Project grants need not be the enemy – A three-part series

Photo by stokpic from Pixabay

Many funders do not, and may never, see their role as supporting entire organisations. They believe that they will best achieve impact by funding specific projects, programmes, or activities. However, it is simply not possible for any enterprise to create, deliver, and refine goods and services that meet needs without spending on crucial functions such as planning, leadership development, finance, human resources, IT, facilities, equipment, fundraising, and marketing. These infrastructure necessities are critical for not-for-profit organsiations to deliver successfully on anything funded by project grants.

With this in mind, a funder collaborative aimed to tackle the question: Can project grants be structured in ways that do a better job of supporting the organisational health of their recipients? The work of the collaborative took place between 2019 and 2021 and was made up of more than 40 staff from 12 private philanthropic institutions, including Oak Foundation. In a series published by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, readers can learn about the work of the collaborative in a series of three articles.

Click here to read the first article.

Click here to read the second article.

Click here to read the third article.