Centering Community Voice in Grantmaking

Foundations and nonprofits create more resilient and impactful change when their strategies are shaped by the communities most harmed by inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us invaluable lessons about the importance of community listening and nimble response. In the face of the social sector's recent turmoil, re-applying and building upon those lessons is more urgent than ever.

This virtual session will explore how to carry forward best practices from the pandemic to meet today’s challenges. We’ll share strategies–including timely use cases–for responding to shifting community needs. Fellow funders and Listen4Good, a subject matter expert, will share about their successes, challenges, and best practices for centering community voice in grantmaking.

Learning Objectives

• Promising practices and framework for practicing equity-centered listening on a personal and organizational basis.
• Resources that can support funders to center community in their work and integrate  community needs effectively into grantmaking efforts. 

• Real-life examples and use cases that connect lessons from COVID-era responses to current grantmaking challenges.