At Fund for Shared Insight, we regularly work with funders who want to move beyond a theoretical commitment to listening — who are asking, What does it actually look like to listen in ways that shift power?
That’s why we created the Funder Listening Action Menu four years ago: a practical guide for funders seeking to take meaningful steps toward community-centered decision-making.
Now, drawing on feedback from users and the experience of our own team, we’ve re-launched the tool to make it even more useful and action oriented.
What’s new?
This latest version of the menu features:
- Curated resources to deepen understanding and support implementation.
- Reflection and discussion prompts to help teams assess where they are and where they want to go.
- A host of new examples of funders using listening practices to co-create solutions and drive change.
Mix and match from the menu to find the examples, resources, and reflections best suited to help you and your organization start or progress towards the changes you want to see.
One of the most requested additions to the menu is a new Shared Insight resource, Community Listening Sessions: A Guide for Funders. This guide, featured in the section encouraging funders to “survey, convene, or meet” with the people they seek to serve, sets out principles and practices around hosting listening sessions that are thoughtful, inclusive, and impactful.
A mix-and-match menu
The menu was designed with both flexibility and usability in mind. Whether you’re just beginning to explore community engagement or looking to deepen and expand existing listening practices, the menu invites you to mix and match actions, examples, reflections, and tools that suit your goals, values, and your relationship with community.
Looking to start a conversation? Select a reflection prompt to discuss with your team. Want to start implementing a new practice? Use the resources to inform your strategy or funding approach. Inspired by another foundation’s example? Use it as a jumping-off point to try something similar — or better yet, reach out and learn from their experience.
As always, we are committed to learning alongside you, so please let us know how you’re experiencing the menu — what’s working, what’s challenging, and what new ideas you’re trying. We’re also always looking for strong examples to feature, so if you see funder listening in action, please tell us about it at Lift Up Listening. Your ideas and feedback will help us continue to update and improve the menu.
