smarterstrongerbetter
Smarter grantmaking. Stronger nonprofits. Better results.
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations is a community of more than 350 grantmakers who recognize that their success relies completely on the accomplishments of those they fund. These grantmakers are embracing changes to help their grantees achieve more. What about you?
Smarter grantmaking requires delving deep into the heart of the matter — and listening.
Learning and reflection are hallmarks of
become stronger nonprofits. When
the Mary Reynolds Babcock
the Babcock board traveled to
Foundation. Based in Winston-Salem,
Kentucky to visit several grantees
N.C., and active across the Southeast,
including the Mountain Association for
the foundation’s board and staff place a
Community Economic Development,
priority on learning from and with
which serves distressed communities
partners across the region. Babcock uses
in Appalachia, the group’s president,
a place-based strategy to support diverse
Justin Maxson, was amazed. “That had
networks of local, state and regional
never happened before,” he said.
partners to help move people and places out of poverty. In many ways, Babcock mirrors
Running meaningful programs requires more than passion; it requires healthy organizations. What GEO advocates,
GEO’s vision for smarter grantmaking.
and groups like Babcock practice, is that
“GEO is a place where you can ask
being a better partner goes hand in hand
critical questions,” said Sandra Mikush,
with being a better grantmaker. Better
assistant director of Babcock. Like so
results will follow. “They’re grounded
many foundation leaders, she can count
in reality,” said Maxson. “They learn
on the network’s support as Babcock
from what works and what doesn’t.”
considers issues like the importance of providing nonprofits with flexible general operating support and the need for capacity-building and peer-sharing. Members of the GEO community place priority on asking grantees how grantmakers can help them
Founded in 1997, the faith-based
A St. Louis nonprofit honored for its
Deaconess Foundation had done
in-home visitation program with families
exemplary work to support nonprofits
to prevent infant mortality and abuse,
dedicated to improving the health and
NFNF saw a dramatic spike in referrals
well-being of at-risk children in the
after a change in the state’s Medicaid law
St. Louis, Mo., area. But in a city where
eliminated more than 100,000 people from
close to 40 percent of youngsters live
its coverage. By honoring its commitment
below the poverty level, Deaconess
to serve all who need their service,
needed to make a bigger difference.
NFNF had badly overextended itself.
GEO helped Deaconess recognize
With Deaconess’ help, the organization
that supporting sustainable program
quickly devised a bold fundraising and
delivery is as important as focusing
communication plan, and a multifaceted
on whether a grantee’s program is
strategy to maintain its level of service.
achieving its desired outcomes.
The plan required NFNF to accept
“I came in with a strong outcome
only the most acute cases, which made
evaluation bias,” said Elizabeth George,
for a difficult transition. But thanks
vice president of the Deaconess
to Deaconess’ proactive guidance,
Foundation. In her first year at Deaconess,
NFNF became a stronger nonprofit.
Elizabeth attended the GEO biennial
“GEO challenges grantmakers to
conference, spoke with other GEO
think differently and to look at all
members, and read material written by
aspects of their work,” according to
GEO and other capacity builders.
Elizabeth George. “They ask us to think of
“Now I recognize the value of helping
how we as funders relate to and with those
grantees learn what they need to know to
we are funding.” And of how working
improve implementation.” The equation is
together is the way to get better results.
basic: better-informed grantmakers make for smarter grantmaking. Deaconess put this understanding to work when the Nurses for Newborns Foundation found itself on the verge of a financial crisis in 2006.
Stronger nonprofits emerge when — impatient for progress — we all strive to do better.
Better results materialize when we let go of inherited assumptions. Jennifer Hopkins, director of grantmaking
new programs it didn’t need, when what
at the New Hampshire Charitable
it wanted to do was improve programs it
Foundation, recalled a grantee laughing
already had. For school president Peggy
in surprise when asked how NHCF should
Senter, “It was not about doing more,
assess his nonprofit’s performance.
but about doing less, about going
“He said he had never had a
deeper rather than wider.” NHCF had
foundation ask him that before,” said
not previously subscribed to long-term
Hopkins. Not much of a surprise there:
general operating support grants as part of
under the old rules of philanthropy,
their grantmaking strategy. But influenced
foundations constructed the criteria and
by GEO, Hopkins and her staff shifted
mechanisms to determine — frequently
their thinking. It made sense to provide
unsuccessfully — what difference their
precisely the kind of support that gives a
dollars made. Rarely did they seek a
grantee the space and flexibility to manage
grantee’s opinion on the matter.
and deliver on its existing strategic goals.
But using an emerging approach
Relieved of the need to stop chasing
that many in the GEO community are
after restricted, program-specific dollars,
embracing, NHCF and many others
the school has became a stronger nonprofit.
are finding that mutual accountability
Able to give greater traction to their
between grantmakers and grantees
current offerings while setting their course
makes for smarter grantmaking.
for the future, the school achieved better
“It is tough to get honest feedback from a grantee,” said Hopkins. “No one wants to criticize a funder.” But increasingly, foundations are benefiting from being told by grantees what works for them — and what doesn’t. Take the Concord Community Music School in Concord, N.H., one of the largest and best-run institutions of its kind in the country. To attract project grants, the school found itself having to devise
results, and through their grantee’s success, so did NHCF.
GEO provides philanthropy’s change agents with the resources, ideas and connections they need to make the greatest contribution to the nonprofits they invest in. Join us to be part of a growing movement to build stronger organizations and a more effective nonprofit sector.
GEO challenges the status quo in a field often resistant to change. In a changing world where the old rules of philanthropy no longer apply, we help foundations keep pace by connecting them with innovative answers to grantmaking challenges. We help grantmakers improve practices in four primary areas which, through years of work in the field of philanthropy, we have identified as critical to nonprofit success. Geo Is Helping Improve Practices In Four primary Areas.
Learning: A crucial component of organizational effectiveness is how grantmakers apply what they learn. We support our members as they endeavor to make the most of critical tools like evaluation and knowledge management to make informed decisions, effect change and ultimately improve nonprofit performance. Leadership Development: Strong leadership is essential for the success of any organization. GEO’s work on leadership development is designed to help grantmakers nurture skilled leaders as a means of building nonprofit performance. We have focused on emerging issues like preparing the next generation of nonprofit leaders, supporting transitioning executives and exploring collective leadership in organizations, among others.
Money: GEO is committed to supporting grantmakers’ efforts to strengthen the sustainability of grantee organizations. To that end, we encourage foundations to trade in short-term goals and short-term funding for larger, multi-year grants and general operating support. And, by making a case for streamlining application and reporting practices, GEO has encouraged its members to cut organizational red tape and reduce grantee burden. Stakeholder Engagement: Complex social problems can be addressed only when all affected parties — including nonprofits and grantmakers — come together to identify the problem, discover the causes and set about to solve the challenge together. We encourage grantmakers to ensure that their organizations and practices are more reflective of the communities they serve. By trusting nonprofit leaders and incorporating their viewpoints, grantmakers will ultimately achieve more.
GEO membership provides a unique opportunity for you to become an active participant in a movement committed to smarter grantmaking, stronger nonprofits and better results. Members of our community are leading the field with innovative practices that truly support nonprofit excellence. After all, you want your grantmaking dollars to have the maximum effect. GEO Membership will help you to:
Act in the best interest of grantees. Your grantees must navigate an increasingly complex environment. Learn strategies for helping them build their capacity to weather these changes and achieve extraordinary results. Make the case for changes in practice. GEO provides case studies and resources to help you start the internal conversations necessary to achieve changes in your organization — from the small changes that make a big difference to the truly transformational.
Engage stakeholders more meaningfully. Involving grantees and other members of your community in your foundation’s decisionmaking will allow you to make smarter investments. GEO can help you think through how to engage stakeholders more productively. Learn from your peers and those you fund. Knowledge is power. GEO membership will help you hone strategies for figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Find out what your peers are doing to assess impact. Harness evaluation results to support strategy and increase the ability of your grantees to make better-informed decisions.
Explore GEO Membership Come together with peers to address shared challenges in grantmaking. GEO conferences offer unparalleled opportunities for grantmakers to convene on issues of fieldwide concern. The GEO national conference is a biennial event, and smaller topical conferences are held annually. Members receive discounts and priority registration for these sell-out events. Improve grantmaking practices with peer-to-peer learning opportunities. GEO’s Action Learning programs bring grantmakers together to answer their most pressing questions. Members can participate in peer learning groups and work with other grantmakers on a shared challenge. Many have already attended our new skillbuilding seminars, designed to help hone a particular set of skills in a chosen area such as stakeholder engagement, leadership or learning. Tap into our virtual library of resources and our online learning community. Our Web site offers thousands of resources on organizational effectiveness specifically tailored to meet the needs of grantmakers. Download resources on due diligence, general operating support, evaluation and many other topics. GEO’s members-only listserv is a space to receive instant support and guidance from peers. Members can
also subscribe to our concise monthly e-newsletter IMPACT, where we highlight ongoing developments, emerging ideas and innovative research from the field of grantmaking. Access cutting-edge content, well-known for its quality, applicability and usefulness to practitioners. All interested individuals at member organizations receive copies of new GEO publications. Additionally, members are eligible to receive discounts on GEO co-branded publications with Fieldstone Alliance and Jossey-Bass. Receive valuable discounts on invaluable services. We encourage GEO members to seek anonymous feedback for improved grantmaking, so all member organizations receive a 5 percent discount on the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s services, including the Grantee Perception Report® and the Comparative Board Report,® typically a $500 to $1500 value.
Membership Eligibility Are you a grantmaker affiliated with a foundation, a corporate giving program, a government funder, United Way or a venture philanthropy organization?
If you answered YES to any of these questions, you are eligible to join the GEO community. Apply for membership or enroll for a FREE 30-day trial today! Visit our Web site at www.geofunders.org and click on Join GEO Today for an application.
Are you a philanthropy-supporting membership organization that serves grantmakers? Are you an academic program at an accredited institution where philanthropy is the primary focus of your research or coursework?
Questions? Contact Laurel Jacobsen for more information at 202.898.5728 or via e-mail at jacobsen@geofunders.org.
Annual Membership Contributions Asset Range
Annual Contribution
Under $6m
$575
$6m to $9m
$690
$10m to $24m
$865
$25m to $49m
$1,150
$50m to $99m
$1,725
$100m to $174m
$2,875
$175m to $249m
$4,025
$250m to $499m
$5,750
$500m to $749m
$7,475
$750m to $1.9b
$9,200
$2b to $4.9b
$11,500
Above $5b
$13,800
Government Grantmaker
$345
Philanthropy-Supporting Membership Organization / Academic Program
$575
Please Note Community foundations’ contributions are based on unrestricted assets. Operating foundations’ contributions are based on annual operating budgets.
Corporate grantmakers’ and service grantmakers’ contributions are based on annual grantmaking - to determine contribution, multiply annual grants by 20 and select the appropriate range above.
1725 DeSales St. NW, Suite 404 / Washington, DC 20036 tel:
202.898.5728
e-mail: membership@geofunders.org