Our Approach

We make grants to support prevention, early intervention, and in-depth programming that changes lives.

For children to have a strong start in life, they must be healthy, safe, loved and learning. Therefore, we invest in four program areas: health, safety & justice, basic needs, and early learning. To help children grow strong from the roots up, we partner with nonprofit organizations that support low-income children and their families in reaching their full potential. Across our program areas, we support direct services, as well as advocacy. When possible, we prioritize prevention and early-intervention strategies.

Our approach to grantmaking stems from our founding family’s experience in nonprofits and philanthropy. Trust-based philanthropy is a big part of what we do and think about every day. We know our partners are closest to the issues and communities they serve. They are the experts in their work. And our role is not to just fund them, but to come alongside them in partnership and help reduce the burdens philanthropy has historically imposed.

For us, grantmaking is so much more than just funding the great work nonprofits are doing. It is about spending time listening to them and learning from their expertise. It is about being accountable and responsive to those we are supporting. And, it is about sharing our insights from our unique vantage point, and mobilizing our resources and connections to advance our partners’ missions.

Here are a few of the ways we practice trust-based philanthropy:

• We do our homework by researching prospective grantee partners before asking them for anything.
• Whenever possible, we provide multi-year, unrestricted grants so nonprofits can use funds where needed and plan for the future.
• We limit our paperwork and reporting requirements for our partners and find ways to learn more about their work through meaningful engagement.
• We ask for input and feedback, and then we adapt our processes based on what we learn.
• We provide support beyond our grant by connecting, convening, consulting, and amplifying our partners’ voices through communication.

To learn more about trust-based philanthropy and about other funders who have embraced similar values, visit https://www.trustbasedphilanthropy.org/