Grantmakers can only succeed when the nonprofits we support achieve meaningful results. KDK-Harman’s high-engagement approach is such that many of the old ways of doing grantmaking are challenged; the result is a new type of relationship between foundations and the community partners we support. As a grantmaking foundation, we are committed to opening up new conversations, embracing new transparency and accountability, and giving nonprofits the support they need to succeed.

The Foundation has recently studied and adopted Grantmakers for Education’s (GEO) highly innovative initiative, the Change Agent Project. The goal of GEO’s Change Agent Project is to catalyze significant, measurable change in the field of philanthropy by informing, motivating and equipping philanthropy’s agents. GEO uses the term change agent to describe two distinct groups: (1) grantmakers who have found success using uncommon approaches to common problems; and (2) grantmakers who recognize that philanthropy can be more effective and are willing to lead change to make it happen.

As a change agent, KDK-Harman Foundation seeks to do more than just make grants; we seek to break down the barriers standing in the way of nonprofit success. In order to do this, over the last few years the Foundation has adopted a high-engagement approach to its grantmaking. To reflect this approach, in 2008 we modified our mission statement to add “promoting a culture of giving excellence” to our mission of “breaking the cycle of poverty through education.” Our hope is to revolutionize the grantmaking practice by implementing the most promising high-impact grantmaking strategies so that our nonprofit partners achieve meaningful results to break the cycle of poverty.

A large part of what we do at the KDK-Harman Foundation is listen to our grantees and respond to what they tell us about how we can better support their work. What we have learned from them is that the philanthropic community should focus on long-term partnerships, investment (with both grant dollars and staff expertise) in capacity building and infrastructure, and maintaining a culture of customer service. They have also asked that we focus on evaluative learning, or evaluation of program and organizational outcomes that provides opportunities to learn and respond to what was learned, instead of evaluation being used exclusively as an accountability tool.

Another fundamental belief of KDK-Harman Foundation and other grantmaker change agents is two-fold; the answers to the problems grantmakers seek to address lie within the community—and grantees along with community stakeholders are well-suited to playing a role in setting the agenda for leading change. Therefore, we dedicate time and energy to facilitate opportunities for learning and networking among the nonprofit and grantmaking community. We also collaborate with community partners who are doing similar work in order to leverage KDK-Harman Foundation support and have more of an impact in addressing the educational needs of low-income Central Texans.*

                   *This information comes from GEO’s Change Agent Project, which can be found at www.geofunders.org  
 

Ten High-Impact, High-Engagement Strategies 
 

1. Commitment to long-term collaboration with grantee partners
    
2. Offering grant funds for operating support and capacity building
    
3. Providing accountability and transparency on the part of KDK-Harman Foundation through Applicant Feedback and Closed Grant Questionnaires
    
4. Establishing clear communications and consistent messaging: focus on “customer service”
    
5. Facilitating learning sessions/networking opportunities for nonprofits and Grantmakers
    
6. Supporting best-in-class programs with proven, measurable outcomes
    
7. Investing in nonprofit leadership
    
8. Encouragement of evaluative learning for both ourselves and our grantees
    
9. Listening to our grantee partners/foundation staff responsiveness
    
10. Offering in-house consulting services to grantee partners