Amplifying Impact Through Strategic Partnership

Grantee Services

Our approach is founded on the principle that direct, strategic support of grantees amplifies the transformative power of your philanthropic investments, creating an ecosystem of growth, sustainability, and enduring impact. Through our experience, we've found that the integration of strategic communication and advisory services can significantly enhance a grantee's ability to drive its mission and amplify its impact.

Below we have provided an overview of our approach to managing grantee partnerships as well as the services we mostly commonly provide them.

Approach

Our engagement begins with a comprehensive discovery phase. Once you have identified a list of potential grantees, our team will schedule an introduction call to understand the unique challenges, aspirations, and mission of each grantee. This conversation will serve as a foundation to tailor our services to each grantee's specific needs.

Post-call, we extend a customized survey to a cross-section of stakeholders associated with the grantee organization, including board members, employees, volunteers, and beneficiaries. The survey seeks to elicit detailed insight into the grantee organization's strengths, challenges, and key areas for growth and support.

Using the data gathered, we craft a bespoke action plan, detailing our proposed interventions, timeline, key point persons, and a communication protocol that includes regular check-ins. Based on our past experiences, we recommend that your organization purchase a block of our consultancy hours, which we can then allocate as needed across grantees. We provide regular updates on the usage of these hours and the corresponding outcomes achieved.

Below, we've highlighted the service lines where we've observed the most significant transformation working with grantees in recent years:

Narrate:
Communications & Storytelling

We deeply understand the power of a well-told story. In our Narrate service line, we work intimately with grantees to create compelling narratives that authentically convey the impact of their work. Our specific offerings include:

  • These sessions equip grantees with the skills to create narratives that resonate with diverse stakeholders, offering actionable insights into crafting op-eds, generating effective social media content, and redesigning outreach materials.

  • We assist in articulating the transformative impact of grantees' work in reports that tell a story, going beyond just numbers.

  • Leveraging the power of multimedia, we ensure that grantees' narratives have the broadest possible reach and impact.

  • We support grantees in harnessing the potential of Google Ad Grants, offering support in application and account setup, campaign creation, optimization, and maintenance. (We have consistently achieved between $4,000 - $6,000 in free Google Ads spend for our grantee clients, a benefit a grantee can enjoy with minimal upkeep after we leave.)

  • We audit a grantee’s website and provide a list of actionable recommendations to improve their search engine optimization score.

Our Clients Include:

Key Media Relationships:

Example of Google Ads Performance:

Evaluate:
Assessment & Landscape Analysis

Our Evaluate service line enables grantees to measure and demonstrate their impact effectively. We find that for grantees with annual operating budgets under $1 million, these services are particularly powerful, as they are usually only available to larger nonprofits. Our offerings under this line include:

  • We provide grantee partners with landscape analysis-driven insights into the communication, advocacy, and management strategies of their peers, allowing them to identify opportunities to differentiate themselves.

  • We offer brand and communications assessments to help grantee partners gauge the effectiveness of their current messaging and identify areas for improvement to better serve, impact, support, or partner with their target audiences and communities.

  • Our infrastructure assessments help grantee partners evaluate the effectiveness of their internal communication processes and identify areas for improvement.

  • We collaborate with grantees to design robust, tailored frameworks that align with your foundation's goals and values

Our Clients Include:

Example Communications Audit:

Support:
Staffing & Infrastructure

We understand that an organization's success lies in the strength of its team. In our Support service line, we are committed to empowering your grantees with the right personnel and robust infrastructure to achieve lasting impact.

  • Navigating executive parental leave cover or interim leadership transitions can be a daunting task for any organization. We step in as a reliable partner, providing seamless staff gap-filling solutions that ensure continuity and stability during these critical periods. Our experienced professionals seamlessly integrate into the grantee's team, bringing their expertise and dedication to bear on sustaining the organization's momentum. With a keen understanding of the nonprofit landscape, we're well-equipped to adapt to the unique challenges and opportunities that arise during leadership transitions.

  • Effective teamwork is the cornerstone of any successful organization. Our "Teaming Infrastructure Evaluations" aim to enhance collaboration and efficiency within your grantees' teams. We conduct in-depth assessments of their current team dynamics, identifying areas of improvement and recommending strategies to foster a culture of cooperation and innovation. By working closely with your grantees, we ensure that their teams are aligned with their mission, working together towards common goals, and maximizing their collective impact.

  • Talented and dedicated individuals are vital assets in driving your grantees' missions forward. Our "Strategic Hiring and Onboarding Support" is designed to help your grantees secure key positions with the right people, possessing the expertise and passion to make a difference. We collaborate with them to define the skills and qualities they need, and then leverage our extensive network and recruitment expertise to identify top candidates. Additionally, we provide guidance and support during the onboarding process, ensuring a seamless integration into the organization and setting the stage for a fruitful and long-lasting partnership.

Our Clients Include:

Example Staff/Infrastructure Evaluation:

Guide:
Strategy & Advisory

Our Guide service line provides grantee organizations with strategic guidance and support to help them achieve their social impact goals. Our advisory services identify and mitigate institutional, operational, internal, and external risks to protect their brand and reputation. These services include:

  • Our crisis communications services help organizations effectively manage communication during times of crisis, protect their reputation, and continue to serve, impact, support, or partner with their target audience and communities.

  • Our risk advisory services help organizations identify and mitigate institutional, operational, internal, and external risks to protect their brand and reputation.

  • Our management consulting and advisory services provide organizations with strategic guidance and support to help them achieve their social impact goals.

Our Clients Include:

Example Crisis Communications Support:

We are fully committed to elevating the impact of your philanthropic endeavors through our comprehensive suite of services designed to support your grantee partners. From strategic communication and storytelling to impact evaluation and team empowerment, we strive to forge strong partnerships with your grantees, equipping them with the tools and support they need to create transformative change in the world.

Reach out to learn more!