Helping Grantees Find New Funding Staff Expertise

Under the right circumstances, the expertise of program staff can be a powerful resource for exiting grantees. A few years ago, the board of a foundation in the Southwestern U.S. embarked on a fundamental redefinition. Dedicated to improving health in its state, the foundation had seen numerous new funders enter the field with resources far larger than its own. It narrowed its own program focus, while at the same time making its broader experience available to the new institutions. “We sat down and said to them, basically, ‘We’ll do whatever we can to assist you if you call on us,’” the foundation’s president recalled. “We let them know what seemed to work, what didn't work, which were the key groups, and which ones were most effective at delivering.”