In May, the PEAK Rocky Mountain and PEAK Northern California chapters hosted a panel discussion where grants professionals shared how their respective organizations are operationalizing the principles of trust-based philanthropy. Over the course of an hour, Stupski Foundation Program Officer of Postsecondary Success\u00a0Malila Becton-Consuegra,\u00a0San Francisco Foundation Chief of Staff and Interim Vice President of Programs\u00a0Brandi Howard,\u00a0General Service Foundation Grants and Operations Manager\u00a0Elaine Mui, and\u00a0Stupski Foundation Grants Associate\u00a0Daniel Oviedo\u00a0offered insights to help others find ways to start rethinking their practices and implementing change. As they each shared their stories, three themes emerged.<\/em><\/p>

Have a north star\u2014and ensure you stay on course\u00a0<\/strong>
\nHoward shared that the San Francisco Foundation\u2019s equity agenda commitment to ensuring that Bay Area residents are \u201ceconomically secure, rooted in vibrant communities, and civically engaged\u201d enabled the organization to organize and frame their work. \u201cWe created grantmaking strategies that were directly informed by communities,\u201d Howard said. \u201cListening\u2014which is a core piece of the learning journey\u2014transparency, and relationships have been constants that we\u2019ve been growing into.\u201d<\/p>

Rethink reporting<\/strong>
\n\u201cAct on feedback,\u201d Mui said. \u201cIf you get a sense that something isn\u2019t right or is cumbersome, see if you can make changes internally.\u201d All panelists shared that they built in greater flexibility in their reporting processes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they did so in ways that not only reduced grantee burden, but they deepened funder-grantee relationships. Oviedo commented that this can look like single-page award letters, removing time-bound terms to provide maximum flexibility, and prioritizing flexibility around disbursements and report due dates. \u201cWe don\u2019t ask grantees to tailor a final report to us,\u201d he said. \u201cWe accept reports that grantees might have prepared for other funders or even annual reports that they\u2019ve created for the community at large.\u201d<\/p>

Provide support beyond the grant<\/strong>
\nOviedo noted that granting multiyear, general operating support can have a huge impact on an organization\u2019s sustainability, especially if it needs to suddenly alter its strategy to best serve communities, as was the case with the pandemic. Absent a crisis, multi-year support also empowers organizations to plan for the long term. Either way, in terms of relationship building, providing this kind of support communicates trust that the grant partner will make the best use of that money and reduces power imbalances.<\/p>