breakthrough Partnership provides focused consultative support to help grantmakers move a culture or practice challenge forward. The program equips grantmakers with tailored guidance and practical pathways for advancing change.
Interested in GEO Breakthrough Partnership? Complete this interest form or contact Jaser Alsharhan, Director of Programs, at jaser@geofunders.org.
We are starting small with this pilot to test assumptions and learn alongside participating grantmakers. Pilot projects are designed as focused engagements, culminating in clear final deliverables.
Examples of engagement include:
- Facilitating a staff convening or retreat
- Facilitating conversations about senior leadership’s role in change management
- Working with people managers to surface underlying values and narratives that support, or do not support, new ways of being
- Leading tailored workshops on capacity building that interrogate power dynamics and underlying values
- Developing a committee charter to help develop new norms for the organization
Through the GEO Breakthrough Partnership:
- GEO and the grantmaker build strong, mutually beneficial relationships grounded in trust and understanding
- GEO and the grantmaker work on a small-scale project or change agenda related to a philanthropic culture or practice challenge
- The grantmaker builds new relationships in the field through a peer connection with another funder navigating a similar change agenda
- The grantmaker is able to provide feedback and help GEO refine the program for future participants
- The grantmaker connects to other resources within the GEO community and beyond
- Interest call: GEO will facilitate one-hour call
- Check-ins with team members: Depends on length and type of engagement; may include board members
- Synthesis/write-up: Distributed to all who participated in check-ins, with call to communicate initial observations and analysis
- Matchmaking and next steps with GEO consultant: Internal or external consultant works on the project and sets up a timeline
- Wrap-up call: GEO will facilitate, with evaluation included
- Follow-up: Issues remaining, what’s next, bright spots, and additional resources
Pilot costs depend on the final deliverable and timeline. Examples include:
- 2-day staff convening at an in-person location (17–25 hours): $10,000–$15,000
- Tailored capacity building workshop (17–25 hours): $10,000–$15,000
- Discussions regarding senior leadership roles (10–12 hours): $7,500–$11,500
- Support for developing internal norms (15–20 hours): $9,000–$12,000
GEO will provide a project cost estimate after the interest call, with adjustments based on timeline and customizations.
- Tailored resources aligned with your specific needs and barriers
- Assigned GEO staff members to work with throughout the engagement
- A flexible timeline that adjusts as needs evolve
- Matchmaking with a GEO peer who can offer additional insight
- Organization must be a GEO member to participate in the program. If you are not, we will connect you with membership/development to sign up as a member after the interest call.
- GEO will not take on every project. Examples of projects we would not take on include redesigning your database, advising on investments, matchmaking with nonprofits, communications strategy and design, and fundraising plans.
- GEO recognizes the positional authority needed to catalyze change. While we welcome requests from those who sit outside the senior leader role, we encourage folks to consider whether they have the authorization to move the specific grantmaking or culture change forward. Without leadership buy-in, it will be harder for GEO to support movement.
- GEO’s other programs are a great place to start. We offer cohorts, conferences, peer communities, publications, and virtual programming that illustrate our vision for grantmaking. If your goal is a longer-term engagement to build community around a specific change challenge, explore a cohort. If you’re getting started and want something more passive for learning new concepts, consider a remote learning series.
- GEO’s mission is to transform philanthropic culture and practice. The well-defined issue for which you are seeking GEO staff input, grantmaker examples, and additional resources should fit within your internal culture or grantmaking practice. We understand this may involve working with board members or staff from other departments. If your project falls outside this scope, GEO will refer you to another consultancy.
- GEO leads with our values. Our strategic direction includes Love, Racial Equity in Practice, Community-Centered Collaboration, and Trust & Accountability. We reclaim philanthropy as expressing love for all of humanity by building a culture that centers voices and experiences that have traditionally been exploited, invisibilized, and othered. We will thread these values through our process, tools, analysis, and deliverables.
- GEO has a point of view. For 25 years, we have focused on key grantmaking practices we know make the difference for nonprofits: flexible, reliable funding; capacity building; learning and evaluation; community-driven philanthropy; and collaboration. We coach toward these practices and think through pathways for addressing barriers.
- GEO is dedicated to intersectional racial equity. We see the construction of race as central to all social issues and actively strive for a just and equitable future. This work is intersectional with other dimensions of identity, data-informed, and measurable. We will ask questions about the historical context of your foundation, the communities you are focused on, what repair could look like through your grantmaking, and what internal, equitable shifts are needed for you to accomplish your mission.
- You will do MOST of the work. Think of GEO as an encouraging coach through your journey of organizational development and transformation. We will be accountable for timelines, communications, and deliverables; we expect the same of you.
- We might uncover something else. Through stakeholder check-ins, GEO may uncover hidden (or visible) problems, assumptions, or ideas that may or may not need to be addressed directly before or alongside the project. Being comfortable hearing difficult truths about your culture is necessary.
- GEO sees matchmaking as transformational. We believe peer-to-peer support helps change stick and helps you feel supported. GEO will provide you with a grantmaker who can share a case example related to what you’re experiencing.
- Hypothesize, test, iterate, and repeat. Some of the issues we are tackling may appear to be unapproachable mammoths. Throughout your experience with GEO, we will encourage you to test out small yet meaningful shifts in your work. We encourage an experimental, playground approach and will expect you to report back on what’s not working and ideas for refinement.
- GEO appreciates follow-up and storytelling. We will check in on progress and ask what’s sticking, what you still need help with, and how else GEO can be a resource. We will also want to capture lessons learned to share with our broader community.
- GEO will offer more than just this program. If there are additional ways to involve your staff in our programming — peer communities, role-based convenings, or other offerings — we are happy to explore how those spaces can support your change management work.
Interested in GEO Breakthrough Partnership? Complete this interest form or contact Jaser Alsharhan, Director of Programs, at jaser@geofunders.org.