Foundations need to be more open to grant requests that aim to improve organizational health and capacity building at nonprofits.
I'm on the boards of two really well run, and really effective nonprofits. So, this story resonates with me. “While it is easy for a company’s board to measure how successful their investment is by looking at the bottom line, it is not as easy for funders to do that with nonprofits. As such, funders should give deference to the nonprofit leaders who often have a better understanding of their organizational needs and direction. And while some nonprofits are uncomfortable asking for what they need, and thus apply for what they think funders want to support, the proverbial ‘funder-knows-best’ style of grantmaking is not conducive to forming or sustaining relationships with a servant leadership ethos.”
Article: Foundations Should Fund What Nonprofits Really Need