When the call comes: 6 things to do if you receive a MacKenzie Scott grant

A question we are frequently asked at Tostan is: what advice do you have for organizations receiving a “windfall grant" from MacKenzie Scott??

Tostan received a large gift from MacKenzie Scott nearly two years ago. At $20 million, the unrestricted grant was substantial by any definition, certainly for Tostan.??

We have been lucky and privileged to not only be selected to receive this gift but to also have been connected to a learning and sharing community, organized by Panorama Global, during these past 2 years.?

MacKenzie Scott’s incredible generosity is continuing, including through?new forms like the Yield Giving via Lever for Change. (Nominations are still open by the way!)

Read on as Tostan’s CEO, Elena Bonometti and Chief Finance & Operations Officer, Kadji Diop share advice for navigating big, trusting gifts like the one Tostan received from MacKenzie Scott in Summer of 2021.

1. First of all, take a breath.?

"With the excitement of receiving such a landmark gift, even feeling like your organization just won the lottery, there comes a whole mixture of emotions: joy, anxiety, overwhelm, pressure to scramble and decide about how to share the information, with whom, and how quickly, including with the media.?

Alongside that you may have a growing barrage of questions and ideas about how the money will be allocated. If you are like us at Tostan, you will also feel a keen sense of self-awareness. While you are proud to have such amazing support, you will also wonder why more organizations can’t benefit from such game-changing investments.?

Our advice: Take a breath.

There is no hurry to take action; more pressing will be the need to be inclusive both within and outside of your organization. Getting up to speed on how this money will be used will take weeks and months of discussion and reflection among an ever-growing circle.

Remember that some may feel left out if they feel like they were the last to hear, or donors may feel they have been made relatively less important. What’s important is to take your time, and plan carefully, confidently and inclusively."

2. Communicate, engage and learn through your community.?

"Keep key stakeholders – Board, staff, donors, partners well informed.

Early on, share the good news, and then keep them updated as you navigate forward. Along the way, look for advice and perspectives. You can also talk to previous MacKenzie Scott grantees like Tostan (seriously, reach out!) and others who have had “big bet” investments.

Ask questions of yourself and others, like “What are the short-term and longer-term opportunities and risks?”

Engaging with your community across all levels - from the communities you support, to your partners, to your donors, your Board and everyone connected to your work - everybody will likely be excited about the opportunity and will have ideas to share."

3. Create time and space around your decision-making?

"This will allow you to think bigger and more strategically.

Communicate that you want to make the most of this opportunity and you are taking the time you need. Resist the urge to quickly allocate funds, and be ready to challenge the “scarcity mindset” that our sector so often comes from.

Agree a timeline with your Board and leadership teams that will allow you to digest and consider all your options.?

Think about bringing in a facilitator to help work through it – starting with “blue sky thinking” and then linking carefully to your organizational mission and strategy.?

Ask BIG questions. Encourage “what if…” questions. Consider all ideas.

And remember: endowments, major hiring, big program expansions, and deeper innovation might only happen in situations like this.

If you don’t consider them when finance is not the first concern, you probably never will."

4. Reflect on the spirit and size of the gift. Connect it to your mission and your sustainability.?

"Look not only at the short term, but also at the journey that awaits your organization.

How can you leverage these funds to really drive your mission forward over time? How can your organization, your movement, your programs become stronger to create more impact in the next 15 - or even 30 years??

Yes, the grant amount may be a large number - your single largest gift ever in most cases - but how does it compare to your annual budget for the next 5 or 10 years? How does it stack up against the budget you think you need to truly realize your full strategic vision??

These are the questions that may be helpful to think about as you consider how this gift can support your organizational goals."

5. Don’t forget to truly celebrate the impact and the hard work that created this moment.?

"This is, in fact, not a lottery. Your team, your partners, and your organization deserve this recognition.

By celebrating you will reinforce the deepest potential of these gifts: the chance to operate with trust that brings forward our boldest vision and best action."

6. Finally, consider how to pay it forward and amplify for the sector as a whole.?

"We eagerly joined the learning community of MacKenzie Scott grantees organized by Panorama Global. We did this to share the journey, learn and share emerging practices, and navigate challenges together. It was also so we could contribute our voices to the growing call for more of this kind of philanthropy.?

So far, two years on, this gift is doing exactly what we hoped for Tostan. It's helping to evolve our organization to better support community well-being.

We hope that this kind of giving becomes more and more common - for both communities themselves and for those who partner with them. We know so many organizations that deserve more and bigger trusting gifts.? As we look forward to our new Strategy to 2030 - launched this year - we will do all we can to advocate for this."

Tostan would like to thank Panorama Global and our fellow members of the Learning Community for their allyship on this journey and the learning support network we created together.?

For more information on insights from our larger group, we highly recommend reading the full report.?