Resources

GEO Community, The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta (CFGA) is interested in learning about post-grant award site visits. Currently, CFGA conducts site visits during application review where some of our Board members and donors may attend with staff. We are considering shifting their engagement to after an award has been made. Do any of you conduct post-grant award site visits in lieu of in cycle site visits? If so: · What is the process for the post-grant award site visit? · Do you feel it is more beneficial than an in-cycle site visit? · When do you conduct the site visit – 3/6/9/12 months after grant is executed? · Is the site visit part of the organization’s End of Grant report? · Do you let Board members or donors attend with staff?

Hello Colleagues, We are looking for examples of successful approaches that you may have used within your organizations to strengthen inclusive culture. Certainly hiring, promotion and evaluation are important areas to examine. More importantly, we'd like to learn about your experiences strengthening those informal ways that we work together, communicate, and make decisions every day. This might encompass establishing a common D & I vision, baselining the current organizational state, and/or providing staff/leadership training or coaching.

We’re looking to revamp the questions on our applications and reports. We are especially interested in examples that are aimed at systems change, advocacy, capacity building, etc. Anyone able to share?

Looking at using a Learning Management System for a cohort based program we are developing for nonprofit leaders. Many of the systems seem to be for larger, involved programs. Is there anyone using one for smaller groups that they might recommend?

Dear GEO community, We recently produced a second edition of Evaluation Principles and Practices, A Guide to Evaluation at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. As part of our updated practice guide, we are aiming to improve our evaluation practice by increasing our 1) public sharing of evaluation findings, 2) engagement with grantees, and 3) integration of our foundation’s guiding principle of diversity, equity and inclusion. We include some practical tips to support staff in doing all of these things and are looking for additional practical, specific examples from others of specific tips or tools they have used to effectively promote these evaluation practices.

When grantmakers focus on learning for improvement, we use evaluation and learning to generate information and insights that will help us better understand both how we’re doing in our work and how to improve. A focus on taking action based on what we learn ensures that we are engaged in strategic or applied learning. This publication serves as an orientation for staff and board members highlighting key concepts, how to get started, and how others in the field are thinking about and addressing important issues around learning. This publication provides a solid basis for thinking and talking about the next steps in your organization’s learning work.

The Rhode Island Foundation (a community foundation) is updating our website and application materials and would like to clarify the language we provide around organizations’ lobbying activities. We would be very interested in seeing any guidance you provide to your applicants around lobbying expenditures.

Dear GEO Community, The Packard Foundation’s Organizational Effectiveness Program (OE) is interested in learning about capacity building resources that provide assistance in matching organizations with 1) the trainings, tools, or consultants that are most relevant for them, or 2) with peers who have lived experience on capacity building topics. We are especially interested in resources that include: • crowdsourcing from nonprofits who have used the tools, consultants, or trainings prior • successful peer support functions where leaders are connected with other leaders with similar capacity building interests or experiences • a central navigator/guide/curator who provides support in navigating what resources could be most useful.

We are investing up to 25% of our endowment portfolio in local and regional community based impact investments and need a policy statement for that purpose. Does anyone have an Impact Investing Policy Statement that you could share with me? Our primary method of execution will be using CDFIs, but we may have a few direct placement investments as well. (I am not looking for a policy dealing with publicly traded securities).

Can anyone weigh-in on whether your private foundation tends to make grants to operating foundations? If not, why not (e.g., legal barriers, comfort level, etc.)? If you foundation does make grants to operating foundations, what additional information or requirements do you ask the applicant to provide or meet?