In 2014 the Community Foundation commissioned a report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy called the Grantee Perception Report. The report surveyed our current grantees to get their honest feedback on how we were doing as grantmakers. We welcomed the thoughtful responses both positive and constructive and made some substantial changes to the way that our Programs department—and Foundation—operates.
One thing we heard loud and clear from our grantees was the desire to work in closer partnership to support their missions. In response to this request and with much enthusiasm, we launched the Assistance Beyond the Grant program in 2015. The year-long program provides a cohort of grantees from different fields and regions of the county with tailored and ongoing support from our staff along with a small grant for professional development. Four grantees who were experiencing a period of exciting growth and change participated in the pilot year—Chop’s Teen Club, Global Student Embassy, North Sonoma County Services, and Pets Lifeline.
The Executive Directors, alongside key board members or staff, met with each member of our leadership team, attended trainings and classes and were featured in our communications. At the conclusion of the pilot year, the participants gave us helpful feedback about what was helpful to them, along with a few suggestions for year two. We thank each one of them for their thoughtful reflections, candor, and active participation over the past year. Because of last year’s resounding success, we are pleased to announce the second year of Assistance Beyond the Grant.
Like last year, the selected grantees in this year’s cohort are in a period of growth and change and come from different parts of the county as well as different fields:
Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy
We look forward to another year of thoughtful conversation and reflection, and developing deeper partnerships with our nonprofit community.
