FOR FOUNDATIONS & PHILANTHROPIC INSTITUTIONS

Your grantees want to
succeed. We help them
get there.

We partner with foundations to strengthen grantee capacity and sharpen grantmaking strategy — so your funding creates the outcomes you're working toward.

The gap between what foundations fund and what nonprofits can successfully apply for is real. We work on both sides of that gap — coaching applicants through the process, and helping funders build more equitable, effective giving strategies.

Let's talk See our services ↓

OUR SERVICES FOR FOUNDATIONS

Two ways we work with grantmakers.

Whether you're supporting individual applicants through your funding cycle or rethinking your grantmaking approach altogether, we offer focused expertise for each need.

ENTRY POINT · PER CYCLE

Grant Application Assistance
1:1 Support

Personalized coaching and feedback for your applicants — so stronger proposals come through your door, and more of your funding reaches communities that need it.

TIMELINE Up to
3 months

WHAT THIS SOLVES

Many applicants — especially smaller, under-resourced nonprofits — know they're doing good work but don't know how to articulate it in a grant proposal. This service levels the playing field. We provide one- on-one coaching sessions to applicants during your pre-submission window, helping them submit stronger, more competitive applications without doing the writing for them.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • Scheduling and intake coordination for applicants
  • Written review of each applicant's draft materials
  • One-hour virtual coaching session per applicant
  • Written recap memo with specific next steps
  • Optional applicant feedback survey
  • End-of-cycle report to funder with themes and trends

Best for: foundations wanting to improve application quality and support equity in access to funding

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COMPREHENSIVE ENGAGEMENT

Grantmaking Strategy
Development & Refinement

Build or reshape your grantmaking approach from the inside out — aligned with your values, informed by your grantees, and built to last.

TIMELINE 3–4
months

WHAT THIS SOLVES

Grantmaking strategy gets built in moments of urgency and rarely revisited. The result: funding processes that don't reflect current values, application burdens that screen out strong nonprofits, or a mismatch between what you fund and the outcomes you care about. This engagement assesses what you have, engages your stakeholders, and builds a comprehensive strategy you can actually use.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (4 PHASES)

  • Discovery and landscape assessment + peer benchmarking
  • Staff, board, and grantee listening sessions
  • Full grantmaking strategy brief (final document)
  • Revised application, review, and reporting tools
  • Staff training and walkthrough
  • Optional ongoing implementation support

Best for: foundations building a new strategy, revisiting an existing one, or transitioning to more equitable grantmaking practices

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WHO WE WORK WITH

Built for grantmakers at any stage.

Private foundations

Family, corporate, and independent foundations running open or invitation-only grant cycles.

Donor collaboratives

Funders partnering together on a shared focus area who need aligned processes and strategy.

Corporate funders

Corporate giving programs and CSR initiatives building or formalizing their grantmaking approach.

OUR APPROACH

Grantmaking that works for
everyone in the room.

The most effective grantmakers aren't just distributing funds — they're building relationships with the communities they serve. We bring that perspective to every engagement: listening to grantees, learning what's actually working, and designing processes that strengthen the whole ecosystem.

We work nationally, with experience across health and human services, arts and culture, environment and animal welfare, and more.

Community-informed

Strategy that doesn't reflect the experience of your grantees won't hold. We include listening sessions and grantee feedback as a standard part of any strategy engagement.

Equity-centered

Application processes often burden smaller organizations more than larger ones. We help funders identify and remove those barriers without compromising rigor.

Practically built

Every deliverable is designed to be used by your team after we're gone — not a beautiful document that sits on a shelf.

LET'S WORK TOGETHER

Ready to strengthen your grantmaking?

Every engagement starts with a conversation about what you're building and where you want to go. Tell us what's on your mind.

Schedule a consultation

"It is not on you to complete the work; neither are you free to desist from it."

PIRKEI AVOT (ETHICS OF THE FATHERS) 2:21