Funders as Community Partners

As part of the “Take Action” series of webinars, County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program staff hosted a webinar to help communities think about the role of funders beyond their financial contributions. The webinar featured Necole Irvin, Program Officer at the Houston Endowment, to discuss her extensive experience in philanthropy and how local community leaders can work with partners to amplify their health improvement efforts.

Irvin made the point that because resources are limited and the process is competitive, heart is not enough. She offered insights on the questions funders consider when making investments, including:

• How will their investment impact the community? Funders often place an emphasis on outcomes rather than outputs.
• What are they investing in? Funders frequently assess their return on investment and evaluate whether a project will result in short term or long term impact.
• How can these resources be leveraged? Funders are concerned whether a project will be sustainable, if it will serve as a catalyst for other work, and if it will be scalable.

Based on these considerations, Irvin reminded webinar participants that when applying for funding, organizations should remember that philanthropic entities are interested in using their resources to improve lives through the work of a non-profit, not to fund a non-profit. She offered four tips to consider when approaching funders:

• Be clear about your “ask,” recognizing the time and capacity of a funder.
• Know the context of your work and whether they fund others in that context.
• Understand your value and what you bring to the table.
• Confirm alignment and fit; consider whether this is the right funder for your work at the right time.

The webinar also explored the many roles funders can play in an organization. According to Irvin, funders can serve as:

• Thought partners: Funders can help organizations clarify their goals, sharpen their plans or initiatives, and act as a sounding board.
• Connectors: Because funders see the work of all their grantees, and other groups working in the community, they can connect organizations with other stakeholders working in similar or related areas. Funders can also connect their grantees with other philanthropies and sources of funding.
• Conveners: Often funders are able to “set the table” for conversation among affinity groups as well as unlikely partners.
• Citizens and consumers: As a part of the community, funders benefit either directly or indirectly from an organization’s work.

Due to the various roles a funder can play—thought partner, connector, and convener—Irvin emphasized that a grantee should always ask about other groups the funder supports. She encourages groups to see if their funder can connect them to other organizations in their space and help them build relationships. Irvin believes that grantees should see their funder as a resource and utilize them as partners.

Watch the webinar here.

Visit our website for more resources on ways philanthropy and investors can impact community health efforts.