By: Sam Caplan, Founder, New Spark Strategy
As stressful as 2020 has been, if there’s one silver lining it’s that philanthropy has stepped up in a big way. There are countless stories and examples of foundations significantly increasing their giving, sending nonprofits unrestricted funding, and encouraging grantees to reallocate granted dollars to whatever need is most urgent. Throughout this crisis-filled year, program officers and executive directors have spent much of their time reaching out to partners and grantees to understand what’s needed and how they can help.
That commitment to relationship building is critical, as much of the most important work in philanthropy is predicated on developing deep and meaningful connections. The grants management process often feels cold and clinical with its guidelines, policies and procedures, forms and applications, metrics and measurements. It’s easy to overlook the months of phone calls, visits, discussions, and debates that occur before a grant
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