Understanding a Foundation’s Operating Capabilities Katy Love, Wikimedia Foundation

This podcast is part of GrantCraft’s Theory of the Foundation series, which explores the role and purpose of foundations and offers a framework for introspection on three core elements – charter, social compact, and operating capabilities – that together shape a foundation’s structure and approach. 

“Operating capabilities” refer to the dominant approaches that guide how the foundation carries out its work and the core competencies, resources, skills, and processes that it cultivates. This encompasses: financial and non-financial assets, staff competencies and development, internal and external collaboration, and organizational structure.

In this episode, you’ll hear the voice of Katy Love, director of resources at the Wikimedia Foundation, reflecting on how the foundation’s deep commitment to community informs its participatory approach to grantmaking, and is embedded into all aspects of the foundation’s operations.

See related content below for more podcasts in this series.