Trust-Based Blog
Reimagining philanthropy begins with learning out loud.
By sharing ideas, with curiosity and humility, the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project blog features trust-based grantmakers who talk about their own lessons, questions, and aha-moments along their power-sharing journeys.
Exploring the Principles: Give Multiyear, Unrestricted Funding
Lisa Cowan, Vice President of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, has a reminder for funders (including herself): “As funders, we must recognize that we are not experts at running the organizations we fund… When i give a grant, I gratefully part with the foundations’ dollars, to make sure that those funds go to someone who knows more than I do.”
Exploring the Principles: Solicit & Act on Feedback
Many nonprofit leaders are focus-grouped and surveyed and interviewed into oblivion, and never hear what comes of their ideas. Lisa Cowan, Vice President at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, shares an experience she had with grantees that drove home for just how important it is to both solicit and act on feedback.
Exploring the Principles: Be Transparent & Responsive
Phil Li reflects on his own surprise at his role as President and CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, a feeling Lisa Cowan, Vice President, shares. “In some ways, we are naïve about the inherent power dynamic that lies between funders and grantees. Both Lisa and I used to be heads of nonprofits, and we sometimes forget that we are ‘The Funder’ and not just Lisa and Phil.”
Exploring the Principles: Offer Support Beyond the Check
Lisa Cowan, Vice President at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, reflects on a two-day funder-grantee retreat aimed at getting to know each other, building trust, and learning about each other’s work. In this blog post, she shares what can come out of such “beyond the check” experiences, and considers what else could be done differently.
Exploring the Principles: Simplify & Streamline Paperwork
What happens when foundations accept proposals written for other funders? They get everything they need, it turns out. Lisa Cowan reflects on the practice at the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, where she serves as Vice President.
Exploring the Principles: Do the Homework
As one of the six pillars of Trust-Based Philanthropy, “Do the homework” is a reminder that the onus is on foundations to understand nonprofit organizations, and seek to understand how they might fit the foundation’s interests. Phil Li, President and CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, reflects on that responsibility, and opportunity.
It's a Matter of Trust
Trust-Based Philanthropy is not a new concept, but naming it has power. Phil Li, President & CEO of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation reflects on how naming the practice helped the foundation and like-minded funders recognize shared approaches to grantmaking, and to identify some principles around those approaches.
Robert Sterling Clark Foundation's Fresh Take on Paperwork Processes and Relationship-Building
Since 2016, Phil Li of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation has taken dramatic steps toward embodying trust-based philanthropy, including getting rid of lengthy reporting requirements and shifting toward multi-year unrestricted support.