Accelerating Impact with Grantee Reporting: People, Process, Tools | Session 2

Series Description

Since 2020, many funders have embraced new ways of interacting with their nonprofit partners and grappled with how to shift the grantmaking power imbalance. Reporting is no exception. Funders have started to deeply consider grantee partners’ work when reporting on their efforts in relationship with the grant dollars they receive. This includes considering the purpose of reporting, what information we need, and what mechanisms exist and could be adapted, in order to achieve the needs of a grantmaking organization while centering grantees.

In this series of two sessions, you’ll hear from foundation staff who have piloted new reporting methods, incorporated practices aimed at deep equity, transparency, and accessibility. They will share key lessons from engaging in this kind of systems change. You will also have the opportunity to workshop case studies to explore reporting processes and their origins and impacts. This series of programs will resource you to assess your reporting process and make changes to it to achieve impact while addressing the burden of reporting on grantee partners.

Session Description

During this second session, we will provide participants with case studies and action steps that will lead you to evolved reporting processes. Trainers will share a learning and action plan to support participants who feel stuck or alone in proposing a change or imagining new operating methods. The framework we offer participants will help you develop new abilities, resources, and relationships that support a changing field. We will emphasize the importance of experimentation and collaboration within and outside the organization. Respect, values‐aligned grantmaking, transparency, and equity will be our north stars here.

Through case studies, we will give practical tips for weaving values and strategy goals into the grantmaking process, highlighting how funders may help end donor practices that wield power over grantees in paternalistic and authoritative ways.

This will be an interactive workshop, with small group breakouts that will help participants think critically about the information being presented as related to your own organization’s practices.

Audience

This program is open to members of Catalyst, Northern California Grantmakers, and Southern California Grantmakers. It is recommended for:

• Grants management
• Program officers
• Evaluation and measurement staff
• Administrators and analysts
• Bring your team! This is important work to do together if you are going to move a change process

Learning Goals

• Get tactical and practical about changes you can and might want to make in your organizations
• Explore case studies of others who have made changes to their reporting processes already
• Learn about an action plan framework to help you change reporting processes in your organization

Learn more about session 1 here.