Reflecting on Grantee Evaluation Accountability to Funders: Exploring Power Dynamics with Grassroots Organizations in Communities of Color

Abstract

Grassroots organizations in communities of color often struggle in their relationships with philanthropic partners, especially as it relates to the issue of accountability. This article focuses on exploring the nature of accountability within the social contract between the philanthropic sector and these grassroots organizations. Drawing on a review of the relevant literature and results of 11 structured interviews with leaders from the philanthropic sector and grassroots organizations in communities of color, key themes are identified. Recommendations are offered on how the hierarchy within the sector can be addressed and how the dialogue between these partners can be improved.

A Qualitative Exploration of Indicators of Health Equity Embeddedness Among Public Health Policy Advocacy Campaigns

“…Effectively framing health equity messaging to decision makers who hold such views will be difficult. Additional barriers include industry opposition and general lack of resources and policy skills among those that advocate for health equity (Chaidez-Gutierrez & Fischer, 2013; Cullerton et al, 2016). While there are barriers to engaging the community in the political process, politicians will not act if there is little apparent public interest for an issue (Cullerton et al, 2016).…”

Examining the COVID-19 Response of Canadian Grantmaking Foundations: Possibilities, Tensions, and Long-Term Implications

“…The article draws on both case study methods and semi-structured interviews to look beyond the rhetoric and discourse coming out of the sector, toward concrete actions taken-as well as difficulties and challenges faced-by specific grantmaking foundations and the grantees they support. It argues that, in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, grantmaking foundations veered away from a dominant philanthropic model that is, among other things: relatively conservative; self-preserving through investment in growth-oriented endowments (Barkan, 2013;Jensen, 2019) and an unambitious disbursement quota (Boggild & Hawkesworth, 2017); managerial and project-oriented (Benjamin, 2010); and characterized by top-down power relations between funders and grantees (Chaidez-Gutierrez & Fischer, 2013;Fairfield & Wing, 2008). By demanding a departure from this "business as usual" approach to grantmaking, the COVID-19 crisis has made room for critical reflection on what can and should be transformed across the sector to create greater synergy between the philanthropic ecosystem's various components, and to reimagine the sector as a more equitable, democratic, ambitious, and responsive social policy force in Canadian society.…”

Three-year Case Study of National Organizations Participating in a Nutrition Cohort: A Unique Funder-initiated Learning Collaborative

“…Funder-initiated collaboratives can vary in terms of the foundation's expectations for grantee commitment, accountability, and reporting (Chaidez-Gutierrez & Fischer, 2013;Fairfield & Wing, 2008). For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation convenes over 120 representatives from national nonprofit organizations annually for a three-day Culture of Health Partners Workshop to encourage "in-depth exchange, engagement, and action" (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2016).…”