Published in Stanford Social Innovation Review

By Chris Cardona

I wish I could say it was easy. Grantee inclusion seems, on the face of it, like such an obviously good idea: Of course the people most affected by grantmaking should be central to deciding what to do with grants they receive—after all, they know better than anyone what is happening on the ground. So why doesn’t it happen more often?

There are many reasons, which Lori Bartczak explained in her introductory post and which my fellow authors will discuss over the course of this series. Crucially, the quality of relationships funders have with nonprofits and communities is central to the impact they’re able to achieve.

The Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For more than 85 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $16 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

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