In practice

Local leaders are uniquely positioned to understand the dynamics at play in their community. While a large aid organization might see the visible symptoms, these experts on the ground can truly see the bigger issues. So trust their knowledge of the local history, culture, and environment — and lean on it.

To go a step further, make sure that the community-based organization (CBO) you support is itself made up of community members. This isn’t just a simple checkbox question, since the idea of “local” is often nuanced, but it’s important to understand how a CBO really functions. Whose voices are part of the decision-making process? Are they placing community members in leadership roles?

This principle can be baked into your learning process from the beginning. As you get to know a local leader, you’ll be able to get a sense of how much they understand root causes, or how they’ve thought about it with their team. They will already know who the major stakeholders or gatekeepers are in their local community, even if they don’t have access to them yet — your support and resources may help them get there. Trusting the community in this way will continue to root your partnership in local context, so that you can tackle the real problems together.

In action

In practice

Flexible funding allows organizations to be more agile and respond to the ever-changing needs of their community. We’ve seen some incredible innovation come out of this approach, as local leaders are given the space to experiment. This is especially important for marginalized populations, who are already adapting to survive in the most challenging situations and regions of the world.

Additionally, flexible funding has pretty powerful long-term potential. Some funders approach grantmaking with a particular program in mind (Invest in schools! Give laptops!), but this mindset doesn’t leave room for an organization to invest resources in their own operations and capacity. In reality, research shows that restricted funds are more prone to doing harm. They often prevent nonprofits from paying salaries, for example. Granting unrestricted, “general operating” funds gives you an opportunity to meaningfully strengthen organizations themselves and contribute to their continued resilience.

"Projects supported by flexible funding are by far the most successful, and those who are implementing the projects are happy, creative and feel very empowered to be innovative in real time to adjust to the needs of the community. There are very few donors that provide this flexibility, and we are so grateful for this grant." 
-Misiyah, Director of KAPAL Perempuan Institute

Giving flexible funding is a financial model centered in trust. It signals that you trust a nonprofit to decide how they spend money. It’s about getting out of the way, so that organizations can focus on their work, unburdened by administrative load or complex measurement. And instead of tasking you with micromanagement, flexible funding grounds you in the long-term mission of building movements with local communities.

In action

In practice

Look for opportunities to support multi-layered tactics, whether they’re from one organization or a group of organizations. Consider supporting an existing coalition — a group of practitioners with a similar agenda around a region or issue. A coalition can kindle new ideas and compound collective power. Just think about any professional network you’ve been a part of, where members can share knowledge, refer opportunities, and swap inspiring stories.

But it’s not just about having extra problem-solving brains. By forging a connection around a shared mission, coalitions help local leaders foster bigger-picture thinking and sustain their momentum. In other words, they’re powerful simply because they strengthen local leaders’ ability to keep doing their work, growing their resilience to weather storms together.

How do you build a coalition? Well...“you” don’t. It most often has to be driven by the community. As a grantmaker, you can help build links between people and encourage them to recognize what they’re already doing together. Once you’re actively listening and trusting your partners, you’ll slowly gain more insight about who is doing similar work in the area and help build trust with other local leaders.

In action

In practice

A multi-year grant tells a local leader that you trust them, their methods, and their potential for growth over time. It’s also a great reminder that grantmaking is most effective and meaningful when it’s a partnership: You don’t need to be part of every nitty-gritty operational decision if you’re a long-term partner.

You should go into a grantmaking initiative knowing that you’re in it for the long haul — at minimum 2-3 years, and ideally closer to 10 years.
Wait, I have to commit to 10 years?!?
Pause, deep breath, come back to that trusty idea of patience.

This is a huge opportunity to invest in the movement leaders that are already doing this work, helping them to iterate and celebrating successes along the way. They need resources to be able to continue doing it for many more years to come.

In action