In August 2019, ORS Impact interviewed 10 Listen4Good co-funders that had nominated 41 of the 46 2018 L4G grantees about their experience with the feedback initiative and their own foundation’s practices around feedback. Results show that 2018 co-funders were largely similar to those of the 2016 and 2017 cohorts when it came to motivations for participating, initiating involvement, and whether they were sharing their L4G work with their colleagues and grantees. The 2018 co-funders, though, were found to be exceeding Shared Insight’s expectations with regard to changing feedback practices and they reported ways L4G had elevated their thinking about feedback.
Among the key findings:
- Eight of the co-funders said they were considering such practices as having ongoing conversations with nonprofits on how to include client voice, using client voice to inform decisions about projects to implement, encouraging staff to “get closer” to communities to better understand their needs, and using community input in grantmaking strategies.
- Exposure to L4G is limited throughout foundations for reasons including staff turnover and having only two staff members act as Fund for Shred Insight representatives.
- All the co-funders surveyed said they were either somewhat likely or very likely to continue funding feedback practice and increase the use of client feedback within the foundation.
- Some co-funders said they’d like better communication and interaction with Shared Insight around L4G learnings, how their grantees were doing in the program, and tangible ways to advance feedback work within their own foundations.
Other Insights
- Sarah Stachowiak
- ORS Impact
