Perspectives on Grantmaker Learning – And How LearnPhilanthropy is Learning From Them!

By Dara Major

The specific learning needs of grantmakers can vary quite a bit,depending on mission,goals,structure and context and,ultimately,individual roles and competencies.

We’ve scanned the sector for existing,high-quality frameworks that illustrate a range of perspectives on roles and competencies in a variety of operating contexts,with the understanding that most grantmakers work within multiple frameworks.

The examples below include a mix of knowledge (what grantmakers should know) and competencies (what grantmakers should be expected to do):

The Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers’ Framework for Delivering Education Programs in Your Regional Association:Ten Principles and Practices highlights essential principles for foundations of all types (independent,community,corporate,family,health-care conversion);

GrantCraft’s A Map of the Craft examines in depth the roles,practices and skills needed by individual grantmakers:

For donors as well as staff,The Bridgespan Group’s Give Smart initiative suggests six questions that can be “extremely powerful in helping donors unlock their philanthropy’s potential”:

(c) The Bridgespan Group

At LearnPhilanthropy,we want to shine a spotlight on these and other terrific field-wide resources!  We encourage you to check them out.  We’re learning a lot from them as we develop a general-purpose taxonomy to fuel great searches across this site –looking at commonalities across frameworks,and exploring ways to enable grantmakers to align and/or generate their own custom frameworks too.  More on that in my next post

For now…. do you have a strategic plan for your own learning and development?  As you think about your work in philanthropy,what “big-picture” learning resources have been most important to you? What or who has been your go-to source?