Participatory Grant Making: Empowering Communities and Improving Impact in Philanthropy

Open philanthropy is about more than just sharing information and resources; it's also about involving the communities served in the decision-making process.

#Participatory grant making is an approach that puts the power in the hands of those who are most affected by the issues you're trying to address, and can lead to more effective and sustainable solutions.

This is exactly what I've been involved with over the last few months thanks to NPC (New Philanthropy Capital) - we've been distributing funding involving members of the community in the design, implementation, and evaluation of programs and projects. This can take many forms, from community meetings and surveys to formal committees and advisory groups, but for us we're involved in the selection process of who the money gets distributed to.

So we've been pouring over tonnes of applications which we've received to apply for the financial hardship funding we're distributing. It's both rewarding, but at the same time makes you think about just how many people need support right now

One example of another organisation that has demonstrated the value of participatory grant making is the #Ford Foundation. The foundation has a long history of involving #community members in its #grantmaking decisions, and has found that this approach leads to more effective solutions. One such example was aimed at addressing #poverty and #inequality where the foundation worked with community-based organizations to identify and address the root causes of these issues in their local contexts.

Another example is the Participatory Budgeting Project (PBP), which is a #nonprofit organisation that helps communities around the world to design and implement participatory budgeting processes. Participatory budgeting is a process where community members have direct decision-making power over a portion of a public budget. PBP has worked with communities, cities and schools in over 20 countries and have seen an increase in community #engagement and improved services as a result.

Participatory grant making is a powerful approach that can lead to more effective and sustainable solutions. By involving community members in the decision-making process, organizations can ensure that the perspectives and needs of the community are at the forefront of their work. By embracing participatory grant making, we can work together to create a more equitable and just world.

#OpenPhilanthropy #ParticipatoryGrantMaking #CommunityEmpowerment #ImpactPhilanthropy #DecisionMaking #CommunityEngagement