Community Visions, Community Solutions: Grantmaking for Comprehensive Impact
By Joseph A. Connor and Stephanie Kadel-Taras; 136 pages; published by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
With so many charities and worthwhile causes out there, it's not surprising that funders often respond by focusing their efforts on a few specific issues or projects. However, as Community Visions, Community Solutions points out, this fragmented approach can take its own unique toll on organizations. Instead, it describes a grantmaking process where funders uncover a community's highest aspirations, and supporting and sustain efforts to reach those goals.
The authors begin by highlighting some of the challenges that can get in the
way of grantmaking success, including fractured resources and outcomes, power
issues, and the 'cloak of collaboration'. They then outline strategies to
fund communities and systems, and ways that funders can lead by example. The
last section of the book explains how to support and sustain community problem
solving, and a process for laying the groundwork for maximum impact in grantmaking.
Throughout the book, the authors offer examples and case studies from across
North America to illustrate various aspects of this type of grantmaking. Charts
and diagrams, useful questions, dos and don'ts lists, and other resources
will also help funders during the planning process. All types of grantmakers,
including community and family foundations, United Ways, corporate funders,
and even private donors, can benefit from this community-centred approach,
as will the organizations and communities they support.
Buy the book:
Canada: buy through Amazon.ca: CDN$47.22
International: buy through Amazon.com: US$35.00
