Through the Scaling What Works initiative, GEO focuses on supporting the work of grantmakers that are interested in scaling impact: defining their possible roles in the context of social innovation, identifying the skills and practices necessary to fulfill those roles, and supporting skill-building and the adoption of grantmaking practices that support those roles. Our content partners include the following:
Nonprofit Finance Fund developed and is delivering a Scaling What Works workshop, "Supporting Nonprofit Sustainability for Greater Impact." The training provides tools to guide grantmakers in their financial assessments of grantees and familiarizes participants with fundamental principles of finance in the nonprofit sector. Participants also explore how to engage in a dialogue with grantees about financial challenges and resource needs and discuss grantmaking practices that can unintentionally hinder nonprofit effectiveness. These workshops are presented in partnership with regional associations of grantmakers across the country. A schedule of GEO's upcoming workshops with NFF can be found here.
Innovation Network developed and is delivering a Scaling What Works workshop, "Building Nonprofit Capacity to Evaluate, Learn and Grow Impact." In this training, participants discuss evaluation readiness, culture and practice on the behalf of grantmaker and grantees, and explore approaches and tools for building evaluation capacity. A schedule of GEO's upcoming workshops with Innovation Network and host partners across the country can be found here.
Monitor Institute is a thought partner and collaborator with GEO in a number of areas. Known as an expert in network theory and pioneering practices in grantmaking, GEO and Monitor jointly produced Growing Social Impact in a Networked World: A Grantmakers' Gathering on Networks, which took place in San Francisco in October 2011, and a funders' guide, Catalyzing Networks for Social Change. In addition, Monitor helped develop and deliver a Scaling What Works webinar titled "How Do Networks Support Scale?," based on a briefing paper in our "Reframing the Conversation" series.
Regional associations of grantmakers and affinity groups: The Scaling What Works initiative partners with a number of our colleagues in philanthropy to reach audiences of grantmakers across the country that are interested in learning about scaling impact and how to become involved in social innovation initiatives. We are grateful to the following regional associations of grantmakers for their past, present and future support:
- Arkansas Philanthropy Roundtable
- Arizona Grantmakers Forum
- Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers
- Colorado Association of Funders
- Conference of Southwest Foundations
- Council of Michigan Foundations
- Delaware Valley Grantmakers
- Donors Forum of Wisconsin
- Florida Philanthropic Network
- Gateway Center for Giving
- Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania
- Indiana Grantmakers Alliance
- Iowa Council on Foundations
- Nonprofit Connect
- Ohio Grantmakers Forum
- Philanthropy Northwest
- South Carolina Network of Grantmakers
- Southeastern Council of Foundations
