Learning Labs: Equitable Grantmaking in Practice

This event is on Tuesday, November 18 and Wednesday, November 19, from 9:00 AM -12:00 PM on both days.

Grab your spreadsheets, dust off your Theory of Change, rally your stack of notebooks: Catalyst Learning Labs are your office hour to get things done. In these workshop-style sessions designed for hands-on engagement, participants will be encouraged to bring their own materials to translate their learning into practical action.

This year’s labs are all about putting equity into practice. Together with national partner PEAK Grantmaking, we will spend two days digging into practical strategies to put equitable grantmaking into practice at your organization.

Day 1: Rightsizing the Grantmaking Process will cover:

• How to identify burdensome application and reporting practices that drain nonprofit capacity
• Practical ways to streamline requirements across the grant lifecycle
• Steps to create actionable plans to overcome barriers and simplify your process

Day 2: Participatory Grantmaking will cover:

• Practical and effective strategies for building authentic community boards that reflect and represent the communities you serve
• Approaches to sharing power effectively through the right level of support and training
• How to design a participatory process that fosters genuine engagement and delivers equitable outcomes.

This is an opportunity for all members committed to enhancing their grantmaking with an equity-driven approach. Whether you’re just beginning your journey towards equitable grantmaking or you’re a seasoned funder eager to share insights and lessons learned, we welcome everyone who wants to deepen their practice and contribute to this shared mission.

Participants will get the most out of this series by joining us for both days, but participation in a single day is available if needed.

Target Audience

This program is designed for members of Catalyst. If you are interested in Catalyst membership, please contact Melissa Leon.

Catalyst is committed to making our events accessible to everyone. Please let us know how we can help you fully participate by contacting Maryan Osman. 

Speakers

Vanessa Elkan | Senior Knowledge and Learning Manager | PEAK Grantmaking

Vanessa Elkan (she, her, hers) joined PEAK Grantmaking as the senior knowledge and learning manager in June 2023. In this role, she oversees the development of PEAK’s educational content, knowledge-sharing, and community engagement strategies that support the leadership and skill development of our members and emergent learning network in philanthropy. Vanessa brings over 17 years of experience managing grantmaking, leadership development, and research initiatives in philanthropy and government. She holds a master’s in public policy degree from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. She earned bachelor’s degrees in history and sociology from the University of Oregon’s Robert D. Clark Honors College. Vanessa lives in Portland, Oregon, with her significant other, Justino, dog, Rudy, and cat, Bernie. When she isn’t refereeing the animals, she enjoys traveling, home improvement projects, baking, and spending time with her family. 

Alexandra Kritchevsky | Program Officer | Prebys Foundation

Alexandra brings nearly a decade and a half of nonprofit experience to Prebys, where her work focuses on supporting the foundation’s arts grantmaking, among other areas.

Alexandra has worked at arts and culture, youth, healthcare, and educational nonprofits in London and San Diego. She has spent much of this time in philanthropy, serving for eight years as grant writer at the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse and then The New Children’s Museum, which was awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service in 2019. She also oversaw all institutional giving at the Museum. During this time, she participated in local arts advocacy efforts to collectively advance the work of individuals and arts and culture organizations.

Outside of work, Alexandra is an active member of the San Diego Women’s Foundation. Professional memberships include Americans for the Arts, Catalyst of San Diego and Imperial Counties, Grantmakers in the Arts, PEAK Grantmaking, and San Diego Art Matters. She is also a past Steering Committee member of Rising Arts Leaders San Diego. Alexandra is a San Diego native who earned her B.A. from Boston College and M.A. from Kings College London. She met her now-husband at a ​“nerdy” book club, which they still attend.

Jen Sarduy | Community Organizer & JEDI Facilitator

Jen Sarduy (they, them, theirs) is a community organizer; justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) facilitator; and creative communications professional with a commitment to producing innovative and strategic narrative campaigns that move justice forward. As a mission-based facilitator, writer, and relationship manager, they use their skills to seek out and build strong stories that get to the root causes of conflicts and tensions. Jen is skilled at event-based organizing, using details and stories to create atmospheres that cultivate deep learning and relationship-building, while prioritizing rest, play, and art. In 2021, Jen ran for the Fort Worth City Council on a community-created platform that demanded collaboration over clout, growth over gentrification, justice over jails, and fair housing over harassment. Jen lives in Boston, Massachusetts—on the native land of the Massachusett, Pawtucket, and Naumkeag peoples—with their three kids, their dog, Phoebe (their favorite child), and a reluctant feline family member, Lola.

Novien Yarber, Ph.D. | Senior Learning Officer | Prebys Foundation

Novien Yarber, Ph.D., known to many as ​“Dr. Novi,” brings a unique blend of leadership education and creative artistry to his work in San Diego. Although he started his journey with a B.S. in Accounting from The University of Alabama in 2015, his path soon shifted toward his true passion –driving social change and making a lasting impact.

After moving to southern California, Novien pursued a Master’s in Higher Education and a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Science. During his time there, his research focused on student engagement, equity, leadership development, and philanthropy, with an emphasis on how leadership and social impact intersect.

Outside of work, Novien is deeply involved in the community, volunteering with organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters, the San Diego Foster Youth Mentoring Program, and local performing arts nonprofits. Alongside his professional accomplishments, he also maintains a parallel career as a professional artist and performer, balancing his passion for both leadership and the arts.