Hayin Kimner’s Post

Appreciated this recent article from Stanford Social Innovation Review that dives into the topic of unrestricted funding barriers. The article highlights some of the common challenges faced by organizations seeking unrestricted funding and offers insights on how to move past these barriers. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gnaP4nQ9

By all means, let's keep infantilizing nonprofit organizations with burdensome, overly-restricted grant awards as opposed to treating them like the professional problem-solvers that they are. The greatest irony is that with unrestricted funding, NPOs can actually build their internal capacity to "absorb more funding" and grow more programs and services. The fact remains that capacity building and organizational effectiveness drive programmatic excellence, and rely on fiscally healthy, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure, operations, administration, and systems. These in turn rely on unrestricted funding that nourishes the roots of our work so that our programmatic branches can thrive, reach out, and achieve mission-focused outcomes. Philanthropy should not be a zero sum game with grant award winners and losers populating the funding landscape. And people with money are not smarter than the people pursuing money. (Indeed, you want a lesson in how to stretch a dollar, follow a nonprofit finance person around for just one day.) Funders: if you are truly concerned about an organization's ability to "absorb more funding," then provide them with resources to build their capacity to do so. https://lnkd.in/dWFKHH4S

The Power of No-Strings Funding: Unrestricted grants can transform conservation organizations by allowing investments in talent, technology, and innovation. Studies on MacKenzie Scott’s $14 billion in unrestricted grants show accelerated impact and improved outcomes. Despite this, many funders hesitate due to concerns about accountability and control. Trust-based funding, like the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, demonstrates the positive change unrestricted support can bring. To learn more about the benefits and challenges of no-strings funding, check out the article by Deb Nelson & Tina Beck in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://lnkd.in/da6eW27Y

Funders and others interested in systems change should check out this piece from Susan Misra and Marissa Guerrero in Stanford Social Innovation Review. It focuses on the importance of investing in systems capacity. #systemschange https://lnkd.in/dGnDWsyg

Very much looking forward to a Trust Triptych tomorrow. The day begins with our Evaluation Roundtable Community of Practice, when we will be discussing Open and Trusting reporting with the Learning Leads from 15 Foundations: "Establishing a light-touch reporting culture and system is a balancing act in which funders must reconcile their information needs and grantees' capacities. Making significant progress may require a philosophical shift as well as a mechanical one – not least in relation to the multiple challenges of ‘demonstrating’ the impact of funded work, when it is not actually being carried out by funders, and when progress is subject to so many variables beyond the control or remit of the funder or funded organisations." That will be followed by our lunchtime webinar, where we will be joined by colleagues from Co-op Foundation and Peter Minet Trust to discuss different approaches to assessing the impact of unrestricted funding, drawn from our new publication: https://lnkd.in/dPcaDQB5 - "There is no simple – or right – answer to the question, ‘What does “impact” look like and how do we assess it?’. Every funder must make this judgement in the light of its own strategic purpose, its values, and its priorities as a supporter of social change. And all must test the realism of their impact assessment aspirations against the size of the grants they give and the competing priorities for the time and capacity of both funded organisations and themselves." And then the day ends with a conversation about Trust-based learning with a small group of Foundation Trustees, all curious about what it will take to achieve a real step change in how funders think about and practise learning: "If we're not operating with trusting relationships − acknowledging the value of everybody's mutual expertise and perspective, and doing the sense-making together − we can't navigate the challenges of difficult, complex, changing work."

‘Long-term flexible funding allows organizations to allocate resources where they are most needed, making room for innovation, emergence, and impact.’ 💬 The Institute For Voluntary Action Research's latest report explores how open and trusting funders approach the question of ‘impact’. The findings of the report speaks to those who are looking for more equal and open relationships with funded organisations, and those who want to make informed judgements about their contribution to positive social change. ⭐ Find this interesting new resource on our site, alongside other useful reports, guides, method sheets, tools and webinars! 👇 #ThirdSector #Evaluation #Funders

We are delighted to share our latest publication "Why Isn't No-Strings Funding More Common?" (Stanford Social Innovation Review), featuring JEI faculty & alumni Farhad Ebrahimi, Jessyca Dudley & Aisha Nyandoro. This article focuses on the benefits of and barriers to unrestricted grantmaking, and the consequent improvements and impacts made as a result of this trust-based practice. Give it a read at the link below! "The gifts of time, respect, and trust, and the ability to focus on what an individual or organization most needs to do, may be the most powerful investment funders can make in communities." https://lnkd.in/egqi6pVf

🌟 At Movement Strategy Center, we're delving into the critical insights shared in this @Standford Social Innovation Review article. 💡💼 Traditional grantmaking methods often fall short in tackling the root causes of complex issues like poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. We understand the importance of investing in systems change capacity within our philanthropic innovation work. 🚀 The key takeaways include: ✅ Viewing capacity of the system as an outcome in itself, crucial for sustaining all other outcomes. ✅ Combining responsiveness with strategic thinking, rather than viewing them as opposing approaches. ✅ Building broad buy-in within institutions to drive impactful change. Let's explore together how we can create lasting impact through systemic change! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e3E7rzTq

"Systems capacity is an outcome in itself. Many funders have found, through experience, that the capacities that organizations and movements have, as well as the conditions in which they operate, are as important as the outcomes they produce... A strong system accelerates progress in opportune moments, deepens implementation of wins, and better protects gains when they are under threat." - Stanford Social Innovation Review #systemsthinking #systemschange

Chicago Beyond directs all its multi-year grants to BIPOC-led organizations with direct experience in the social issues they are working on. In this blog, Liz Dozier shares more about: 🔷why she believes funders should be supporting leaders closest to the issues 🔷the shifts Chicago Beyond needed to make to do this 🔷how other funders can use Chicago Beyond’s Mirror Tool to identify and reduce bias in the ways they fund. Read it below 👇