Our Grantmaking Process
Our grantmaking process is rooted in trust-based philanthropy, which means we take a special interest in learning from, listening to, and supporting those closest to the work. To be mindful of a nonprofits’ time and expertise, we are intentional in how we engage with them every step of the way. To save nonprofits time spent on LOIs and requests for proposals, we do not have an open application process. Instead, we learn about nonprofits through ongoing research, community outreach, and from the introductions submitted on our site and then we reach out when we find strong alignment.
At the heart of our grantmaking is the desire to help children grow strong from the roots up. So, we support nonprofits who are helping children and their families thrive. In addition to mission alignment, we consider other factors like nonprofits that respond creatively to community needs, involve community in decision-making, and are valued by the community. We also consider special qualities like nonprofits whose staff have lived experience. When opportunities arise to expand our work, these are the steps we take:
Discover
Everywhere we look, there are nonprofits doing amazing work. We hear about nonprofits from the field, community members, news and media, current partners, and online introductions.
Learn
When a nonprofit aligns well with our program areas and priorities, we do our homework to learn more about them. Much of our learning comes from online research and due diligence, conversations with mutual partners, and insights from the broader community.
Prepare
The information we gather is collected and discussed with our board to ensure alignment with the Foundation’s goals and objectives.
Connect
Once the board has given preliminary approval to move forward with a prospective grantee, we reach out to the nonprofit to hear their story, learn more about the work they do, and ask any remaining questions. Those that continue to align with our program areas and priorities are invited to apply.
Partner
Nonprofits that are invited to apply for funding are provided a pre-populated grant application to review and submit. Once approved and the grant is processed, we begin a partnership to learn along-side them and identify ways to support our new partner beyond the check.
