In the summer of 2011, Grassroots Grantmakers conducted a survey that asked the funders in Grassroots Grantmakers’ extended network to share information about how they are working to strengthen grassroots leadership. This survey was initiated in response to questions that one funder in Grassroots Grantmakers network was asking, but also responds to questions that have [...]
From the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation‘s Public Engagement Principles Project Principle High quality engagement What to avoid PLANNING & PREPARATION Plan, design, and convene the engagement to serve the purpose of the effort and the people who will participate. Participation begins when stakeholders, convenors, and process experts engage together in the planning and [...]
The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation’s First Step for Community Engagement A Special Publication from Grassroots Grantmakers One way that Grassroots Grantmakers connects and strengthens funders who are working from a “we begin with residents” perspective is to share innovative practices and learning from their on the ground work. This is our premiere edition of a [...]
Introducing a Peer Coaching Program for New or Renewing Grassroots Grantmakers Are you looking to map out the possibilities for grassroots grantmaking in your organization? Keep your current program on solid ground? Bring it to a higher level? Now you can connect with experienced practitioners who can help you begin, improve, or expand your grassroots [...]
Grassroots grantmaking often requires funders to shift how think about and approach work with grantees and community groups to shift how they think about their own work and the role of funders. Shifts for Funders Shifts for Community Groups From defining neighborhoods and residents by their needs to neighborhoods as communities of people who have [...]
Principle 1: Support People & Groups in Finding Their Own Way Excerpts from Helping Neighborhood Groups and Leaders Grow Stronger by David M. Scheie Like muscles, capacities grow primarily through use. The goal of community capacity building is to increase the community’s ability to solve problems and create an excellent quality of life. The best [...]
Principle 2: Capitalize on “learning moments” Excerpts from Helping Neighborhood Groups and Leaders Grow Stronger by David M. Scheie. There are two parts to this principle. First, would-be assistance providers should stay in touch with the groups and leaders they would help. They should become knowledgeable and stay up-to-date about the group’s situation, its story, [...]
Principle 3: Build Long-term Relationships for Deeper Capacity Growth Excerpts from Helping Neighborhood Groups and Leaders Grow Stronger by David M. Scheie. An organization rarely addresses its core problems right away. It often takes a year or more for a consulting relationship to get at and address core issues and motivations. Seldom are a group’s [...]
Principle 4: Focus on the Three Related Circles of Organizations, Individuals, and Broader Networks Excerpts from Helping Neighborhood Groups and Leaders Grow Stronger by David M. Scheie. The vitality of a community flows from dense networks of associations and relationships more than from the effectiveness of a single organization. It’s important to recognize the fluidity [...]
Think Layers, Not Ladders Grassroots grantmaking programs are built on the community-level engagement of residents. A layering strategy means that the work of stimulating and supporting active citizenship is never done, and serves as the important foundational layer to work that is focused on building community capacity and supporting citizen-centered change. Effective grassroots grantmakers maintain [...]
The tricky thing about grassroots grantmaking is that it operates in the nebulous gray space of the funding world. Behind the foundation walls are dollars and cents that add up very neatly, accounts receivable records coming through humming fax machines, and proof of non-profit status reports in piles across cubicle desks. On the streets ofClevelandCity’s [...]
A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending my first Neighborhood Connections Final Report Party. What is a Final Report Party, you ask? Well, at the close of a grantee’s project year they have the option to complete their final report in several different ways. The first is to write a traditional, [...]
