Funders at a Distance

One of the challenges in the nonprofit sector is that even well-intentioned funders sometimes operate from a distance. Foundations often put significant effort into screening which nonprofits align with their priorities, but once the check is written, organizations are largely left on their own. Foundations may have the resources to make meaningful change, and many do listen and learn from the organizations they support. Yet the most effective impact comes from a deeper form of engagement, one that combines listening with doing.

Our approach differs from the traditional model. Instead of funding first, we engage with organizations as service providers. We hear the stories of the community, understand the struggles nonprofits face, and witness their vulnerability. But we do not stop there. We roll up our sleeves and help create solutions. We build the tools and processes for measuring impact, raising funds, and supporting the people who make programs work. We are not just listening, we are implementing.

For example, as service providers first, we may observe a program that exists primarily to maintain staffing.

By listening and understanding the organization’s broader goals, we can suggest reallocating those talents into a stronger program, increasing impact without harming the team. Recommendations like this are only possible because we are serving them first. Not every nonprofit takes our advice, but the relationship is there for us to have conversations like this. And as we grow, we hope to secure more funding for our clients so that when we give counsel, we have the resources to help them transition to a new way of doing things that benefits all their people.

By starting as service providers, we help organizations align resources, talent, and strategy so that every dollar and every effort delivers the meaningful, lasting impact their community and funders are seeking.