Our Process

Our Grantmaking Process

Our grantmaking process is rooted in trust-based philanthropy, which means we take a special interest in learning from, listening to, and supporting those closest to the work. To be mindful of a nonprofits’ time and expertise, we are intentional in how we engage with them every step of the way. To save nonprofits time spent on LOIs and requests for proposals, we do not have an open application process. Instead, we learn about nonprofits through ongoing research, community outreach, and from the introductions submitted on our site and then we reach out when we find strong alignment.

At the heart of our grantmaking is the desire to help children grow strong from the roots up. So, we support nonprofits who are helping children and their families thrive. In addition to mission alignment, we consider other factors like nonprofits that respond creatively to community needs, involve community in decision-making, and are valued by the community. We also consider special qualities like nonprofits whose staff have lived experience. When opportunities arise to expand our work, these are the steps we take: