Hello community! I work for a foundation and thinking through what evaluation of the organization would look like, with input from staff and our nonprofit grant partners. Has anyone created a funding web for a similar context before that they could share?
I am not able to share a specific example at this time, but we have had success helping foundations think through and develop (with participation from their grantees) a Theory of Philanthropy (see: here) and areas of evaluation based on that theory.
It’s not a funding web; it holds a different purpose in my view. But, it can identify and clarify the levers of change the foundation has, and does not have, and leaves a lot of space for the foundation’s values or principles.
From my experience, trust-based philanthropies tend to focus evaluations on themselves: how they are, or are not, living up to their stated values through an evaluation of their relationships with grantees.
Haha hi Taylor! Yes, we worked with you to develop our theory of philanthropy With the evaluation focused on ourselves, I’m trying to make sure we aren’t too navel-gazey, or extractive, and so thinking through what are the ways we can give power and value to our grantees who will be giving us their data. And curious if other fdns have used the funding web to think thru that situation before?
HAHAHA HI!!!
It’s a great question and I, too, am interested to see if any foundations have done a funding web before, as I don’t know of any either!
It’s a particularly interesting thing to think through in the context of the evaluation being focused on the foundation’s grantmaking model and relationship with its grantees.
Looking forward to hearing what people have to say/share! And, digging into this deeper with you
Hey @TaylorB and @nicsiri we do have three examples of this. I am currently working with one of the foundations to make the entire process public. Once we get there, I’ll make sure to share it here.
@Heather any update on this?!
Hey @TaylorB we are still working on this. We are actually in the process of seeing if we can get a group of funders to share some of their work and do some live Q&A this fall. Have definitely not forgotten your interest As you can imagine, funding webs from funders contain a lot of information that they are sensitive about sharing
Totally understand, thanks Heather!
Thanks so much @TaylorB