relationship-building

Balancing Great Relationships and Great Expectations

By September 12, 2019

What makes for great relationships between funders and their nonprofit partners? We have always believed that it starts with respect, authenticity, and honesty across power differentials in ways that build trust over time. In fact, we have often written about ways to bridge power divides by being proactive, relational funders who don’t create conditions where…

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Finding Power in Practice

By May 14, 2018

Note: This post originally appeared on Medium, as part of Justice Funders‘ “Liberate Philanthropy” Blog Series. You can read the original post here.  The foundation world is plagued with a number of inherent challenges that inhibit our ability to do our best work: our own hubris, our lack of proximity to the people we support,…

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Streamlined Reporting: It’s Not Just For Grantees

By March 13, 2018

People often wonder how we are able to understand the impact of our grantmaking when we don’t require our grantees to submit formal reports. TWI has learned that streamlined reporting frees up more time for relationship-building and authentic partnership. In fact, what we’ve experienced is that we’re able to learn more from a dialogic approach than we…

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who's at the center of your philanthropic mission

Putting Grantees at the Center of Philanthropy

By August 25, 2016

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) has produced a series on grantee inclusion, in partnership with Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR). We’re excited about sharing this ongoing conversation because we believe in placing our grantees at the center of our work at the Whitman Institute. These articles represent a deep dive into how we can increase our impact…

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How Do We Know: Good Ideas About Creating Impact

By July 12, 2015

How do we know if we’re making a difference? It’s a question that’s been in the spotlight for some time now within the nonprofit sector – and one that can be particularly challenging when it comes to assessing the impact of social issues through art and media. In her inaugural post on the beta site,…

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